The Vietnam Center and Archive’s 5th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) Film Festival concludes this week with three films.

On Tuesday, April 30th, in the Formby Room of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, “The Beautiful Country,” will be shown.  Set in 1990 Vietnam, Binh, born to a Vietnamese mother and a US soldier father, endures extreme prejudice and great hardship due to his heritage. The film stars Damien Nguyen, Nick Nolte, Bai Ling, Chau Thi Kim Xuan, Tim Roth, Anh Thu, Temuera Morrison, and John Hussey.

On May 1st, also at 6:00pm in the Formby Room, the third film of the APAHM film festival, “Hideko the Bus Conductress,” will be presented. A 1941 Japanese film based on a short story by Masuji Ibuse, the film is comedic and jovial, but bravely critiques the military and big business synergism of pre World War II Japan.

The film festival concludes on May 3rd at 6:00pm, again in the Formby Room, with a presentation of “A Story of Floating Weeds,” a 1934 Japanese film about clandestine lovers being torn apart by deceit, jealousy, and family dynamics and secrets.

All film showings are free and open to the public.  For more information about the films and the APAHM Film Festival, visit www.vietnam.ttu.edu/2013filmfestival.

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.

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.

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.

Today the U. S. Marine Corps turns 237, and the Vietnam Center and Archive wants to wish the Marine Corps and all U. S. Marines a very happy birthday!  To celebrate we have created a small exhibit of Marine related materials.  To view the exhibit, please click on the link below.

http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/exhibits/marines/marines12.htm

Today is the Navy’s 237th birthday, and the Vietnam Center and Archive wants to wish the Navy and all Navy personnel a very happy birthday.  We have prepared a small exhibit of Navy materials from our collection to commemorate the occasion.  Please click on the link below.

http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/exhibits/navy/navy12.htm

Today the Air Force turns 65!  The Vietnam Center and Archive wants to wish the Air Force and all of its service men and women a very happy birthday.  To commemorate this event, we have created a small of exhibit of our Air Force related materials.  You can view the exhibit by clicking on the link below.

On August 4, 1790 the U. S. Congress authorized the construction of ten vessels to provide a new military branch for the country, the Revenue Cutter Service.  This service enforced tariff and trade laws, prevented smuggling and ensured the collection of federal revenue from ships and marine trade.  Over its life time the Revenue Cutter Service took on new duties: protecting the nation’s shore line, search and rescue and maintaining all of the country’s light houses.  In 1915 they changed their name to the U. S. Coast Guard.  The Coast Guard not only protects our nation’s shores it also serves under the Department of the Navy in all of our armed conflicts.  Today the Coast Guard turns 222 and we have gathered a few Coast Guard related items from our collection to commemorate the occasion.  To all the men and women of the Coast Guard, thank you for your service and Happy Birthday!

Today is the Army’s 237th birthday.  So happy birthday to the US Army and all the men and women who have served and are currently serving in the Army. 

We have created a small exhibit featuring Army materials from our collection to celebrate.  To view the exhibit click on the link below.

http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/exhibits/army/

Tet, the Vietnamese New Year
Today – Thursday, January 19th
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. A special presentation will be given 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.

January 23rd, 2012 ushers in the Lunar Year of the Dragon. In Vietnam, one of 12 animals of the zodiac represents each year. In many Asian cultures, including Vietnam, the Year of the Dragon is considered to be the most desirable year to be born in, as the dragon brings luck, strength, independence, nobility, wisdom, and a promising future. It is believed that the Year of the Dragon brings good fortune to people, including wealth, health, good marriages, and new children.

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 today as we celebrate this special event!

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

Event flyer: http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/events/tet/tet2012.pdf