Looking back through my photos from Washington D.C., you'd think my favorite stop was the Washington Monument. It dominates the D.C. skyline, and sneaks itself into images of other memorials. There are photos of it alone, as seen from the Lincoln Memorial, reflected in ponds... You can't escape it.
Yet, it's probably one of the most unremarkable sites to see in the capital. It's just a tall tower, really. It's cold and impersonal. There are no lofty quotes from our first president. It sits there, towering over the National Mall, failing to inspire.
Of all the monuments and memorials in Washington D.C., the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is my favorite. Much has been made of the controversy surrounding the war itself and the design of its memorial. All this arguing misses the true point: War is always tragic. It doesn't matter if a war is just or in vain; no family should know the grief of losing a loved one through violence.
Our visit happened to be the Friday before Memorial Day. The base of the wall was covered with flowers, some photos of deceased soldiers, and papers printed by family members telling the story of their lost loved one. A group of high school students arrived as we walked through. They were given a specific serviceman's name to find, and then took rubbings of that name from the wall. Volunteers, some Vietnam vets themselves, were helping them locate the names.
No doubt that today the Vietnam Memorial, as well as those for Korean and WWII veterans, are covered in even more flowers and tributes. They may not be the most prominent or the most flashy, but these are the most important places in the capital-- the places where we remember what we have lost as a country, not what we have gained. Where we can bow our heads and contemplate the sacrifice of brave men and women.
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