29 years ago today ground was broken on the National Mall in Washington, D.C...

[pinboy3niner]

...for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial:

March 26th, 2011
02:55 PM ET


1982: Groundbreaking at Vietnam Memorial – On March 27th 1982 a group of 125 veterans gathered between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument to break ground at the future site of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Vietnam veteran Jan Scruggs spearheaded the movement to lobby congress and raise money through private funds to build the memorial. The black granite wall holds the names of 58,267 men and women who were killed or remain missing in action.



VIDEO of 1982 groundbreaking here:
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/26/gotta-watch-the-wall-remembering-geraldine-ferraro-heavens-gate-suicides/



A salute to all those we lost, and to Maya Lin, the Wall's brilliant designer...

:patriot:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. And we'll break ground on another one as soon as these f'n wars end.

:argh:

[uppityperson]

2. I was a child during Nam yrs, always wanted to see The Wall, it finally came nearby as the traveling

exhibit. It was something. My kid was about 9, wanted to leave and go play because it was too sad. We found an uncle of a friend of my kid's. So many lost, what a waste.

[white cloud]

3. What a waste

May they RIP,
Mark, AT, Jimmy, John, Donald
Thanks for giving all

[jtrockville]

4. I think it's the most powerful memorial in DC. Maybe anywhere.

[felix_numinous]

5. I like the way the artist made it so it can only be seen from one angle,

otherwise it is totally invisible and blends in with the landscape. You have to want to look at it to see it.