It’s the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and since 1982, it has commemorated military personnel who died or were declared missing in action during their Vietnam War service.
The moment plans for the memorial were unveiled, it was clear the structure would be immediately recognizable—and controversial.
It was all the more astonishing because of its creator, an unknown, 21-year-old student with no professional experience.
They escaped mainland China as young adults when it became clear that their families might be threatened by Maoist revolutionaries.
She did experience its effects, though: During the 1970s, the war indelibly impacted American life and popular culture.
Young adults lived in fear of the draft, and the father of one of Lin’s high school friends was killed in combat.
In 2010, a study even found that visiting the wall multiple times can help Vietnam veterans better cope with post-traumatic stress. »
