[Leica] The Wall

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

> The traveling version of the Viet Nam Memorial is in Natchitoches, just
> two blocks from my house.  This may not be the last you see of it from
> me.
>
> http://www.sonc.com/wall1.htm<<<<


Hi Sonny,
Well done mon ami as it's one of the most emotionally moving monuments to
visit in real and I imagine the moving one carries the same feeling. How
could it not? And you've captured it very well with it's emotional impact .

I mean "war memorials" the world over are usually quite spectacular in size
and what they represent. However, "The Wall" not only is spectatular in size
and design, it has the emotions of so many people emanating from it that
whether one is an American or not you feel it very deeply!

The Russian "Great Patriotic War" monument from WW2, as Canada's Vimy Ridge
Memorial in France, they are spectacular in size and beauty, but neither has
the same emotional effect as The Vietnam Memorial in Washington.

I was on assignment a few years ago and down time occured, so the first
place I headed was  "The Wall."   Whew!  what an emotional experience, not
only the size, but it's the names, on and on and on! My God each and
everyone of them was a mother's son or daughter. And that's what grabbed me,
the names all in alphebetical order each and everyone a human being.

News stories and tv footage were one thing, but 51,000 names plus? Man
that's a whole new ball game of mixed emotions!

Your photograph, although only a small portion of it, carries the kind of
emotional strength in it's simplicty of shadow, hand and names just as
effective as being there. Once again, well done.

ted..