A wall of names
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Why locals love it
The Vietnam War marks a turning point in how Americans experience apathy (about war, government, radicalism, counter-culture, lack of transparency, etc.). The main part of the memorial is made up of two gabbro walls with over 58,000 names inscribed in plain typeface and spacing, mimicking the normalcy of loss during this particular war.
Why you should visit it
The two walls meet at a 10 foot apex and descend into the ground as they extend away from each other, as in a wound. Near the main part of the memorial there are other features. First, a bronze statue named "The Three Soldiers" depicting American men of different races as equal soldiers. Also, women's memorial honoring nurses and a memorial plaque.
Special tip
Visitors take a piece of paper to the wall and rub a pencil over it as a memento of the loved one.