Author and Vietnam Veteran Karl Marlantes will be speaking this Thursday at 7:00pm in the Lanier Auditorium of the Texas Tech School of Law.  Admission is free and open to the public.

The mission of the Vietnam Center and Archive Guest Lecture Series is to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of students, faculty, and the community at large by bringing distinguished individuals to campus for presentations on specific aspects of the Vietnam War, its lasting impact on American politics, society and culture, and on contemporary issues in Southeast Asia.

This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This lecture series is funded in part by a generous grant from the Helen Jones Foundation.  For more information on the 2012 VNCA Guest Lecture Series or about Rocky Bleier see http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/GLS.

Texas Tech University is in the process of transitioning to a new communications system.  Over the next few days the Vietnam Center and Archive will be converting to the new system.  Today (Friday), our departmental email addresses are being transitioned.  During this transition, the following addresses are unavailable:

vietnamarchive@ttu.edu
vietnam.center@ttu.edu
vawebmaster@ttu.edu
vaoralhistory@ttu.edu
vahc.vietnam@ttu.edu
vietnamcenterconference@ttu.edu

Messages sent to these addresses may result in an Undeliverable response.  Messages that have been sent during the transitiion will not be delivered, so you will need to resend them to our new address vnca@ttu.edu, or call us at 806-742-9010.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Vietnam Center and Archive is proud to present author and Vietnam veteran Karl Marlantes on Thursday, March 28th at 7:00pm in the Lanier Auditorium of the Texas Tech University School of Law.  The lecture is free and open to the public.

Karl Marlantes is the bestselling author of Matterhorn: a Novel of the Vietnam War and What it is Like to Go to War. The latter title was named a top book of 2011 by Amazon.com. The Washington Post called it “a well-crafted and forcefully argued work that contains fresh and important insights into what it’s like to be in a war and what it does to the human psyche.” A graduate of Yale University and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Marlantes served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals.

Marlantes will be available to sign books following the lecture, and books will be available for purchase before and after the lecture.

This is the second lecture in the Vietnam Center and Archive 2013 Guest Lecture Series.  All lectures are free and open to the public.

The mission of the Vietnam Center and Archive Guest Lecture Series is to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of students, faculty, and the community at large by bringing distinguished individuals to campus for presentations on specific aspects of the Vietnam War, its lasting impact on American politics, society and culture, and on contemporary issues in Southeast Asia.

This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This lecture series is funded in part by a generous grant from the Helen Jones Foundation.  For more information on the 2013 VNCA Guest Lecture Series see http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/GLS, or contact Mary Saffell at 806-742-9010 ormary.saffell@ttu.edu.

The Vietnam Center and Archive will be closed today, February 25th, due to snow. #LubbockBlizzard

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs and Director of the DPMO, Major General W. Montague Winfield, will be speaking on the Department of Defense’s worldwide commitment to the fullest possible accounting of Americans missing in action from all conflicts, including the more than 1600 from the Vietnam War.  The lecture will be this Thursday at 7:00pm in the Lanier Auditorium of the Texas Tech School of Law.  Admission is free and open to the public.

The mission of the Vietnam Center and Archive Guest Lecture Series is to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of students, faculty, and the community at large by bringing distinguished individuals to campus for presentations on specific aspects of the Vietnam War, its lasting impact on American politics, society and culture, and on contemporary issues in Southeast Asia.

This lecture series is funded in part by a generous grant from the Helen Jones Foundation.  For more information on the 2012 VNCA Guest Lecture Series or about Rocky Bleier see http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/GLS.

Tet, the Vietnamese New Year
Today – Friday, February 15th
3:00-5:00pm
The International Cultural Center’s Hall of Nations, Texas Tech University

This is a free event and open to the public.

Traditional Vietnamese food will be served, and entertainment may include a special presentation by the Vietnamese Student Association at Texas Tech. Please join us and learn more about the rich heritage and culture that makes Vietnam so remarkable.

February 10, 2013, ushers in the Lunar Year of the Snake. In Vietnam, one of 12 animals of the zodiac represents each year. In many Asian cultures, including Vietnam, the Year of the Snake is believed to be a year of peace and prosperity. The snake is an important part of life in Vietnam. People born in the Year of the Snake are endowed with wisdom and excel in finding solutions to problems. They are usually successful in life and lucky with money.

The Vietnamese people regard Tet as their most important holiday. Food preparation for Tet is very time consuming and often requires days of cooking and, prior to the celebrations, people clean, paint, and decorate their homes. People avoid cleaning during Tet so that good luck will not be “swept away.”

We hope you will be able to join us on February 15, 2013 as we celebrate this special event!

For more information, please call 806-742-3742.

The Vietnam Center and Archive is proud to host a panel presentation and discussion with the United States Air Force Air War College on Tuesday, February 19, 2013, at 7 PM at the International Cultural Center Auditorium, located on the campus of Texas Tech University.  Three students from the Grand Strategy Program will present their research on US-Vietnamese relations and the renewed US focus on Asia and Southeast Asia as part of the U.S. Global Strategy and Foreign Policy.  The formal presentations will be followed by a question/answer/discussion period.  Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the event. The presenters include:

Colonel Chee Mun Chew is currently the Singapore Defense Adviser for the United Kingdom. Prior to attending the Air War College, he was the Deputy Head of Air Operations of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) in charge of operations planning and training for the RSAF. His previous staff experiences include long-term strategic planning, research and development, and weapon systems development for the RSAF. COL Chew’s command experiences include Group Commander of the Tactical Air Support Group and Squadron Commander of a helicopter squadron. COL Chew holds a Master’s of Science in Management of Technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and he is also a graduate from the German Command and Staff College. COL Chew is proficient in English, Chinese and German.  Col Chew will examine China’s perspectives on the territorial disputes in the Asian Pacific. He will highlight some implications for the U.S. strategic pivot towards Asia. The recent developments in Asia Pacific’s territorial disputes have revealed how China and its people would perceive and behave on issues related to territorial sovereignty and regional security. Understanding China’s perspectives and behavior on such issues can better inform US strategic rebalancing efforts to enhance security in the Asia Pacific region.

Lieutenant Colonel Brian Bergeron, USAF, graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1994 with a BS in political science.  He has an MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California.  Lt Col Bergeron is a senior pilot with 1,600 hours flying the F-15C Eagle both in the active duty and the Oregon Air National Guard.  Upon graduation from the Air War College, Lt Col Bergeron is projected to return to the cockpit as part of the 142nd Fighter Wing in Portland, Oregon.  Lt Col Bergeron will discuss the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP); a 65-nation capacity building relationship that pairs U.S. states with a foreign country.  This interaction enhances combatant commander and U.S. ambassador interests.  Only 6 nations (Mongolia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, & Cambodia) of the 65 partners are in the PACOM AOR.  In light of the US rebalance toward Asia during fiscally constrained times, a fully funded SPP focused on Asian partners is a low-cost, high yield initiative.  The paper will examine: a rising China (briefly), the nature of the US rebalance and how it cements ties with regional allies, internal changes necessary for the SPP to be relevant in Asia, and ultimately, that the SPP should be expanded into Asian countries such as Vietnam.

Lieutenant Colonel Ed Jeep, USAF, graduated from the Miami University, Ohio with a BA in English Literature in 1993. He has an MA in International Relations from the Ortega y Gasset Institute, and a Diploma of Advanced Studies from the University of Granada, Spain. Lt Col Jeep is a helicopter aviator with 3000 hours in the CH-46E. He commanded the “Purple Foxes” of HMM-364 and has served in East Timor, Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  Lt Col Jeep will discuss the idea that, by 2020, Vietnamese and American interests will be convergent enough to permit a US Navy base to be reestablished in Vietnam, hypothetically represented by Camh Ranh Bay. Lt Col Jeep examines this within the context of Chinese and Vietnamese history, discusses current and pertinent local, national, and regional politics, examines available writings by Vietnamese strategic thinkers on the topic, and finally discusses scenarios within which U.S. basing in Vietnam might be feasible and whether or not the U.S. should pursue such a strategy.

The AWC student presenters will be joined by Dr. Martin Loicano.  Dr. Loicano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Strategy at the Air War College. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Cornell University, specializing in Southeast Asia and China. Prior to joining the AWC faculty, he served with the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan from 2010-2012. Dr. Loicano previously taught at several universities in the Gulf South region as well as in Southeast Asia. His current research includes a monograph on security assistance in Afghanistan and a manuscript on the Republic of Vietnam’s military diplomacy during the Vietnam War.

Today is the start of Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year celebration, and 2013 is the Year of the Snake.  To celebrate this traditional holiday, we have created an online exhibit that is an exploration of the Tet holiday and its customs, history, and traditions, supplemented with items from our collection.  To learn more about this unique holiday, please visit the exhibit at http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/exhibits/tet/.

We also remember Tet for the events that happened across the Republic of Vietnam on January 31st of 1968, known as the Tet Offensive.   Early that morning Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces launched surprise assaults on nearly all of the provincial capitals and urban areas of South Vietnam in an effort to bring about the collapse of the South Vietnamese government.  To learn more about the Tet Offensive and the events of that day, visit our online exhibit at http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/exhibits/Tet68/.

The Vietnam Center and Archive is proud to present Major General (ret.) W. Montague Winfield on Thursday, February 21st at 7:00pm in the Lanier Auditorium of the Texas Tech University School of Law.  The lecture is free and open to the public.

The current Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs and Director of the DPMO, General Winfield is responsible for leading the Department of Defense worldwide commitment to the fullest possible accounting of Americans missing in action from all conflicts. Winfield served in the US Army for 31 years, commanding at every level and holding staff positions up through the Joint Staff, ending his career as the Commanding General of the US Army Cadet Command. He also served as the Federal Coordinating Officer for FEMA and as the first Commanding General of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii. He received numerous military decorations during his distinguished military career, including the Distinguished Service Medal, two Defense Superior Service Medals, and three Legions of Merit. He is Ranger, French Commando, Airborne, and Air Assault qualified. He earned a Master’s Degree in Business from the University of Pennsylvania, and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Education from Virginia State University, and is a graduate of the Marine Command and General Staff College, the Army War College, the US Navy Lean Six Sigma College and the US Army Comptrollers School.

The mission of the Vietnam Center and Archive Guest Lecture Series is to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of students, faculty, and the community at large by bringing distinguished individuals to campus for presentations on specific aspects of the Vietnam War, its lasting impact on American politics, society and culture, and on contemporary issues in Southeast Asia.

This lecture series is funded in part by a generous grant from the Helen Jones Foundation.  For more information on the 2013 VNCA Guest Lecture Series see http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/GLS, or contact Mary Saffell at 806-742-9010 or mary.saffell@ttu.edu.

Digitization of the Orderly Departure Program (ODP) Application Files of the FVPPA/VAHF collection began one year ago today, on February 1st, 2012.  Work on the project has proceeded at an incredible pace, with 67 of the 124 boxes completely digitized and available online, totaling 6,969 application files – 146,388 pages of material.

This three year projected, funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), is projected to make available online 250,000 pages of materials documenting the immigration experience of Vietnamese to the United States following the end of the war in Vietnam.   All of these files are accessible through the Virtual Vietnam Archive, and you can keep up with the project on our project page.