Blog #2: Vietnam Veterans Memoral

Precis:

Maya Lin, a twenty-one-year-old Yale University student at the time, designed a monument to memorialize the fallen soldiers of the Vietnam War. Her design is unique and effective because it slopes downward with the path, and people viewing it can see themselves reflected in the stone, which facilitated the increase in external awareness that Lin desired. Lin wanted to capture the attention of Americans with her V-shaped design, which stood out amidst the myriad of white buildings at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Lin’s audience includes young ambitious foreigners who fear discrimination in their careers and also anyone who wants to commemorate those fallen in battle.

Response:

Maya Lin is such an inspiration to me and it is amazing to see what she was able to accomplish. As the daughter of a Chinese immigrant, some may ask, “What does this girl know about the Vietnam War and American history?” Given her credentials, however, I would venture to say this girl is entitled to be the designer of such a monumental memorial and we should celebrate her accomplishments instead of scorn them. I mean, it gives me so much hope to see someone so young doing such great things. She is only four years older than me! If I am able to achieve something of that magnitude in the next four years, I will be satisfied with my life accomplishments.

Questions
1. The design is what makes this monument so incredible. So many times we see these monuments that are the same, and honestly it can get mind-numbing. It is impossible to display all the emotions and intricacies of someone’s life through a metal block. It is disrespectful to the fallen to enshrine them in such a boring way. Lin recognized this and was able to construct a memorial that was both appropriate and gave respect to the uniqueness of each individual it commemorated.

2, I think this kind of memorial says a lot about veterans and the nature of war. You know how they say a picture is worth 1,000 words? In my mind, a sculpture is worth a million. The added dimensions of the work make it so much more than a simple painting. They way Lin included EVERY single name of the soldiers on the memorial speaks to the value of human life and the blood, sweat and tears each soldier put into the war. It would be grossly disgraceful not to commemorate and acknowledge each life lost. Each soldier had their own unique story. Additionally, the length of the memorial is shocking. It covers a ridiculous amount of ground. I think this element of design said a lot about war. It cannot be sufficiently remembered with a small structure. This structure required a whole lot of work, just the same way a whole lot of work was put into the war.