Abstract
When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund adopted Maya Lin’s design proposal in 1981, the veterans’ non-profit organization and the young architect had no idea that the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial would ultimately change the perspective on traditional war memorials. From Lin’s design, a new tradition would arise placing the focal point of these memorials on the individual’s sacrifice and the names of the dead for proper commemoration. Today, when we reflect upon the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, many of us embrace its unique and lasting response to personal tragedy during the Vietnam War. As states and local communities began to reflect upon war and propose monuments and memorials following the national memorial’s dedication in 1982, their decisions were ultimately affected by this new approach to traditional remembrance.
This work focuses on two cities in northern Florida, Tallahassee and Jacksonville. These two communities responded to Lin’s new approach while maintaining their own unique points of view. The memorial to be placed in Tallahassee would represent the state’s commemoration of its Vietnam War veterans, while the Jacksonville memorial would honor all the city’s veterans of 20th century military conflicts. This work examines the political and cultural effects of the national memorial on the two cities. The impact of Lin’s new focal point had parlayed itself from national, to state, to local levels. Thus, the Florida Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Wall were able to advance the idea of the traditional war memorial through the underlying influence of the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
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