Diane Carlson Evans

Title

Diane Carlson Evans

Description

Diane Carlson Evans is a Vietnam veteran who was the driving force behind the creation of the Vietnam Women's Memorial. Motivated to include the voices of approximately 265,000 military women of the Vietnam era whose experiences were overlooked or forgotten, Evans founded the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project in 1984 to push to include women in memorials of the war. Evans advocated before Congress and to the public for seven years before authorization was granted to create the Vietnam Women's Memorial. The sculpture was dedicated on November 11, 1993 as part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Source

Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation. View original photograph.

Coverage

First Name

Diane

Last Name

Evans

Birth Date

1946

Birthplace

Minnesota

Occupation

Biographical Text

Following graduation from nursing school, Diane Carlson Evans joined the Army Nurse Corps. She served for six years, including a one year tour in Vietnam where she served in the 36th Evacuation Hospital in Vung Tau and the 71st Evacuation Hospital at Pleiku. After retiring from the Army, Evans worked as a readjustment counselor for Vietnam veterans. 

Evans attended the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. Two years later, a statue of three male soldiers was added to the memorial. These events inspired Evans to advocate for a memorial to the women who served in Vietnam, veterans who had gone unrecognized for decades by the public and the government. Evans founded the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project to help make a women's memorial a reality. She testified before Congress and appeared on national television, speaking not only about the memorial but about the experience of women Vietnam veterans. 

After the Vietnam Women's Memorial was dedicated on November 11, 1993, the organization Evans founded became the Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation. The Foundation continues to promote awareness of the women who served in Vietnam. Evans remains an advocate for the memorial and her fellow female veterans.

Description

Diane Carlson Evans is a Vietnam veteran who was the driving force behind the creation of the Vietnam Women's Memorial. Motivated to include the voices of approximately 265,000 military women of the Vietnam era whose experiences were overlooked or forgotten, Evans founded the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project in 1984 to push to include women in memorials of the war. Evans advocated before Congress and to the public for seven years before authorization was granted to create the Vietnam Women's Memorial. The sculpture was dedicated on November 11, 1993 as part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Creator

Diane Carlson Evans

Birth Date

1946

Coverage

1980-1999

Source

Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation. View original photograph.