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Washington, District of Columbia
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Maya Lin, a 21-year-old architecture student at Yale University, won a public design competition for the memorial in 1981.
The memorial lists the names of over 58,000 servicemen and women who died or went missing in action during the Vietnam War.
The black granite was chosen to reflect the viewer's image, symbolizing a personal connection to the names inscribed.
The memorial consists of three parts: the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.
The names are listed in chronological order of the date of casualty, starting from the center and moving outward.
Some critics opposed its unconventional design and color, but it has since become one of the most visited memorials in Washington, D.C.
The wall is washed twice a day by National Park Service staff to maintain its appearance and honor the fallen.
