A PLACE OF TRIBUTE

THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL
May 13, 1995 - January 21, 1996


[Boots]The black granite Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on Veteran's Day, 1982; as a tribute to those who served in the nation's longest war. Engraved with thenames of the casualties, those who died and those who are missing. It is meant to be a place of national reconciliation and healing.

[Child]Visitors to the Wall have been leaving mementos since the groundbreaking, beginning with a Purple Heart thrown into the wet cement. At first the tributes were small and spontaneous. Over the past years many have become more complex, more detailed, often planned and put together in advance. Whether a simple gesture or an elaborate assemblage, most of the things have stories known only to those who placed them at the Wall. The variety is a diverse as the people themselves. Gathered daily, these 25,000 plus artifacts now make up the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection.

A PLACE OF TRIBUTE brings a small part of this tale of sorrow, grief, and healing to the Gerald R. Ford Museum. Made up of over 600 letters, poems, and objects, the exhibit presents a glimpse at the impact the Vietnam War continues to have, expressed through the many and varied offerings left at the Wall.

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To comment on this exhibit, please send email to information.museum@fordlib.nara.gov.
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