The Wall Speaks for All
Jan C. Scruggs
Today
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has transcended its role as a national symbol of
reconciliation and stands as a living history lesson. The memorial is unique in
its ability to inspire exploration and reflection about this critical time in
our nation's past, with a wiser eye toward the future.
Congress
is about to alter the site of the memorial again. Rep. Elton Gallegly
(R‑Calif.) has introduced legislation that will add a plaque at the wall
honoring veterans who died from Agent Orange‑related cancer,
post‑traumatic‑stress‑disorderinduced suicide and other
ailments related to service in the Vietnam War.
To
date, more than 100 members of Congress have co‑sponsored this
legislation. And also behind the effort is retired Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, whose son
died from cancer, possibly caused by Agent Orange. Zumwalt accepts
responsibility for the part he played in carrying out the government's policy to
use the Agent Orange defoliant in the war.
But
this is not the first time Congress has tried to modify the memorial. As a
concession to veterans who wanted a more traditional memorial, the "Three
Servicemen" statue was added to the site in 198. And almost 10 years later,
a group of four statues was added on the site to honor the women who served in
Vietnam.
And
over the years, myriad other changes and additions to the memorial have been
proposed.
Former
congressman Bob Doman made spirited efforts to place a flagpole at the apex of
the memorial. Other proposals are in the works:
A
military scout dog memorial. A Native American soldier memorial. A Hispanic
soldier memorial. A monument honoring the 2 million Vietnamese who died. A
monument for merchant sailors. CIA agents. Even inscribing the names of the Kent
State students killed in 1970 onto the wall.
And
the lobbying continues. The wall could become a backdrop for a sculpture garden
of plaques and statues. Each of the proposed additions has constituencies just
as sincere and well‑meaning as those requesting a plaque.
The
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund built the wall in 1982. We continue to be
involved with the wall, paying for needs such as engraving names, uniforms for
volunteers or anything else needed to assist the National Park Service.
BY
FRANK JOHNSTON THE WASHINGTON POST
We
have no objection to a plaque, if normal design review procedures are followed
and if the legislation permanently halts all future efforts to legislate
additions to the memorial. Could Congress restrain itself?
Great
works of art such as the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial and the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial do not need to be "improved" by legislative
bodies.
The writer is president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
