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Remembering the human side of the Vietnam War
Episode 3038 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the new exhibit in Tacoma that sheds light on the overlooked personal histories of Vietnam Veterans. The featured story is titled Remembering the human side of the Vietnam War and it appeared in the Tacoma Ledger, a student news magazine for UW Tacoma. It was submitted by J.A. Aleman.
A new exhibit at the Tacoma Washington State History Museum opened on April 26 titled “The Things They Brought Home: Memories of Washington’s Vietnam Veterans.” The exhibit was curated by retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army Erik Flint and military historian Dr. Megan Nishikawa for the 50-year anniversary of the end of the war. While there, not only did I meet them, but Vietnam Veterans and some of their family members.
The war affected many individual lives in Vietnam, but also in the United States, leaving nearly 60 thousand American troops dead. As many as 2 million Vietnamese civilians and 1.3 million soldiers also perished during the war. These are people who fought in the war who are sent by their leaders. They didn’t have in mind the agenda that politicians did, they were just there to serve their country.
The act of war itself should never be celebrated, but as a society we can’t just brush aside those that fought in them when they are willing to speak about their experiences. Soldiers weren’t officially given orders to stay silent but were met with much animosity.
The main hope for the exhibit is that more and more veterans and their families will come forward to share their stories, so as a society we can demonstrate we care about our shared history. The exhibit is open until Nov. 16, 2025 to visitors of all ages.
Listen to Episode 3038 and discover more about the new exhibit in Tacoma that sheds light on the overlooked personal histories of Vietnam Veterans.
