The Vietnam War Memorial. Start at one end and walk slowly down and then back up toward the other end. While looking at those names. The path takes you slowly and steadily below ground, step by step. First there's just one line of names. Then there's one or two more lines of names. Then suddenly you realize, as you proceed slowly along the length of the monument - that you are drowning in names. Names of the dead. Names of those lost to the war. The many, many, many names. They just keep coming. And coming. And coming. And even as you pass the midpoint at the very bottom and head slowly back up the gentle slope toward the opposite end, and the rows of names start to taper off, you are in overwhelm. Just TRY to walk the length of that monument without getting all teary-eyed. It can't be done. By the time you make it back up to the other side, up at the regular ground level, you're a mess. You're an emotional wreck, and you're rung out and spent. I didn't think the ends of my mouth would ever turn upward again. It was just this ache. This ACHE that I felt.
And along the way, you're apt to see other visitors - scanning the names, some just taking it all in, and others looking for one name in particular. Some of them have pencil and paper and are making a rubbing of the name they found. Some are just touching it. Or trying to reach up that high to do so. Some have kids sitting on their shoulders and THEY try to touch the wall high-up. Some are crouched down at the base of the wall, leaving a memento or a note or a flower or a lit candle. Some are merely touching, or gently caressing the wall. Some are just standing and staring. Some are standing, head bowed, praying. You sense that a loved one's name is up there on that wall. And if you're not already crying by then, you will be at THAT moment. I tried hard to stay dry-eyed and dispassionate, and by the time I got to the other end, there were walls of silent tears streaming down my face.
It's really a remarkable experience. AMAZINGLY remarkable monument. It takes you on a journey. One of sadness, certainly. And I don't know if the sadness it provokes is because of the loss you see listed unavoidably in front of your eyes as you walk the length of it - or what you're feeling when you emerge: sadness that we probably haven't learned squat from this, and it's likely there will be more to come. You come away wondering - how long will it be til there's another monument like this?
I was lost in thought for the whole rest of that day. I protested the war in its latter years, when I started to become more politically awake. I was never in favor of it. But I never felt like THIS about it - until I walked along the length of that wall.
EVERYBODY should do it, and then explain why we still need this wasteful, useless carnage. Explain WHY we need more walls with more names?
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