Eternal StoriesMemorials not only remind people of specific events and leaders, but also set history in stone for future generations. When creating and constructing a memorial to a specific person or event, many factors must be considered. Sometimes these monuments honor great achievements while others honor profound sacrifices. However, there are many ways to commemorate people or events, locally or nationally, ranging from images to monuments. When considering whether to commemorate a person or event, agencies and groups should consider the purpose, location and size of the monument in order to effectively honor profound sacrifices and great achievements. One contributing factor that agencies and groups should consider when constructing a monument is the purpose. When Maya Lin, an architect, was considering designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., she believed that "using names was a way to bring back everything that could be remembered about a person" (Source G) . Lin decided to choose names rather than photos or images because visual arts will not be able to depict what each veteran did during the war. She wanted to commemorate every soldier who fought in the war rather than just leaving glimpses of the war. However, other times the purpose is obscure, as was the case with the Lincoln Memorial: "Why make a pilgrimage to a site with no historical significance to read a text that was already everywhere?" The answer is simple: the monument creates its own aura” (Source UN). Parts of the Gettysburg Address were reproduced on the monument, but the goal is to remind others of Lincoln's accomplishments. When discussing the most important aspects of the Gettysburg Address, people who visit ...... middle of paper ...... believe that people often forget the story behind the creation. The fact that the monument was built on Mount Rushmore also illustrates the importance of these presidents, but damages the mountain and has environmental consequences. When creating a monument, agencies and groups must consider the size of the memorial. Agencies and groups should consider the purpose, location and size of the monument to respect the achievements and sacrifices of the people and the events. Monuments remind people of great leaders and events of the past. However, not everyone has their own monument because to be honored and respected, one must either accomplish a huge feat or sacrifice oneself for the common good. As American designer, artist and architect Maya Lin once said: “Every memorial in its time has a different purpose.."