The third stop on our tour is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or “The Wall” as it is often called. This black granite wall includes the names of over 58,000 American soldiers who died or disappeared during the Vietnam War.

“The Wall” is only several inches tall when it begins and includes a single name of the first soldier killed in Vietnam in 1959. The Wall is 246 feet in length, and rises in height to include the thousands of names of those who died during the Vietnam War in the 1960's and 1970's.

Along the Wall you will see people using a paper and crayon to make a rubbing of a loved one's name. The beautiful memorial was designed by Maya Ying Lin when she was a 21 year old college student.

Nearby are several dramatic statues of US soldiers and the US women who served in Vietnam as nurses and medical personnel.

or  see additional photos and learn more about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.