http://www.columnists.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Avlon-Top-Columns.pdf (the link is to a June 2011compilation of the 10 or 15 best newspaper columns ever, given here in chronological order. Molly's piece (which took 3rd place) begins near the bottom of page 17. Article about the top columns:
http://www.columnists.com/?p=10553 )
A Short Story about the Vietnam War Memorial – Molly Ivins – Dallas Times
Herald – 11/30/82
excerpt:
SHE had known, ever since she first read about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, that she
would go there someday. Sometime she would be in Washington and would go and see
his name and leave again.
So silly, all that fuss about the memorial. Whatever else Vietnam was, it was not
the kind of war that calls for some “Raising the Flag at Iwo Jima” kind of statue. She
was not prepared, though, for the impact of the memorial. To walk down into it in the
pale winter sunshine was like the war itself, like going into a dark valley and damned if
there was ever any light at the end of the tunnel. Just death. When you get closer to the
two walls, the number of names start to stun you. It is terrible there in the peace and the
pale sunshine.
The names are listed by date of death. There has never been a time, day or night,
drunk or sober, for 13 years she could not have told you the date. He was killed on Aug,
13, 1969. It is near the middle of the left wall. She went toward it as though she had
known beforehand where it would be. His name is near the bottom. She had to kneel to
find it. Stupid clichés. His name leaped out at her. It was like being hit.
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