Silent Sacrifice: The Women Who Healed Amidst War

The memorial features a  female nurse cradling a wounded soldier , a poignant moment of compassion in the midst of war. Her face, etched with concern and tenderness, reminds me of the weight these women carried—not just in their physical duties but emotionally, as they were constantly surrounded by suffering, death, and the desperate need to save lives. I wanted to honor that emotional complexity by emphasizing her expression and the way she holds the soldier, balancing between life and death, hope and loss.  

In creating this piece, I chose to surround the statue with  ghostly overlays and translucent textures . These layers represent the memories of those who served, the lives lost, and the invisible emotional wounds that linger long after the war is over. The figures seem to emerge from a mist, a metaphor for how the past continues to haunt those who experienced it, and how the memory of these women and their contributions should not fade into the background of history.  

The  flowers in the soldier's hand caught my eye as a delicate detail amid the starkness of the statue. Flowers are often a symbol of life, hope, or remembrance, and here they contrast against the hard edges of the sculpture and the brutality of war. They remind me that even in the darkest moments of history, there are glimpses of humanity and compassion. It is this duality—death and life, violence and care—that I wanted to bring to the forefront of the composition.  

The color palette in this artwork is predominantly  black and white , giving it a timeless quality, as though the emotions and memories it captures are outside the bounds of time.  Black and white also evoke a deep sense of reflection, encouraging the viewer to pause and contemplate the weight of the sacrifice made by these women. War is often painted in dramatic, violent colors, but here, I wanted to strip that away and focus on the emotional core—the quiet, the heavy, the enduring.  

The  black and white tones of the piece strip away any distraction, focusing on the timeless, somber mood of the subject.  Black represents the weight of grief, the sorrow of loss, and the void left by war, while  white offers a contrast, symbolizing the purity of the nurses' intentions, their care, and the light they tried to bring in the darkness of conflict. These tones, together, create a space for the viewer to reflect deeply on the emotional toll of war.  

The subtle touches of  green in the background hint at nature and healing, a reminder that life continues even in the wake of destruction. The few spots of  earthy brown and  copper tones reflect the human, grounded experience, representing both the literal and figurative scars that war leaves on the earth and on the human spirit.  

The  Vietnam Women’s Memorial was dedicated on  November 11, 1993 , in Washington, D.C., and honors the women who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses. Over  11,000 women were stationed in Vietnam, many of them volunteers. They worked tirelessly to save lives in the most trying conditions, dealing with the overwhelming physical and emotional toll of war.  

The sculpture, created by artist  Glenna Goodacre , is part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and was a long-overdue recognition of the vital role women played in the conflict. The  nurse holding the soldier is flanked by two other figures—one searching the sky, possibly for a medevac, and another kneeling in reflection. Together, they form a narrative of hope, care, and the burden carried by women during war.  

As I worked on this piece, I couldn’t help but feel a profound connection to the quiet strength of the women depicted in this memorial. Their story is not as loudly told as others from the Vietnam War, yet their contributions were immeasurable. The image of the nurse cradling the soldier evokes such tenderness and care, even in the face of overwhelming devastation. It speaks to the nurturing spirit that persists even in the darkest of times, a theme that resonated deeply with me as I created this artwork.  

The choice to render the surrounding environment in ghostly, abstract layers was intentional. I wanted to create a sense of memory—how the past is never fully clear but always present, just beneath the surface. These women may have left the battlefield, but the impact of their service lingers, shaping not only their lives but our collective memory of the war.  

In many ways, this piece is about more than just the women of Vietnam. It’s about the often-overlooked sacrifices made by women in history—how they carry the weight of care, of loss, of rebuilding, often without the recognition they deserve. By creating this image, I hoped to shine a light on that quiet courage and to remind viewers that even in the hardest moments of human history, there is always someone tending to the wounds.