Not as impressive as advertised. Minimalism was in vogue then more so than now. I like the Korean War Monument much better.

I am not a veteran of Vietnam or any war for that matter so I am not able to look at the wall as a veteran would. However, it was still a surreal sight to see a wall that stretches so far and that every single name on the wall is a person who died defending our country. I saw the Memorial at night, which is when all the memorials in DC should be seen, and it was depressing to see the letters people had posted up on the wall or the flowers people had left and think those were their friends and family. If you are in DC you must visit this Memorial because seeing it in person is the only way one should experience something like this.

Close to understated perfection as one can get in a memorial. A rare memorial where you remember the people who visit as much as the memorial itself.

yeah i saw this. it is a moving memorial. in DC you become submurged in it, in the sea of names. my pop was in 'Nam. he's got a lot of buddies on that wall. a few of them were killed by friendly fire, and our pointless government never told the families. my pop got in touch with one family, and they were grateful to know, after 20 years, how their son died. yeah America.

One of my cousins has his name on this wall, and I visit every time I'm in Washington. It never fails to move me.

My father's name is on this wall. To my family, this wall is his eternal resting place. When I first saw it, I cried, smiled, cried more and had a wonderful sense of calm all at once. Very hard to describe the emotions. RIP Dad!

Somewhere out there, there is a mother whose son never came home. Somewhere out there there is a man whose older brother and role model never made it out. This enourmous wall will be a moving experience for everyone.

There is only one word to describe this memorial: surreal. To stand at the very end of the memorial and to be surrounded by nothing but a wall of names... the names of the thousands and thousands of Americans who died in the jungles of Vietnam, the names of thousands of Americans who were somebody's husband, somebody's father, somebody's son, somebody's friend. The enormity of the wall makes it even more surreal- 58,000+ people lost their lives, and each of their names are on this wall. A very surreal and emotional experience in which we pay tribute to our fallen soldiers.

I know that the design was initially controversial, but it really works. As you walk along the wall, the height increases until eventually all that glossy, dark marble looms over you and all you can see is row after row of etched names. Impossible to view without being moved.

Not that striking but you can feel the sense of respect...

I have to say, this memorial was overdue. It's one of the most sobering experiences of my life, gazing at the wall. Even though I had studied the Vietnam War quite a bit, an entire semester of study doesn't hit home like ten minutes at the wall.

Died for a just cause.

This memorial is beautiful and is in a great central location. Very easy to find. The statue of the soldiers that was added fit in perfectly.

A chillingly simple tribute to the Vietnam war. The memorial packs an understated punch which I guarantee will you hit you pretty hard... seeing name after name after name, surrounded by flowers, pictures, trinkets...and i don't even know anyone who lost their life in this war..

One of the must see's in D.C. It really is an experience to see the enormity of the wall the somber facade it projects, the people who come to see and touch it. It's impossible to fully comprehend the number of men and women who were killed in the war but at least seeing name after name after name piled on top of each other you have something to visualize that gives it some sense of weight. Very touching.

A very moving experience. It should not be missed by any generation.

The simplicity of this monument is its power anybody who is unmoved by it has a heart of stone.

If you can go without crying, you don't remember this war.

The memorial itself is not that interesting, but the people around it can be pretty emotional.

What is most moving about this experience? Is it the enormity of the wall..the neverending list of names or the faces of the people visiting it?..The eyes of the men who were there and are searching for the name of there buddies who didn't make it home..The understanding that this isn't just a list of names, but a collection of lives. Stories, families; histories lie behind these names.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is amazing! It's very real and the whole atmosphere is consuming.