Some visitors will leave things at the wall. All items are gathered up each day and kept in storage. I had expected to see beer cans, baby rattles and photographs, but the only things left at the memorial the day I visited were a few flowers. Maybe it was still early in the day, or maybe the turnout was light because it was a rainy weekday. Or, maybe, the currents of time are carrying the memories of Vietnam into the past, and the mothers, wives and children of the men (and women) who are listed on the wall have already been here enough times so that they don't need to come back so often.