A compromise was eventually reached when a flag and a more traditional statue of three servicemen were added at the entrance before the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on 13 November 1982. Having once been criticised for being a "black gash of shame" or like a scar, the monument remains a popular and moving attraction, with five million people coming here each year. The Vietnam Women's Memorial and the In Memory plaque were added in later years.

Now discover the awesome American attractions that never got built

These world attractions were initially hated before becoming firm favourites