LibGuides: Primary Sources: Vietnam War: Vietnam War: The Aftermath

Online Sources: Vietnam Memorials, Relections & Memories

Primary Sources: Vietnam War
by Trible Library at CNU Last Updated Apr 10, 2024 3172 views this year

Address to the Veteran's of Foreign Wars: Peace: Restoring the Margin of Safety (Ronald Reagan) 1980
Address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Chicago (Ronald Reagan) 1980
American Artifacts Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection (C-Span)
more...less...
"Janet Donlin presented a selection of objects left at the Vietnam Memorial Wall, including letters, photographs, artwork, and medals. The collection includes about 400,000 items, all stored by the National Park Service Museum Resource Center in Hyattsville, Maryland."
The Case of the Wrong Way Bullets on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial’s Three Servicemen Statue
Collections - Vietnam Veterans Memorial
more...less...
"Since its dedication in 1982, visitors have brought offerings to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to honor and remember those who served in the Vietnam War. Many of these poignant tributes are now preserved in the park’s museum collection. If you choose to leave offerings at the memorial, please note that the park cannot keep all of the thousands of items that are left each year. Objects that become part of the museum collection are preserved by the National Park Service in perpetuity, which requires ongoing preservation and resources for their long-term care and storage."
Items Left at the Wall (Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund)
more...less...
"Since the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) was dedicated in November 1982, more than 400,000 items have been left by visitors as remembrances and tributes. The National Park Service collects, catalogs, and preserves these objects as part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial collection, with curatorial support from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund."
Letters to the Editor: Reflections on the Vietnam War
- This link opens in a new window
Maya Lin : A Strong Clear Vision (documentary)
- This link opens in a new window
more...less...
The Academy Award-winning documentary is about sculptor and architect Maya Lin who, at age 21, designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The film tells the gripping story behind the Vietnam Memorial and explores a decade of her creative work. Maya Lin's design of the Civil Rights Memorial, the Yale Women's Table, and the Juniata Peace Chapel reveals her ability to address major issues of our times through the healing power of art.
Mike Wallace discusses "The Uncounted Enemy a Vietnam Deception" - EMMYTVLEGENDS
Oral history interview with Frederick Hart, 1982 Nov. 23
more...less...
"Hart speaks of his training with the sculptor Felix de Weldon, his work on the Washington Cathedral, and his involvement with the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial."
Oral history interview with Frederick Hart Transcript
The President's News Conference April 4, 1984 (Ronald Reagan)
President Gerald R. Ford's Remarks Announcing a Program for the Return of Vietnam Era Draft Evaders and Military Deserters
President Reagan's Remarks Honoring the Vietnam War's Unknown Soldier, May 28, 1984 (YouTube)
President Reagan’s Remarks at the Ceremony for Unknown Vietnam Soldier on May 25, 1984 (YouTube)
Proclamation 4483: Granting Pardon for Violations of the Selective Service Act (Jimmy Carter)
Public Law 117–168 ( ‘‘Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022’’ or the ‘‘Honoring our PACT Act of 2022") [pdf]
Remarks at Dedication Ceremonies for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Statue (Ronald Reagan)
Statue Completes Vietnam Memorial
- This link opens in a new window
more...less...
A bronze statue of three wary, weary American servicemen was unveiled today by veterans who said they hoped to dispel the "myth" that survivors of the Vietnam war were outcasts in their homeland.
U.S. Shakes Off Torment of Vietnam
- This link opens in a new window
The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception Transcript (pdf)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Three Servicemen Statue (NPS)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Interview with Sculptor and Model (1983) [YouTube]
Vietnam Vets Without Hollywood, Without Tears
- This link opens in a new window
Vietnam Wall (DocsTeach)

A Personal Journey with Maya Lin, Artist and Architect

Vietnam Wall section begins at 18:17

If embedded video does not work with your browser, please use the link below.

A Personal Journey with Maya Lin, Artist and Architect
- This link opens in a new window

Ronald Reagan's Remarks at Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention (YouTube)

Book Sources: Vietnam Memorials, Relections & Memories

A selection of books/e-books available in Trible Library.
Click the title for location and availability information.

Off campus access instructions (for e-books)

The American Experience in Vietnam by Grace Sevy
Call Number: DS558 .A445 1989
ISBN: 9780806123905
Shrapnel in the Heart by Laura Palmer
Call Number: F203.4.V54 P35 1987
ISBN: 0394560272
Letters and Remembrances from the Vietnam Memorial
The Wall Images and Offerings from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by Sal Lopes
Call Number: F203.4.V54 W35 1987
ISBN: 0002179741
Offerings at the Wall: Artifacts from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection by Thomas B. Allen
Call Number: DS559.83.W18 A44 1995
ISBN: 1570360677
Vietnam Voices: Perspectives on the War Years, 1941-1982 by John Clark Pratt
Call Number: DS557.7 .V566 1984b
ISBN: 0140063595

Search for More

Suggested terms to look for include - diary, diaries, letters, papers, documents, documentary or correspondence.

Combine these these terms with the event or person you are researching. (example: civil war diary)

Also search by subject for specific people and events, then scan the titles for those keywords or others such as memoirs, autobiography, report, or personal narratives.

Gerald Ford-Remarks on Clemency for Vietnam Era Draft Evaders (September 16,1974) [YouTube]