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America Vietnam Memorial Essay

1553 Words7 Pages

Public space is a shared landscape that all citizens have the potential to encounter. These areas, especially in major cities like Philadelphia, are saturated with statues depicting historical figures and a variety of artwork. Memorials are also included in this public area and become a representation of a certain memory for the public to share. When conflicts occur, such as a major war, more than just the government and the military are involved. A nations economy is torn apart, and certain industries and their materials become focused on the war effort. Regular citizens are divided amongst a variety of conflicting ideologies concerning the war, and the entire public is usually aware of these events taking place. In order to commemorate the …show more content…

There is typically a definitive reason behind why a particular memorial is placed where it is, especially when the memorial commemorates a certain war. There is no doubt that the United State’s involvement in the division of Vietnam is questionable, however, American lives were taken away from their friends and families as a result of the government’s decision to go to war. The lives of those who fought for our nation were cut short, and their remembrance will surely be lost in time if they are not memorialized. Memorials are representative of past memories, both good and bad, and are largely developed out of respect towards those who lost their lives. Providing the public with a memorial, such as the Philadelphia Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, allows for the people to gain further insight into the events that led up the present; past events define the modern world. The author, Suhi Choi, stated, “Memory is not merely an abstract image of the past, but also a frame that provides us with a way of constituting the past from the perspective of the present” (64). In the City of Brotherly Love, it is essential that the former soldiers of the city are remembered eternally. With such controversy surrounding the entire Vietnam conflict, the seclusion of this particular memorial is

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