Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Honoring service and sacrifice of Vietnam War veterans through one of our nation’s most iconic memorials

The national memorial, in Washington, DC, honors and recognizes American veterans of the Vietnam War through a simple, elegant and iconic design. Dedicated on Veterans Day in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund established the memorial near the Lincoln Memorial. Since the memorial’s construction, Gilbane has worked with the Honor Flight to develop a virtual experience of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Project Overview

Memorial sits on two acres of national park land in Constitution Gardens near the Lincoln Memorial
National competition for the memorial design was undertaken with 1,400 entries, making it the largest competition of its type in U. S. history
The memorial consists of two polished 200 ft. long black granite walls which meet to form a “V”
The memorial is formed from 148 panels of polished black granite fashioned into the shape of a chevron
Etched into the marble walls are the names of the nation’s 58,000 dead and missing as a result of the Vietnam conflict

Any opportunity for our frailest veterans to see their memorials without the physical strain of a flight to DC is an incredible and healing experience for them. As we look down the road toward another large group of veterans who have been waiting for their turn to take an Honor Flight, we will need to be creative to get that population an opportunity to see their memorials as well. We hope to utilize this technology going forward to bring healing and closure to as many veterans as possible. Thank you Gilbane.
Karyn Roelke
Vice President of Public Relations
Stars and Stripes Honor Flight

Quick Stats

Client:
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Location: Washington, DC
Size: 200 SF
Awards:
- Washington Building Congress, Craftsmanship Award
- Henry Bacon Medal for Memorial Architecture
- Presidential Design Award
- AIA, Honor Award