For many Americans, Vietnamese, and others,
the war in Vietnam was the defining event in their lives. It was
a conflict that divided families and brought violence both to
Vietnam and to the United States. Each of us had a Vietnam experience.
The
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. as well as many other
community and state memorials have been established to recognize
the sacrifice of the 58,245 that gave their lives during that
most unpopular and longest war the United States has been involved
in to date. These memorials, which have done much to aid in the
healing of the wounds brought on by this conflict, do not provide
an opportunity to reflect knowledgeably on the many other aspects
of the era. This turbulent period influenced events in much of
the world that still affect those who lived through the era, subsequent
generations and governments around the globe.
At its peak, over half a million U. S. soldiers, sailors,
airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen were serving in Vietnam, the
surrounding waters and countries, along with millions of
Vietnamese and thousands of Australians, New Zealanders, South
Koreans, Thais, and Philippinos. They, along with their friends
and families, have been misunderstood and misrepresented for
over thirty years.
Now,
a national museum is envisioned to help us remember and understand....
