Our Vietnam Veterans: Then and Now

media release: On March 29, 1973, U.S. ground forces withdrew from South Vietnam. The withdrawal officially ended years of war that forever marked a generation.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the official end of the Vietnam War, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum will open a display in its Capitol Square window, “Our Vietnam Veterans: Then and Now.” The images and oral histories in this exhibit honor a handful of the more than 57,000 Wisconsinites who served in Southeast Asia between 1965 and 1973.

Beginning March 24, 2023, from the window display, viewers can follow a QR code that links to a virtual exhibit on the museum website. In this virtual exhibit, one can read about the veterans in the display and listen to their experiences in the veterans’ own words.

Our Vietnam service members, who largely were teens and young adults when they returned from their tour of duty, often faced public ridicule and hostility. With this exhibit, we move beyond the politics of the conflict and focus on the veterans who

are owed a more supportive welcome home. We honor and affirm their service 50 years later. The window display and virtual exhibit will be on view through Veterans Day 2023.

About Wisconsin in the Vietnam War

Occurring between 1959 and 1973, the Vietnam War divided a nation. Approximately 165,400 Wisconsinites served during the Vietnam Era, 57,000 did so in Southeast Asia. Of those serving, 1,241 lost their lives “in country” and another 79 died elsewhere in Asia. Twenty-six people still are listed as missing. Of all 72 Wisconsin counties, 71 lost at least one resident in the war. Whether they served, sent a loved one off to war, or spoke out against it, every citizen of our state was affected by the Vietnam War.

About the Wisconsin Veterans Museum

Since its creation in 1901, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum has existed to acknowledge, commemorate, and affirm the role of Wisconsin veterans in the United States of America's military past and present.

The museum is one of two Smithsonian Affiliate museums in the state and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is an educational activity of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.