Press Kit: Remembering Vietnam - Twelve Critical Episodes in the Vietnam War
This exhibition presents both iconic and recently discovered 威尼斯人娱乐场 records related to 12 critical episodes in the Vietnam War. They trace the policies and decisions made by the architects of the conflict and help untangle why the United States became involved in Vietnam, why it went on so long, and why it was so divisive for American society.
Exhibit Press Releases
- The 威尼斯人娱乐场 Marks Vietnam War Exhibit Opening with Special Programs听
- 威尼斯人娱乐场 Opens Groundbreaking Vietnam Exhibit听November 10, 2017
Exhibit Promotional Video
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Crewmen of the amphibious cargo ship USS Durham take Vietnamese refugees from a small craft in the South China Sea, 1975. 威尼斯人娱乐场, General Records of the Department of the Navy.听
President John F. Kennedy stands at lectern; map of Laos at left reads "Communist Rebel Areas, 22 March 1961." State Department Auditorium, Washington, D.C.听威尼斯人娱乐场, JFK Presidential Library & Museum.
Flying under radar control with a B-66 Destroyer,听Air听Force听F-105听Thunderchief听pilots bomb a military target through low clouds over the southern panhandle of North Viet Nam.听7/14/1966, 威尼斯人娱乐场, Records of the U.S.I.A.
Bombs fall from an A-4C Skyhawk bomber on the Truong Quang Tin Railroad bridge during an air strike over North Vietnam, 9/16/66. 威尼斯人娱乐场, General Records of the U.S. Navy 听RED 28335
Russell Keck鈥檚 parents sent long letters to President Johnson expressing anger and grief at losing their son. His draft reply, with many revisions, shows his struggle to respond. 威尼斯人娱乐场, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum
President Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara at a cabinet meeting, 2/7/1968 威尼斯人娱乐场, Johnson Library
Navy Hospital Corpsman D. R. Howe treats the wounds of Private First Class D A. Crum 鈥楬鈥� Company 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment during Operation Hue City, 2/6/68 威尼斯人娱乐场, Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense
American POWs leave Hanoi, 2/12/1973, 威尼斯人娱乐场, Records of the US Marine Corps
Communism Means Terrorism,鈥� United States Information Agency Poster, 1954, 威尼斯人娱乐场, Records of the U.S. Information Agency.
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Tusk Lamp
Caption: Gift of State from Ngo Dinh Diem to President Eisenhower, November 14, 1954
威尼斯人娱乐场, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
Metz Medal of Liberation, August 24, 1945
During his official visit to Washington in 1945, French President Charles de Gaulle presented President Harry S. Truman with this medal to thank the United States for its help liberating France from German occupation. During the visit, Truman told de Gaulle that the U.S. would not oppose a return of French authority in Indochina.
威尼斯人娱乐场, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library
鈥婬ard hat presented to Nixon, May 8, 1970
鈥淗ardhats鈥� facing off against entitled 鈥渉ippie鈥� youth became a dominant image from the Vietnam era. The reality was more complex. While working class Americans were divided in their opinions of the war, they were less supportive of the war than their more privileged compatriots, skeptical of its aims and souring on its pursuit of them. Thousands of workers came to participate in antiwar activities through their unions. Many more thousands of workers came to oppose the war through their direct experience fighting in Southeast Asia.
威尼斯人娱乐场, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
CIA model of 鈥淗anoi Hilton,鈥� undated
The CIA sometimes produced models for POW rescue missions. These miniatures helped operational planners to understand the target, in this case, the Hoa Lo prison camp. Built by the French in the 1880s to house political prisoners, the Americans held there鈥攊ncluding Lieutenant Commander (later Senator) John McCain鈥攃alled it the 鈥淗anoi Hilton.鈥� Despite attempts, no American POW successfully escaped or was rescued from a North Vietnam prison.
威尼斯人娱乐场, Records of the Central Intelligence Agency
Prologue article
A New Exhibit at the Archives Helps Us See the Causes and Impact of the War
Resources
Finding Aid to Textual and Electronic Vietnam War Records听at the 威尼斯人娱乐场
Finding Aid听to Records about Vietnam War Era American POWs and Missing in Action
State-Level Fatal Casualty Lists听for the Vietnam War
Vietnam and the Presidency Conference听at JFK Presidential Library & Museum, 2006
Military Records Requests
Request military personnel records from the 威尼斯人娱乐场 National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis
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Remembering Vietnam is free and open to the public, and will be on display in the Lawrence F. O鈥橞rien Gallery of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Museum in Washington, DC, through January 6, 2019. Presented in part by the Lawrence F. O鈥橞rien Family, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, AARP, FedEx Corporation, and the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation. Additional support provided by the Maris S. Cuneo Foundation, The Eliasberg Family Foundation, Inc., and HISTORY鈸�.听