British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Cultures of Commemoration:
War Memorials Ancient and Modern

Monument to Defeat: the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in American Culture and Society

Larry Tritle (Loyola Marymount University)

Monument or memorial? Defeat or withdrawal? The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. pays tribute to more than 58,000 Americans who died fighting an unpopular war, as survivors – some of whom were spat upon as they returned home – will attest. Yet today the ‘Wall’, as it is known to most Americans, is the most visited site managed by the US National Park Service. Weekend visitors will happen upon an almost festive place as thousands of people pass by looking at the names – what do they think, imagine? This paper will discuss not only the story and controversy behind the building of the ‘Wall’, but also how it reflects the collective memory of a society and its values, and how these are constructed. Comparisons with other Vietnam era memorials erected outside Washington D.C. will be made, as also consideration of the silent Other – the Vietnamese.