The Wall That Heals

The most visited site in Washington D.C. is the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. This remarkable video honors its 15th anniversary, covering a great deal of controversial historical and emotional territory with considerable tact and balance in just under 50 minutes. The testimonies of diverse political luminaries (George Bush, James Carville, and Bob Dole) are interspersed with the declarations of ordinary people who come by the millions to remember loved ones at "The Wall." The concept of a Vietnam memorial began as a grass roots experiment, without any government or corporate sponsorship, and over 8 million dollars was raised in $5 to $10 donations. Once real estate was selected on the mall and a design competition was held, the wall became as divisive and controversial as the war that spawned it. Yale architecture student Maya Lin's design for a sunken black granite reflecting wall became a subject of racial and aesthetic hatred. Her memorial was dubbed "The Wailing Wall of Shame" by Ross Perot who did everything in his power to stop it. The selection of black as the color was criticized until civil rights leaders declared that "black is beautiful." All that is lacking here is a discussion of the normalization of relations between the U.S. and Vietnam today and possibly some slightly more professional decisions in the editing and cinematography. Otherwise, this is a fine educational presentation of one of our most valued and treasured monuments. Highly recommended. (R. Ray)