Vietnam Exhibit
After World War II, the Vietnamese fought the French for their independence. The United States provided equipment to the French but the French were defeated in 1954. Vietnam was then split into two "nations" through the Geneva Convention of 1954. North Vietnam was backed by the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China, while South Vietnam was backed by more democratic states, namely the United States. The Vietnamese communist (Viet Cong) saw the reunification of North Vietnam and South Vietnam as a continuation of their struggle for independence from western colonial powers while the United States and its allies saw the war as a stand against communism. China and the Soviet Union supported the Viet Cong with war materials, military advisors, and other aid but not troops; the United States provided military advisors, war materials and other aid to the South Vietnamese government until 1965. In 1965, the United States began sending troops in large numbers to fight alongside the South Vietnamese troops. The escalating war in Vietnam became a significant issue during the 1968 and 1972 elections. By 1969, the United States slowly began to withdraw troops. A cease-fire and the last United Sates ground troops left Vietnam in March of 1973. South Vietnam surrendered to the North two years later on April 30, 1975.
During the war, 2.59 million Americans served, of which 58,148 died, 304,000 were wounded. The Medal of Honor was awarded to 246 soldiers, marines, and sailors of which 154 were posthumous.
Our museum exhibit contains many artifacts from this war including a "Boonie Hat", a claymore mine, a Vietnamese blanket, and camp photographs. The exhibit also includes the names of all Medal of Honor recipients etched on a Plexiglas Wall reminiscent of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.
Click image to see larger version.
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