The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has not only proven its innate power to connect the soul of the living with the souls of the dead, it also reflects the changes those have fought for over the years.

In the beginning when the idea of having a memorial was suggested by Jan Shurggs, a Vietnam Veteran and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, many were opposed to it. Eventually the members of the VVMF agreed to the idea, but much skepticism and uncertainty still remained. The memorial could do many things for the veterans, both positive and negative, but it would all depended on how it was built.

In 1980 the VVMF decided the best way to go about finding the perfect memorial would be to hold a competition.. Bob Doubek, veteran and co-founder of the VVMF, gave purpose to the design competition: "The hope is that the creation of the memorial will begin a healing process." This was going to be a challenge and the VVMF knew it. Over 1000 designs were submitted and after much debate a very simple design was chosen. The creator was a 21 year-old undergraduate from Yale University named Maya.Lin. L

After the memorial had actually be constructed, the controversy over the design simply disappeared."The opposition and negative reaction to lin's design that surfaced prior to the construction of the memorial has quieted as a consequence of its overwhelming favorable reception by visitors. The impact the memorial had on the public was completely unexpected. Ironically, the wall has become one of the nations most beloved monumental sites. Even today it is the most visited of all the nations monuments. Visitors have left over 600,000 items by the wall, such as letters, pictures, and tags. Each item becomes apart of the wall; apart of the healing process. The wall has helped and continues to help a nation heal from a controversial war by reconizing the human cost of war. The memorial has transcended its role as a national symbol of reconciliation and has evolved into an international emblem of peace and healing, offering itself as a living history lesson for all. More than 40 million visitors have come to The Wall since its dedication in 1982. It became a silent remembrance of those who participated in the war as well as for those whose lives were impact

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Approximate Word count = 784
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)