• Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at night

    Vietnam Veterans Memorial National Memorial

    Memorial District of Columbia

Frequently Asked Questions


Vietnam Veterans Memorial

How many names are on the wall?

As of 2013, there are 58,286 names listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

What happens to items left at the memorial?

Items are gathered by park staff. Non-perishable items are archived in a storage facility.

Is the archive collection open to the public?

Sorry, the archives are not open to the public.

How are the names arranged on the wall?

The names are arranged chronologically by date of casualty. The first names appear at the center of the wall at the top of panel 1E. The panels are filled like pages of a journal listing the men and women's names as they fell. Upon reaching the farthest east end of the memorial at panel 70E, the pattern continues from the far west end of the memorial at panel 70W, continuing back to the center at panel 1W. In this manner, the memorial evokes a theme of closure or completion; the first are with the last.

NPS / Nathan King

How can I find a name on the memorial?

Printed registries available at the memorial are organized alphabetically by last name. Electronic registries available online or accessible by park staff in the information kiosk at the memorial allow users to search by several data including first name, last name, branch of service, rank, date of birth, date of casualty, state and/or city where they enlisted. Registry entries include a panel number and row number that correspond to its location in the memorial (see graphic above). Panel numbers are engraved in the memorial at the bottom of each panel. For row number, count down from the highest row on the panel. Each row contains five names (six where a name has been added since the wall was originally installed). If you require assistance, contact a park ranger or volunteer at the memorial.