Fragments

This memorial honors the men and women from Wisconsin who served in Vietnam, expressing how they left pieces of themselves there and brought parts of Vietnam home. Its fragmented figures support one another, and the figure with the helmet reveals the long hair of a woman, the first depicted on a U.S. veterans memorial. Her poncho supports 1244 rods engraved with the names of those who did not return, with chimes hanging among the rod clusters so they can speak to us. A broken rifle shows that the war is over, yet its position signals a medevac to land, indicating that help is still needed. The rifle stands on a replica of a Native American burial mound and includes a flash of orange glass recalling the effects of agent orange and war on ourselves, our children, and grandchildren.

Pine Valley, Wisconsin · United States