Besides being an influential object of military history, the memorial is also a symbol for the people of Vietnam.  For many of the Vietnamese people, it is a holy land where they struggled against foreign domination (Schell 1).  The memorial also has a deeper connection. It symbolizes the pursuit of freedom.  For centuries, Vietnam has struggled to obtain its independence. It’s not only a monument to the war, but a monument to how strong and persistent the Vietnamese people are (Chandrasekaran 2).

This is however a double-sided coin. While it means one thing for the Vietnamese people, it stands for something very different for Americans who come to visit.  Many American veterans come to these tunnels looking for closure on the past. Many of those who left when the war ended departed very quickly and now feel that they can see how the story ends by visiting these tunnels (Mydans).  There is also some irony in this. The soldiers return to the memorial seeking closure and are given a tour by the people they tried to defeat. The veterans who fought in the war are not the only ones seeking closure. Many families were torn apart by the war.  Often wives were simply given a letter saying their husband had been killed and she then had to try and explain to the children their dad wasn’t coming home.  A trip to the country where a loved one died is one of the best ways for a family to help gain closure.  For American veterans and families, these tunnels represent a chance to close the past and move on to the present. They allow those still hurting from the war to finally come to terms with their pain and find peace.