ABSTRACT
Erika Doss has written that Americans live in an age of "memorial mania," so one might find the post-WWII interest in "living memorials" a quaint, fleeting memory of a past age. By becoming a DIY memorial the Vietnam Veterans Memorial allowed survivors of that war, their families, and other Americans to publicly interact in the celebration of those who had died by incorporating private memories into a national memorial. The ordinary soldiers who had fought the Vietnam War were listed by the date of their death, not by their rank or "importance." The horizontal Vietnam Veterans Memorial contrasted sharply with the "look but don't touch" Washington Monument, by providing visitors with a journey through its increasing depth. The Quilt's panels evoked the long tradition of female support networks in America and their contributions to mourning traditions. The memorials created the opportunity for survivors to exhibit a new informality and personalization. Each memorial contributed to the form of the everyday memorials.
