Washington, D.C. (April 10, 2024): A monument to honor America’s Vietnam veterans was steeped in controversy at first but a compromise emerged that gave us the stunning Three Serviceman Statue that keeps watch on The Wall to this day. In this photo by Staff Sergeant Sarah Sangster, a veteran visits the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Three Serviceman monument honoring those who died or are missing from that tumultuous conflict.

Critics initially panned the wall’s design, created by American architect Maya Lin, as "a black gash of shame" or a "giant tombstone." For many, the design was too abstract for those expecting a more heroic, life-like depiction of soldiers in combat such as the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima. Supporters countered that the art is a prime example of minimalist architecture that deliberately lacks heroic ornamentation.

A compromise was reached when Sculptor Frederick Hart was commissioned to create the Three Serviceman’s statue as a permanent addition to the original Wall. Added to the memorial in 1984, the statue depicts three American servicemen and the things they carried as a testament to the experiences of Vietnam veterans.

The work has been celebrated for its portrayal of the ethnic diversity of the men who fought the war. Cast in bronze, the three soldiers appear to guard the adjacent wall as though looking out for fellow fallen comrades. A sixty-foot flagpole flies the emblems of the five services, the American flag, and the P.O.W. M.I.A banner.

Today, the Wall contains 58,320 names in chronological order with those confirmed deceased denoted by a diamond shape beside their name while those whose status remains unknown are indicated by a cross sign.

The memorial is maintained by the National Park Service and receives more than five million visitors a year, the most of any monument in D.C.