Page "Maya Lin" Paragraph 4

Lin's conception was to create an opening or a wound in the earth to symbolize the gravity of the loss of the soldiers.

The design was initially controversial for what was an unconventional and non-traditional design for a war memorial.

Opponents of the design also voiced objection because of Lin's Asian heritage.

However, the memorial has since become an important pilgrimage site for relatives and friends of the American military casualties in Vietnam, and personal tokens and mementos are left at the wall daily in their memory.

In 2007, the American Institute of Architects ranked the memorial # 10 on their list of America's Favorite Architecture.