Creating the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: The Inside Story

Since its dedication in 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial has become an American cultural icon symbolizing the war in Vietnam--the defining experience of the Baby Boom generation. The black granite wall of names is one of the most familiar media images associated with the war, and after three decades the memorial remains one of the nation's most visited monuments.

While the memorial has enjoyed broad acceptance by the American public, its origins were both humble and contentious. A grass...