Simple reminder  Yale University student Maya Yin Lin was only 21 when she won the national design competition with a memorial that is simplicity itself - two triangular black granite walls, each 75 meters (246 feet) long, set at a 120 degree angle and pointing towards the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.  At its apex, the walls rise to 3 meters (10 feet) and seen to overpower those who stand beneath them.  The names of heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country are placed chronologically: between 1959 and 1875 more than 58,000 were killed or reported missing in action.  It was the longest armed war in American history. 

A place to reflect  The polished surface reflects the sky, trees, nearby monuments, and the faces of visitors searching for the names of fathers, sons and loved ones.