To this day, protracted military engagements that seem to have no good way out are compared to Vietnam. As one of the longest and most destructive wars in American history, it rightly deserves to be remembered, and its veterans honored. The earliest action toward building a physical monument came from a group of retired infantrymen, led by Jan C. Scruggs, who formed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund commission, securing Congressional support and raising $8 million for what would become one of the most-visited landmarks in Washington, D.C..

On this day, November 13, in 1982, just eight months after the official groundbreaking, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial opens with a ceremony including a march to the site by 1,000 veterans.

Rather than commissioning a renowned architect or artist to create the memorial, the VVMF opened a competition to anyone wishing to propose a design. Over 2,000 entries were received and considered by a panel of well-respected architects and designers; the winning one came from a student at Yale, Maya Ying Lin, who became the architect of record.