Honor Guard At The Wall Since its dedication in November 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has become one of Washington's most visited sites.
With its nearly 60,000 names of men and women killed or missing in action, the Memorial stands on the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument Creation of the Memorial was seen by many people as a step in healing some of the divisions that occured within the American community during the Vietnam War.
Honor Guard At The Wall In this double exposure taken during the 1982 dedication ceremonies at the Wall, a member of the military honor guard stands reflected against the black granite wall of names.
When the Memorial was under construction, the staff of the Smithsonian's office of Printing and Photographic Services decided to record some of the events relating to the Memorial, as part of an ongoing project to record history as seen from the Mall. During the five days of the November 1982 National Salute to Vietnam Veterans, a team of four Smithsonian photographers. workng from dawn until long into the night, recorded hundreds of images.
It soon became obvious to many Washington-based Observers, especially the Smithsonian photographers, that the National Salute was Just the first of a series of dynamic events that would unfold at the Memorial site. The Smithsonian Staff continued to record the events as they evolved. The resulting photos in Reflections on the Wall report the 1982 National Salute at which the Memorial was dedicated, the 1984 dedication of the Vietnam soldier monument, and the 1984 ceremonies surrounding the butial of the Vietnam War Unknown Soldier.
The power of many of the images is clearly evident in the pages of this volume. An emotional book. it reflects America's conscience toward recognition and a renewed appreciation of the Vietnam veteran.
The historic photos are accompanied by an introduction and narration by Edward Cinton Ezell of the Smithsonian. The book also contains forewords by Jan C. Scruggs. president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund,- John P. Wheeler III, chair of the Fund; Gen. William C. Westmoreland. U.S. Army (Ret.); and James Quay. a Conscientious Objector from the VIetnam War era.
The final pages of Reflections on the Wall illustrate the continuing attraction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the nation. The Memorial remains a focal point of activities for Americans who were touched by the war and are still trying to come to grips with its meaning.
As James Quay writes in his Foreword, "The Memorial, like this book, now brings together the conscientious objector and the general, the protestor and the warrior. Important differences between us may remain. but the Memorial has given us something still more important - the common ground of grief."
This book of photographs has been gathered together to aid the documentation of the human experience at the Wall. it is offered as a small contribution to the national need to understand the significance of the American experience in the war that happened so far away.