Editor’s Note: This story was first published in 2018 after attending the commemoration in Washington D.C.

Nov. 14, 2018 – There were neither parades nor parties for military personnel – men and women – who returned home in the late 1960s and early 1970s after serving in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Instead, many of them were scorned and in some cases, spit upon and called baby killers. America failed to separate the war from the warriors, Diane Carlson Evans, an Army nurse, Vietnam veteran and founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, said at last Saturday’s Candlelight Ceremony at the Memorial. It was one event of many held over the weekend to honor Veterans Day and the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.

Interview with Diane Carlson Evans – Nov. 10, 2018

About 8,000 women served in Vietnam as military nurses and 1,200 women served as civilian Red Cross volunteers. And more than 200,000 women in the military were deployed around the world during the Vietnam War, including thousands of military nurses caring for soldiers at military hospitals in the United States.

Friday’s torrential rains turned to brilliant blue skies Saturday morning with temperatures in the low to mid 40s, temperatures that to anyone who has visited the nation’s capital in July felt as if an air conditioner had been turned on high. Throughout the day, cold temperatures were accompanied by gusty winds for a typical fall day.

Bundled up to brave the weather, about 300 people gathered for Saturday evening’s Candlelight Ceremony.

Members of Girl Scout Cadette Troop 952 from Sterling, Virginia and Cheryl Fields, their co-leader, came to support the anniversary. Being there for the brave and courageous women who served during the Vietnam War was important to the girls, Grace, a member of Troop 952, said.

The bridge between generations is built in many inspiring ways.

Video interviews at the Vietnam Women’s Memorial – Nov. 10, 2018

Background: How the Vietnam Women’s Memorial was approved and built
Redwood Learn had the honor of interviewing Diane before the Candlelight Ceremony began. Diane’s message to all is that everyone can rise to meet their fears and challenges as they did in Vietnam. She had just graduated from nursing school and although she had seen trauma cases before because she had worked with her mother who was a registered nurse at a rural hospital, Diane said nothing could have prepared her for Vietnam. “Nothing prepares you for war but war itself,” she said.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall, was dedicated in 1982 to honor Americans killed during the Vietnam War. More than 58,000 names, including eight women, are etched into a black granite wall built underground for the memorial.

In 1984, a traditional statue, known as The Three Soldiers, was installed at ground level near The Wall.

With only men depicted in the statue, Diane felt military and civilian women who served during the Vietnam War deserved to be honored and recognized for their service, sacrifice, and contributions to ensure their compelling, collective story was not lost to history.

Stories left untold leave a gap in history. A gap needed to be filled.

During the ten years of work from 1983 to 1993 to gain approval, Diane had a group of women and men helping her. The effort took dogged determination. They were often told women were represented by The Three Soldiers statue but Diane would not accept that rationale for not approving a women’s memorial. It made no sense tto her. They fought on.

After repeated defeats by federal agencies charged with deciding what can be constructed on the National Mall, Diane and her band of sisters and brothers decided to take their case directly to Congress. They lobbied Congress as many people do by meeting with Congressional staff and the members of Congress for whom they work. They also used a secret diplomatic weapon by appealing to wives of public officials to build advocacy – and votes – for their project. It worked. Congress ultimately approved placement of a Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the National Mall near The Wall.

With approval, they then held a design competition for the statue. Glenna Goodacre, a sculptor, won the competition with her concept of a statue in the round so visitors could walk around the memorial and touch it.

On Nov. 11, 1993, the statue was dedicated. Continued stewardship of the Memorial is made possible by Eastern National in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS).

Other interviews (4)
1. Marty Eichner Ford, an Army nurse who cared for soldiers at Fort Lee in Virginia

2. Karen King Johnson, a WAC (Women’s Army Corps) assigned to the USARV-IO as the command information officer for the US Army in Vietnam

3. Barbara Dorr Lilly, a Red Cross volunteer who served as a recreational therapist for the soldiers

4. Debbie Clark, also a Red Cross volunteer, affectionately known collectively as “Donut Dollies,” a term first used in World War I (1914-1918)

These women expressed a common theme. They said it was an honor to have been able to serve their country. In 1961 during his inaugural address, President Kennedy urged Americans to: “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” Barbara and Karen said President Kennedy’s words motivated them to serve.

Another reason Barbara decided to volunteer was the Equal Rights Amendment. She felt if men were being drafted, women should also take on responsibility for serving their country. During the Vietnam War, men 18 years and older were able to defer being drafted if they were enrolled in college. Barbara recalled thinking that if she performed badly in school she would have to answer to her parents but for her male friends, it could be a life or death situation because they could lose their deferment.

Parades and parties come and go. But through the relentless effort of a band of sisters and brothers, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial stands as a living history lesson for present and future generations. The gap has been filled and closed.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. During what decades did the Vietnam War occur?

2. How many names are on the Wall? How many of the names are women?

3. How many wome served as Army nurses in Vietnam during the war?

4. What other jobs did women perform in Vietnam during the war?

INQUIRY QUESTIONS

1. Why are both the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (the Wall) and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial a powerful tribute to the men and women who served during the Vietnam War?

2. Why do you think it took Diane 10 years to have the women’s memorial built?

3. Why are President Kennedy’s words to the American people from his 1961 inauguration still relevant today?