Remembering Vietnam

Friday, November 10, 2017 - Thursday, February 28, 2019
Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery

The "Remembering Vietnam" exhibition closed on February 28, 2019.

This exhibition presents both iconic and recently discovered National Archives 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.

It is important to answer these questions. The sacrifices made by veterans and their families, the magnitude of death and destruction, and the war’s lasting effects require no less. Yet many only know the war through a handful of slogans, lyrics, and film scenes. “Remembering Vietnam” is a resource for refreshing our collective memory. Its collection of evidence provides an opportunity for new insight and greater understanding of one of the most consequential wars in American history.

For Your Visit: Download the Exhibition Brochure. Use this guide to help you keep track of the architects, fighting forces, and battle sites of the Vietnam War.

See the documents and photos featured in the exhibit:

 

See more about the Remembering Vietnam exhibit online:


A Traveling Exhibit from the National Archives: 

Picturing Nam: U.S. Military Photography of the Vietnam War

Photographs are a powerful part of how we remember the Vietnam War. The most iconic photographs of the war were taken by civilian photojournalists working for newspapers, magazines, or the wire services. But there were also military photographers who served in Vietnam. These service members shot hundreds of thousands of photographs that documented American Armed Forces activities. Their assignments sent them everywhere—the jungles and swamps, forward bases, hospital ships, rivers, and air bases—and covered every aspect of the conflict. Most of these photographs have rarely been seen, but they are now accessible through our National Archives. These unforgettable images give us an intimate and ground up view of the war and those who fought it.

See the photos featured in the traveling exhibit:

Exhibition Travel Dates and Locations:


National Archives Foundation
Honor a veteran in your life. Learn more.

Remembering Vietnam was created by the exhibits staff in the National Archives Museum and presented in part by the Lawrence F. O’Brien Family, Pritzker Military Museum & Library, AARP, FedEx Corporation, and the National Archives Foundation. Additional support provided by the Maris S. Cuneo Foundation, The Eliasberg Family Foundation, Inc., and HISTORY®.

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Remembering Vietnam Exhibition