On Veteran’s Day 1993 the first monument to honor military and civilian American women’s patriotic service, achievements, courage, and sacrifice was dedicated on the National Mall just 300 feet from the Wall of Names. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial brings reconciliation and healing for all veterans, their families, and the nation. Women’s contributions no longer hide in the shadows but inspire us today.
Produced by the Dickinson Research Center at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and funded by the A. Keith Brodkin Contemporary Western Artists Project
More than 265,000 women served during the Vietnam era in professional, technical, and leadership roles. We needed them. We are proud of them. Today, we see growing numbers of women who follow in their footsteps and dedicate their lives to service in the military or in support of our Armed Forces. We salute the patriotic women who served before us, with us, and those currently serving our nation.
We are most grateful to designer and sculptor Glenna Goodacre, who describes the humility and deep satisfaction she feels at having shaped “the clay which might touch the hearts and heal the wounds of those who served…I can only hope that future generations who view the sculpture will stand in tribute to these women who served during the Vietnam era.”
About the Memorial
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History of the Building of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial by Diane Carlson Evans
Mason/Leavitt: Policy and Politics, 4th Edition Copyright 2002, ISBN-0-7216-9534-5 W.B. Saunders an Elsevier Imprint. -
Catharsis: Glenna Goodacre reflects on the healing process of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial
Southwest Art, July 1994 -
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation
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National Parks Service Interpretive signage at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial
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The Vietnam Women’s Memorial: Better Late than Never
American Journal of Nursing, May 2009, Vol. 109, No. 5 -
Compassion & Combat, A Salute to Nurses
The American Legion Magazine, September 2017 -
Compassion & Combat, part 2
The American Legion Magazine, October 2017