Summary Of Facing It By Yusef Komunyakaa

“Facing It”, written by Yusef Komunyakaa, tells a story of the long list of names on the granite Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. The speaker is able to show a great deal of emotion which was able to bring forth emotions in me. After reading this poem I was filled with feelings of gratefulness, sadness, and pride. My grandfather is a veteran of the Vietnam War and I remember when I was a young child making visits to my grandparents house seeing my grandfather in uniform posted in frames on the walls. I remember seeing an American flag folded and laying peacefully in a glass box. At this time in my life I didn't realize the significance of these symbols, but as I have grown older I have realized the significance of what my grandfather did. I remember as a young child walking past the Vietnam Memorial happily looking for my grandfathers name only to find “Carl Taylor” was no where to be found. Today, I am now ecstatic that my grandfather was one of the lucky ones to not have his names etched in that granite for eternity. My grandfather is the finest man I know and is the only true father figure in my life, and I know he was spared for a reason. Much like that

It seemed to me that the speaker believes the memorial is more than large pieces of dark, cold granite rising above the ground, but rather something with a deeper meaning. These names aren't just etchings of individuals in American history put on a rock, but rather heroes boldly standing firm in granite that allow these names to never be forgotten. This is the type of emotion I would express if I would see “Carl Taylor” etched in that stone. War is so unfair when some individuals are lucky enough to see another day, when others are not so lucky. I take pride in my country knowing no matter how unfair life may be there are individuals that will risk there life to better the cause of liberty. Therefore, I also salute these citizens as