Direct teleport to Second Life's Vietnam Memorial Wall at this link
Today is Memorial Day in the United States, and actor Drew Carey, who is a Marine veteran and perhaps Second Life's most well-known Resident, recommends visiting the Vietnam Memorial Wall in SL. Built in 2007, the Wall recreates Maya Lin's famous memorial in DC, integrated with immersive features unique to Second Life: The names of the war dead are pronounced aloud with a synthesized text reader, while music from the era is streamed over the island. (Here's the official site.) I shot a short video of the Wall a couple years ago, embedded below, but if you have any inclination, take the time to go in person. When you visit, you will often see flowers and little flags left by Residents near the names of fallen loved ones, and especially today, visitors paying their respects. Teleport at this link.
Seeing as how it is Memorial Day for those of us in the States, I decided to pop over to have a look. I used to live near D.C., and the real-world memorial is one of the most profoundly moving memorials I have seen. It is not so much because of the memorial itself as it is the people who go there. Every time I have been there, I have seen veterans in their fatigues, family groups crying and looking for that one special name, and of course the mementos left like little offerings. For me (who did not lose anyone in the Vietnam war… all my military connections are either too old or too young), it is a reminder of the terrible price ordinary families pay throughout the world because of war.
If you cannot go to see the original, the builders have done an excellent job at recreating the experience in Second Life.
Posted by: Loraan Fierrens | Monday, May 31, 2010 at 11:19 AM
Thanks for sharing this Hamlet.. but about the video.. When are you going to get an AO to smooth out that walk Mr.?
Posted by: Delinda Dyrssen | Tuesday, June 01, 2010 at 02:25 PM
Someone's supposed to be working on that as we speak!
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Tuesday, June 01, 2010 at 02:36 PM
I think also it is pretty awesome what peoples re-build in Second Life.
There is so much creativity out there.. and good ideas. I need to visit this place now too.
Thx for sharing this.
Posted by: Miyo | Thursday, June 03, 2010 at 10:34 AM