Still Crazy, a photo from District of Columbia, South

Photographer's Note

The Vietnam Memorial on the Mall in Washington was the first memorial to the soldiers of a war, rather than to the war itself, at least in D.C. Since then, the Korean War memorial was built with the same thought; the WW II memorial, a hideous construction, made an attempt but failed miserably.

It was also the first memorial on the Mall that was not a presidential monument. Except for the two mentioned above, it remains the only one (although the MLK memorial is nearby, as are the Jefferson and George Mason memorials).

It is amazing to me that still, after all these years, the memorial is very crowded, and not just with tourists. Many people look up names in the books available at either end and then go to the place where the name of the person they knew is shown. (Names are listed in order of death; there are about 60,000 of them.) There are cards, flowers, and the like everywhere along the length of the monument. Some of the people I saw on this day were obviously Vietnam vets; others were children or grandchildren.

Along with the part shown here, there are two other pieces to this memorial, shown here and here. If memory serves, neither was part of the original concept. The first statue was added a few years later after a pretty public discussion; the second was added even later (and perhaps within the last 10-15 years).

There is a larger version of this image here.

No_One, annjackman, jcpix, SnapRJW has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Oceania (5202) 2014-06-12 6:03

Hi Roger,

I've never been to Washington DC.

People still remember the soldiers lost life for our country. That's a good thing.

This picture was nicely taken. Thanks for sharing.

No_One (4) 2014-06-12 9:05

hi Roger
Another new discovery for me, I have never known of this memorial before now. I feel how you captured it here has made it seem so poignant too. On the left we can see the small script that writes the names, and then we see the vast vast distance this wall stretches and it gives instantly a powerful feeling as to how many people died in that war. Of course, only the tip of the iceberg of the total number of people who died, but this gives a scale in a very real way.

It is so easy sometimes today to talks in terms of thousands dead and millions displaced, the modern media has certainly given a sense of disconnect from the harder lives of others. This image makes me stop and think a moment longer. Each name a life like mine or yours. So many names.
Beautiful memorial and thoughtful considerate composition, thanks for sharing.
All the best
Noel

annjackman (23019) 2014-06-12 9:14

Hello Roger,
This war memorial, and the Korean memorial, are are very emotional places to be. The long line of the wall with the string of people is well taken and conveys the extent of the crazy loss of life. The part of the wall nearest has some detail and interesting reflections. A thoughtful photo - very well done.
Kind Regards, Ann

jcpix (14030) 2014-06-12 19:08

Hi Roger,

The picture itself is really well put together and presented, I particularly like how you've taken us from front to back using the wall as a guide and the converging perspective of the walkway.

More importantly however, is what this represents. There's a strong emotional element to this memorial. As you mentioned, it emphasizes the individual soldiers and their sacrifices, as opposed to the war in general. The single yellow rose, flag and wreath are the perfect accompaniment to this dedication. Thanks for sharing part of our countries history. Have a great day ahead.

Friendly wishes,

Jason

jemaflor (146190) 2014-06-12 23:44

Hi Roger,
Good idea and good result with the Fg and the perspective, perfect depth result, tfs.

SnapRJW (31631) 2014-06-13 0:12

Hello Roger - Somehow the overcast sky and bare trees underline the tragedy and sadness that lie beneath each inscribed name. Even the drooping flowers underline the mood and theme. Madness. But a powerful shot.

Warm regards

Rosemary

abmdsudi (95869) 2014-06-15 7:11

Hi Roger
This one caught my eye, it's well composed and personally when looking at it closely my eye is drawn to vivid colours on the left fg and their reflections which dont take away from the impact of a memorial of so many dead soldiers, and both are fighting for attention and I love this on another level the juxtaposition of the dead and the living. Wonderful rendered image with excellent clarity, color, & comp and what a moving and fantastic tribute to these young men who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country and a first class commentary - thanks again for your time and energy in such fine reportage. Congrats
Best regards