The photo at left is of dog tags -- one for every local servicemember who died in combat during the Vietnam war -- hanging off the exhibition banner announcing a special show about the Vietnam War at the Petaluma Historical Museum in Petaluma, CA.
The exhibit, which is called "The Vietnam Experience: A Soldier's Story," opened mid-September and runs through Thanksgiving weekend. It features the personal stories and memorabilia of local veterans who served in the war.
According to the museum's website, "The exhibition includes historical artifacts, photographs, and documents interwoven with remarkable oral histories. Highlights of the exhibition include simulated living conditions, a Reflection wall, a speaker series, and film “The Vietnam War” which will air every Saturday at 1:30 p.m."
They add, "Over 278,000 Allied soldiers would die along with 1,470,000 Allied wounded in one of the most controversial wars in American history. Our goal is to honor the men and women of both the United States and Vietnam who served their countries in a common cause, and to educate our community about the sacrifices that they made."
The exhibit has been made possible with material from local US veterans, the collection of the Pacific Coast Air Museum, the Sonoma County Vietnamese Association, and the Petaluma Military Museum. General admission to the museum is $3, and free to any allied veteran.
For more on the Petaluma Historical Museum and the Vietnam war exhibition, click here. There's also quite an excellent, robust and extensive speaker series associated with the exhibit, linked here.
