The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a short walk from Route 50 (Constitution Avenue) in Washington, D.C.
Designed by Maya Lin, it was controversial when it was completed in 1982, but it is still powerful today. As you walk down a sloping walkway, the names of those who died in the war rise before your eyes.
The photo above shows a group of tourists who visited one summer morning. They are listening to a docent, a veteran of the war, who is explaining how additional names are occasionally added to the wall, even now.
The surface of the wall is polished, and you might see your reflection among the names of the dead.
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Photos by the author.