Vietnam Memorial Turns 25

Washington Post:

Thousands of graying Vietnam veterans, many clad in jungle boots and old fatigues, marched down Constitution Avenue yesterday to mark the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and to pay tribute to the more than 58,000 war dead enshrined on the Wall.

Their numbers thinned by age, their marching cadence uneven, the men and women who served in the war paraded to the rousing music of Sousa and the calls of "Thank you!" and "Welcome home!" and "Hoo-Ah!" from the crowds who lined the sidewalk.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[helonias]

Just think how many names wouldn't be on the memorial if Dick and Henry pulled out when they new it was a lost cause.

Kinda like deja vu all over again, eh George and Dick

[workingboy]

too bad the brilliance & sensitivity of Maya Lin was not enlisted for the rebuilding at Ground O. Maya would have gone with the spiritual. NYC is going for an efficient delivery venue for pizza slices, T-shirts, cups of tarbux, souvenirs. have never seen the Vietnam memorial; understand it's beautiful, a focal point for communal grief. we need not worry about a memorial for those who died in Bush's War. a government that sends its troops to war with improper weapons, that refuses to permit flag draped coffins to be photographed, that is eroding veterans care ..... a memorial? are you nuts; the space could be used for a luxury condo, complete with on-site spa. besides, in today's feelgood America we don't talk about death or the departed. another memorial would be such a downer. or a stage for that religious leader to come and shout: thank God they're dead. sadly, we've sent our young off to die, a pretense to defend unmatched greed and a perverse sideshow. remember:

BUSH LIED. A MOTHER'S CHILD DIED.

[HumeSkeptic]

Study: 1 out of 4 homeless are veterans
By Kimberly Hefling
Associated Press Writer / November 8, 2007

WASHINGTON --Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.

...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/11/08/study_1_out_of_4_homeless_are_veterans/
--------------------------------


Here's what happens to some sent out by our government to fight and die, often for the benefit of corporations.

God bless our troops, indeed.

[brooklyncitizen]

Well we will have to send Maya Lin back to the drawing board, for the Iraqui, Afghanistan and potentially Iran memorials.

The bitter irony is the reception that Maya received when she was discovered as the winner. Good old American racism reared its ugly head as a "gook" won the privelege to design this ( nevermind that she is as American as anyone her family having been here several generations).

But I loved the irony...maybe Iraqui born acrchitect Zaha Hadid will do the Iraqui memorial. I'd loved to see that.

[wadenelson1]

Anyone got any ideas for an Iraq War Memorial for the National Mall?

How about two dozen M16's stuck in the ground, capped with a helmet, boots, forming a complete circle around a pumpjack.

Perhaps that car that Blackwater shot up, atop "OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM" carved into a piece of white marble?

Maybe a 1/100th scale model of the WTC building, with perpetual flame and smoke, with a sign:

9-11 Hijackers: 17 Saudis, No Iraqis.

[OilWarsDotCom]

Perhaps the Iraqi Wall will be placed next to the Vietnam Wall - America's legacy of murder. Iran Wall on the drawing board???? The PNAC is on the march - Give us your land, your resources, your lives or die!!!!!!!!!

[KBAR]

http://www.aerhq.org/qa.asp?a=9

[WARisEVIL]

Also seldom discussed is the Veterans that stayed behind in 1975. There were quite a few who had girlfriends and stayed in the back streets of Saigon.

Some didn't WANT to go back.

However, because they are Veterans they still need our respect and prayers.

I know of one guy personally who made his way to Bangkok and opened up a great bar.

[1man1voicenovote]

Baby Killer!

War Criminal!

Stop the Killing!

Make Love, Not War!

Flower Power!

Strength Through PEACE!

Nixon Sucks!

Are you BARBARIC MORONS finished LOSING THE WAR YET?

The harder you wave the flag...the more TATTERED it becomes.

NARCISSISTIC NEO-CON-ARTIST TRAITORS.


Whew! That always makes me feel better.
HAPPY PAWNS IN THE MEAT-GRINDER DAY!

[HumeSkeptic]

Vietnam War casualties
________________________


North Vietnamese Army, National Front for the Liberation of Vietnam
--------------------------------------------------------------------
~800,000 KIA
~300,000 MIA.
~600,000 WIA.

Vietnamese civilians
--------------------
~900,000 to 4,000,000 killed
~3,000,000 affected by Agent Orange

United States Armed Forces Casualites
-------------------------------------
58,209 KIA
153,303 WIA
1,948 MIA
(Source: Wikipedia)

All the above of our fellow human beings died and suffered in vain unless we work to prevent unnecessary wars.

[WARisEVIL]

Let's remember all the dead Veterans who could have lived a decent life had they been born under a decent government.

There has been only 3,800 died so far in Iraq, thats a long way to 58,000. Perhaps when we take on Iran, who has ravaged and attacked EVERYONE in the region in the last century we can get those numbers up.

[DELICIOUS]

IT IS ALL SO SAD. THE MEMORIAL WITH OVER 58,000 NAMES OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DIED BEFORE THEY REALLY LIVED. WAR IS A DISGRACE AND USUALLY STARTED BY PEOPLE WITH SOME REAL SERIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. BU$H IS AN ICON FOR THE RICH AND GREEDY WHO ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE BENEFITING FROM THIS CURRENT QUAGMIRE IN IRAQ. HE SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP ON CHAGES OF MALFESANCE IN POLITICAL OFFICE AND FAILURE TO SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. MAY ALL OUR DECEASED MILITARY REST IN ETERNAL PEACE!

[CheneysACoward]

TO ALL WHO POST.. Their is a story about McCain's Mother. I ask you to look at the posting from "GladysKnightsPIP ".
This is one SICK piece of human trash. Flagg untill his IP number is blocked from HP. Better still e mail HP to ban this idiot.
This has nothing what so ever to do with politics left or right Republican or Democrat.

[lovethesinner]

Vietnam ultimately was a Republican war becuase Nixon promised to end it when elected. But, it went on for several more years, killing thousands more, and accomplishing absolutely nothing (of value to the peoples of either country.)

It did turn American businessmen into filthy rich bastards, who could swagger with even more bravado right through the other little problem nations on the IMF and WTO's hitlist.

(Has anyone figured out why Bush is still in Iraq and moving towards Iran, now?) That's right. The corporations get the money, and America gets the mess.

Republican's used to defend civil liberties. Now they only defend profits. (GOP: Gang of Profiteers)

[neoconcriminals]

It's a good thing that we learned important lessons from Vietnam....like not wasting lives on a senseless war without end.