The design aroused a great deal of controversy, reflecting the lack of resolution of the national conflicts over the war as well as the lack of consensus over what constituted an appropriate memorial at the end of the 20th century.

Within the site, visitors have the opportunity to honor the names of the fallen who are inscribed on the Memorial Wall, visit the Three Servicemen statue, look upon the Vietnam Women's Memorial statue, and reflect at the In Memory plaque.

Final answer: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was designed by architecture student Maya Lin, not soldiers, and is made of polished granite, not white marble. It's wheelchair accessible and has the names of soldiers killed or still missing inscribed onto it, though not in alphabetical order.

The names of over 58,000 servicemembers who gave their lives between 1957 and 1975 are listed on the wall in chronological order starting and ending at the center of the wall.