Vietnam Women's Memorial

History

In 1982, Diane Carlson Evans, a former U.S. Army nurse, attended the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and noticed its focus on men. She wanted to memorialize the more than 11,500 American women who served as nurses and in other roles. Two years later, she co-founded the Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation with attorney Donna-Marie Boulay and Gerald C. Bender. The group aimed to erect a memorial, locate all women veterans of the war, and educate the public about their sacrifices.

Their idea was repeatedly turned down; the women were mocked and received death threats. One person told Evans that if women were memorialized, so should the Canine Corps. After a 60 Minutes interview with Morley Safer, some male veterans began assisting the project. Evans attended over 35 meetings with bureaucrats to seek approval.

In 1987, the United States Commission of Fine Arts overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, despite a letter of support from Secretary of the Interior Donald P. Hodel. U.S. senators David Durenberger and Alan Cranston sponsored a bill to erect the memorial, joined by U.S. House Representative Sam Gejdenson. The bill was signed by President Ronald Reagan in November 1988. The CFA and NCPC approved the plan the following year and chose a site south of the Wall.

A competition for a new design began in August 1990, with 317 entries. The sculptor chosen was Eileen Barry, but the CFA and NCPC could not agree on her design, so Glenna Goodacre was selected in November 1991. The dedication on Veterans Day 1993 drew around 25,000 people, including Vice President Al Gore, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff William J. Crowe, and other military leaders.

Location and design

The memorial is sited near the Wall and the Three Soldiers statue at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, within Constitution Gardens on the National Mall. Landscape architect George Dickie chose the site based on three important factors: a location where the Wall was visible, accessibility, and fit with the park layout. The sculpture consists of three bronze statues of uniformed women with a wounded male soldier on a granite base. The statues are bronze and the base is made of granite. The memorial is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a short distance south of the Wall and north of the Reflecting Pool. The United States Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission selected Glenna Goodacre to sculpt the memorial after previously rejecting the idea for a memorial to women.