In honor of the men and women
of the armed forces of the United States
who served in the Vietnam War.
The names of those who gave their lives
and of those who remain missing are inscribed
in the order they were taken from us.

The Vietnam War occurred from 1965 to 1975. It concluded with the North Vietnamese military victory after more than 15 years and was the first ever major military defeat for the United States. Over 1.4 million military personnel were killed in the war (approximately 6% were members of the United States armed forces), while estimates of civilian fatalities range from 2 to 5.1 million. On April 30, 1975, the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon fell to the communist forces of North Vietnam, effectively ending the Vietnam War.

Maya Ying Lin conceived her design as creating a park within a park - a quiet protected place unto itself, yet harmonious with the site. The memorial's wall point to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The 58,267 names are inscribed in chronological order of the date of casualty, showing the war as a series of individual human sacrifices and giving each name a special place in history. Lin said, "The names would become the memorial."
The walls are 246.75 feet (75 meter) long, and the angle at the vertex is 125° 12'. There are 140 pilings; the average depth to bedrock is 35 feet (10.5 meter). The height of the walls at the vertex is 10.1 feet (3.1 meter).

Sculptor Frederick Hart's goal was to create a moving evocation of the experience and service of the Vietnam veterans. He has described it: "They wear it on their uniform and carry the equipment of war; they are younf. The contrast between the innocence of their youth and the weapons of war underscores the poignancy of their sacrifice. There is about them the physical contact and sense of unity that bespeaks the bonds of loveand sacrifice that is the nature of men at war . . . Their strength and their vulnerability are both evident."

Dedicated on November 11, 1993, as part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Women's Memorial honors the women of the U. S. Armed Forces who took part in the war. The statue was sculpted by Glenna Goodacre and depicts three women coming to the aid of a fallen soldier. It recalls the courage and sacrifice of all women who served.
Planted around the memorial are eight yellowwood trees - a living tribute to the eight service-women killed in action while in Vietnam.

Over 265,000 American women served during the Vietnam era and over 11,000 saw duty in Vietnam. The majority served as nurses, caring for thousands of wounded servicemen in the difficult conditions of crowded transports, harsh weather, difficult terrain, and long hours. Between 1964 and 1973, dedicated nurses tended to over 300,000 wounded, saving nearly 98 percent of those who eventually reached hospitals.


More information about the Vietnam War on Wikipedia.
Some more pictures can be seen on DC Memorials
The site The Vietnam Veterans Memorial contains a database with all men whose name is inscribed on the wall.