A wide-reaching statewide effort to honor Wisconsin Vietnam War Veterans will culminate in a weekend of recognition and celebration of their service and sacrifice for veterans and their families.This healing news comes from Monica Wahlberg, development officer at the Wisconsin Historical Foundation in Madison. Monica has an interest in veterans' stories and we met last week at Edward Tick's excellent"War and the Soul" retreat at the Siena Center.
The May 21-23, 2010 events – LZ Lambeau: Welcoming Home Wisconsin’s Vietnam Veterans – will feature a special evening celebration inside Green Bay’s Lambeau Field that will honor and thank Wisconsin’s Vietnam Veterans, while offering a warm welcome home that many never received.
Named for the Landing Zones that Vietnam Veterans were often deployed to and inspired by the interviews with Vietnam veterans from the forthcoming Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories documentary project, LZ Lambeau is a partnership of The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Public Television, along with an extensive group of veterans organizations statewide.
The May 22, 2010 evening event in Lambeau Field will feature special speakers, recognition, music and premiere segments from the Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories documentary.
Other events planned for the weekend include the presence of the Vietnam Moving Wall, opportunities for veterans to reunite with their fellow service men and women, a new original exhibit featuring artifacts, photographs, and other items from the vast Vietnam War collection of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and educational exhibits from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, a book signing of the Wisconsin Historical Society Press Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories book with co-authors Sarah A. Larsen and Jennifer M. Miller, Vietnam-era military vehicle displays, tailgating and fellowship opportunities and more. Plans also include a cross-state motorcycle ride from La Crosse to Green Bay prior to the weekend events.
Other aspects of the yearlong Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories project include a companion book to the documentary published by the Wisconsin Historical Society, a centralized project Web site, a traveling gallery portrait exhibit, a school curriculum and veteran listening sessions coordinated by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
Similar in format to the award-winning Wisconsin World War II Stories and Wisconsin Korean War Stories, the Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories documentary and book will allow Wisconsin veterans to tell their stories in their own words, sharing experiences and memories from the war and their return home.
Funding for expanding the programming and educational components of LZ Lambeau and Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories continues. Individual and corporate contributions are welcome.
To learn more about the weekend, to sign up for regular updates and for information about LZ Lambeau, visit here.
Here's a video from the site:
