United in Mourning/Divided in Grief:Religion and Collective Memory at the Vietnam and 9/11 Memorials (2013)

Undergraduate: Maggie Grossman

Faculty Advisor: Lloyd Kramer
Department: History

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The Vietnam Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial share many themes, yet the Vietnam former remains more successful in terms of uniting public opinion, despite the fact that it was born out of intense discord. They both serve as a stand-in tombstone, placing the loss of life within a particular framework. In the case of the Vietnam Memorial, this framework was one of active spiritual tradition with respect to the custom of leaving artifacts at the Wall and seeking to honor the soldiers who did not receive the homecoming they deserved. These religious motifs blended easily with the types of religious motifs commonly found in nationalistic symbols. In the case of the 9/11 Memorial, however, the religious motifs become much more complex. The fact that the 9/11 Memorial is literally a burial ground, and therefore "sacred," triggers a slew of challenges to the public's relationship to the site that the Vietnam Memorial did not have to face. Furthermore, the 9/11 Memorial has, by virtue of its association with New York City's tourism culture, been "commodified" and thus its sacredness has been compromised. Finally, the 9/11 Memorial does not have as concrete of a purpose of commemoration as does the Vietnam Memorial, adding to further confusion as to what one is "praying to" when they approach this "altar." By comparing these two seemingly similar monuments, one can appreciate the importance of monuments and their power to shape a nation's collective memory.