Final answer:
The Vietnam Memorial was debated due to differing views on the Vietnam War, with disagreements on the justness of the war and the appropriateness of protests, influencing perceptions of how the conflict should be commemorated.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. became a subject for debate due to the highly polarized views on the Vietnam War itself. The war was controversial, with individuals and groups in the United States having starkly different opinions on whether the war was just or misguided, whether protests were patriotic or disrespectful, and how the war should be remembered and commemorated. This deep division influenced the reception of the Vietnam Memorial, a minimalist design which was a stark contrast to the more traditional, heroic statuary usually associated with war memorials.
Some Americans viewed the war as a lost cause, believed to have been undermined by antiwar protests rather than military failings. Others felt misled by the government, sparking a lack of confidence in official policy statements about the war. Meanwhile, the supporters of the war effort saw protests as unpatriotic and believed the war was a necessary fight against communism, despite the heavy toll on American lives and resources.
The Vietnam Women's Memorial and other sites further extended the debate, as they touched on how national memory and narratives of war are shaped and what stories are told. The contemporary nation-building process in the United States, including how conflict and service are memorialized, was questioned and reevaluated in light of the divisive Vietnam War.