On the way back from a trip to Florida with our grandsons, my husband and I decided to stop in Washington, D.C., so the boys would be able to see the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. The oldest boy had recently been interested in war and soldiers, so we thought this would be a great opportunity for the boys to see the reality of war.

The Wall

The day we arrived in Washington, there was a cold wind blowing. We found a place to park and began our trek across the Mall to visit the Memorial. The oldest grandson had asked several times why the Memorial to those who died in Vietnam was called "The Wall." As we walked towards it he could see that it literally was a wall of granite.

As we approached, a woman and her two sons were standing by The Wall. They had laid flowers at the base under a list of names. She heard our grandsons asking questions about the men whose names appeared on the wall of granite. She turned, smiled and explained to our grandsons that her father had died in Vietnam. The oldest asked her which name was her father’s and she ran the tips of her fingers across one of the names. Brandon looked her in the eye and said, "I’m sorry that your Dad died in a war."

At his words, tears flowed. The woman patted his shoulder and told him that her Dad had died a very long time ago and that she had never really known him. She had been only a baby when her Dad was drafted and sent across the ocean to fight.

As we walked along the wall, the boys expressed concern that there were probably many other kids that had never known the men whose names were etched on the wall. The expressed sadness that such a thing would ever happen. They couldn’t believe that there were so many men that had gone to a foreign country to fight and never returned home.

Along the way were notes, flowers and objects that had been left for the men whose names were on The Wall. One elderly lady laid a single red rose at the base and wiped her tears. I shook my head and indicated to the boys that they shouldn’t ask any questions and how grieving is a very private thing that should not be intruded upon.

We visited the other memorials in the park and the boys were especially impressed with the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and also the Marine Corps Memorial. They thought it was great that all of the men and women who participated in the war were honored.

The boys talked to the son of a man who is an MIA. The man explained that his father went missing in Vietnam and he was never heard of again. The boys asked him if his father was dead and the man explained that no one knew. His father could be alive or he could be dead. There was no way of knowing.

The wind picked up as we made our way along The Wall and back towards the car. It had been quite a learning experience for two young boys who had never been affected by war. It brought the reality of war to their attention having spoken to people whose lives were so greatly affected.

The boys realize that Grandpa and I grew up in the area of the Vietnam Conflict. They’ve both expressed that they’re glad that they didn’t have to fight in such a war. They believe that world peace is the answer. However, whether they realize it or not they are growing up in a world that is just as affected. Today, instead of having Vietnam, we have Afghanistan, Iraq and terrorist attacks.