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 58,260 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.
When completed, The National Vietnam War Musuem will offer an educational environment where people from all
over the world can come to remember, learn and understand....
NOTICE: The first three museum gardens, with all of their memorials and exhibits are now open to the public from dawn to dusk every day of the week.
The main museum building has not yet been built. Its construction awaits the completion of our ongoing capital campaign fundraising effort.
All of the museum's exhibits are currently outside on the museum's site on U. S. Highway 180, about a mile east of the Mineral Wells city limits. The Development Projects page provides access to information about the gardens, including their memorials and exhibits.
About $25 million will be needed to complete the museum.
Over $1 million has already been raised and has funded the construction, on the musuem site
on Hwy 180 just east of Mineral Wells, Texas, of the first three gardens and a parking lot,
as well as the initial work on the new Visitor Center.
The key element of the third garden was dedicated in May, 2009: a
300-foot long, approximately half-scale, permanent
replica
of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington.
Your help is needed to complete our projects on the museum site. Your stories need to be told...to those who lived during the era...to those who came afterward...and to future generations.
Please contribute to these important projects by purchasing items
from the gift shop, by making a donation
using the gift shop order form or by
mailing your check to us at our address on the Contact Us page.
Please click the Donate Now! button to make a purchase
or a contribution to help us build the museum.
Thank you for your generous support! |