The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C. was dedicated on November 13, 1982. The Wall carries the names of the 58,313 men and women who gave their lives in service of their nation during the Vietnam War. The names, carved in black granite, are listed in chronological order of those lost spanning from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975. They stand as a form of remembrance for all those who lost friends and loved ones throughout the conflict. A unique aspect of this memorial are the items left behind. Family Members, Veterans, and even strangers leave behind items at the wall of a mixed nature. Photos, personal items, paintings, and drawings are just a small proportion of items left behind but all of these have meaning and connections to the names in granite. The Vietnam War Memorial is where the war is still alive in people’s memories, making the artifacts left behind at the wall a part of the material culture of the Vietnam War.
When the war is over and the soldiers come home, the uniform that was essential to their identity is put away, sometimes to never see the light of day from the closet they were folded into. For those who never came home, the uniforms they left behind bring back the feelings of loss and the yearning for their loved ones that never goes away. (Left at the Memorial on 7 DEC 1986 in dedication to Manuel B Alonzo by his son. Panel 29W: Line 50. VIVE 9647, National Park Service.)
The medals they earned were from acts of valor. Points of pride in their service in Vietnam, left at the Wall for remembrance of those who they lost. (Left at the Memorial at the end of 1989 from an unknown donor. VIVE 07145, National Park Service.)
Helmets, the one piece of gear that could have been the difference between life and death, now sit in the cold grey winter along a granite wall. The cloth cover that may have had art decorations on it, now sits bare with a name in honor of one who gave his life in Vietnam. ( Left at the Memorial between December 1986 and February 1987 by an anonymous donor in dedication to Joe H. Fulgham. Panel 8W: Line 76, VIVE 03643, National Park Service.)
Though decades have passed since the end of the war, the conflict is still alive in those who miss the ones who never came home. Letter are left from those who yearn for old conversations with friends and family immortalized in stone. (Left at the Memorial in late 1984 by someone with the last name of Richard in dedication to Leonard R. Davis. Panel 1W: Line 2, VIVE 00611, National Park Service.)
“I’m so sorry Frankie- I know we left you- I hope you didn’t suffer too much-give them hell”
(Left at the Memorial by an anonymous donor, VIVE 00612, National Park Service)
“My Dearest Son,
Today I am coming to see your name on the Wall. I haven’t been ready until now but I knew I must see it before I die. I miss you so much. I think of you every day. You had so much of life to live and your life was taken so quickly. With Lumps in my throat and teary eyes I am on my way. I wanted to bring your teddy bear but just couldn’t part with it. Instead I brought your first sweater. You are always in my heart. How I love you.
God be with you till we meet again.
Love Mom”
( Brought to the Memorial in 1990 by the mother of Donald Gary Detmer. Panel 15E: Line 104 , National Park Service.)
“My Dear Brother
I found this in the attic after Mom passed and I knew immediately why she had saved it. Now I am the only [one] left to hold the family memories but you are still alive there along with mom and dad. Fifty years have passed and I miss you still.
Your Sister”
(Brought to the Memorial in 2016 by the sister of Gary Lee Grow. Panel 31E: Line 12, VIVE 42562, National Park Service.)
The names on the Wall stand in watch over all those who pass by. Through the cold of the winter and the hot of the summer, the black granite in which the names are carved reflect back the aging faces of those who came home. (Left at the Memorial in late 1989 by an anonymous donor. VIVE 26843, National Park Service.)
The items left at the wall stand as a testament to the memory of the friends and family who have vowed to remember those who never came home from Vietnam. Each item left behind play’s its part in keeping those names alive in the minds of all those who visit the Vietnam War Memorial. The names will remain even as their loved ones and friends grow older in the reflections of the wall. Eventually, those with living memories of the war will fade, but the names will remain in stone, preserving their memory even when all those who lived through the war are gone.
