The 20-cent commemorative stamp depicting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and honoring the men and women of the armed forces who served in the Vietnam war was issued November 10, 1984, in Washington, DC. The First Day Ceremony was held at the Departmental Auditorium.
On July 1, 1980, Congress authorized a site in Constitution Gardens in Washington, DC, for the location of the memorial. The design of the memorial was selected from 1,421 entries in the largest design competition of its kind held up to that time in the United States. The winning design was by Maya Lin of Athens, Ohio, who was at that time a 21-year-old student at Yale University. The memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982.
The memorial endures as a symbol of our nation's gratitude to all those who served in Vietnam, paying special tribute to the thousands of Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country there. The memorial's polished black granite walls bear the names of the more than 58,000 Americans who were killed or missing. The names are listed chronologically according to date of death, thus ensuring a special place in history for each veteran.
The stamp was designed by Paul Calle of Stamford, Connecticut. Art director was Howard Paine; modeler was Clarence Holbert; engravers were Joseph S. Creamer, Jr. (vignette) and James L. Goodbody (lettering and numerals); typographer was Bradbury Thompson. The intaglio process was used. The stamps were issued in panes of forty.
