The Vietnam Center and Archive is proud to present the third speaker in our 2011 Guest Lecture Series, Mrs. LeAnn Thieman.  In April 1975, during the closing days of the Vietnam War, US and international organizations, with the support of the US government, undertook a daring mission to evacuate Vietnamese infants and children, many of them orphans, out of the country. This mission was codenamed Operation Babylift. LeAnn Thieman, working as a volunteer for Friends of Children of Vietnam, was one of the nurses who became involved in the operation. Originally agreeing to escort six babies out of Vietnam, including her newly adopted son, upon her arrival in Saigon LeAnn heard the news that President Gerald Ford had approved Operation Babylift and that she would instead be helping 300 children leave South Vietnam.

LeAnn Thieman has been a nurse for over 30 years, and her experiences with Operation Babylift have significantly impacted on her life. Since the war, LeAnn has become a celebrated presenter, earning the Certified Speaking Professional designation. In 2008, LeAnn was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame. Additionally, she has authored or co-authored eleven books in the Chicken Soup series, as well as three other books and a bimonthly E-zine called “Sip of Soup.”  Her book This Must Be My Brother recounts her experiences during Operation Babylift, while Adrift in the Storms: A Twenty Year Journey to Peace is the true story of one of the children she helped rescue. She has appeared on countless radio and television programs and in numerous print publications. Talks are currently underway to produce her story as a feature film.

The location of the lecture has been changed from the previously announced location to the Lanier Auditorium of the Texas Tech School of Law, and will be held on Thursday, May 12th at 7:00pm.  Admission is free and open to the public.  LeAnn will be available for a book signing immediately following the lecture, and copies of her books will be available for purchase.

An invitation-only reception with LeAnn for the Friends of the Vietnam Center will be held from 6:00-6:45pm in the Formby Room of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library on the day of the lecture.

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 2011 VNCA Guest Lecture Series see http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/GLS.

Texas Tech University’s President Guy Bailey presented a special Lifetime Achievement Award to Vietnam Center founder Dr. James Reckner during the annual Global Vision Award ceremony to recognize the individual or office especially active in promoting campus internationalization during the previous year.  TTU’s Office of International Affairs hosted the award ceremony at the International Cultural Center, and this year’s event was held on April 21.

The Office of International Affairs selected Dr. Reckner because of his pioneering contributions to establishing the Vietnam Center and his dedication to the institution over many years.  Thanks to his efforts, and the dedicated staff he assembled, the Vietnam Center and Archives now hold one of the major collections of related documents in the world, and the Center organizes and hosts major events related to the Vietnam era. Dr. Reckner has also worked tirelessly to create a number of partnerships between Vietnamese institutions and TTU.  In addition, he has led initiatives to assist Vietnamese institutes of higher learning in a number of ways, such as establishing scholarships to allow Vietnamese students to attend university in their home country.

The annual Global Vision Award, first given in 2003, was created to recognize a faculty member, administrator or organization whose contributions inspired students to study and experience cultures abroad, as well as encourage a broader understanding of the world.  It has since expanded to recognize a broader achievement in promoting campus internationalization.

See more images from the award ceremony on our Facebook page

Kim Phuc, “the girl in the picture,” will speak this week as part of our 2011 Guest Lecture Series. Kim’s lecture will be held on Thursday, April 14th at 7:00pm in the Allen Theatre of the Texas Tech Student Union Building. Admission is free and open to the public.  The lecture will be followed by an invitation-only reception with Mrs. Phuc for the Friends of the Vietnam Center in the Formby Room of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library.

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 2011 VNCA Guest Lecture Series or about Kim Phuc see http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/GLS.

The Vietnam Center and Archive’s 3rd Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Film Festival starts this week with Green Dragon on Wednesday at 3:00pm and Rashomon at 7:00pm.  The festival continues on Thursday with Rashomon at 3:00pm, and The Toll of the Sea at 7:00pm.

Next week’s showings include Kim’s Story at 3:00pm on Tuesday, followed by Green Dragon at 7:00pm, and on Wednesday The Toll of the Sea at 3:00pm, and Kim’s Story at 7:00pm.  All showings will be in the Formby Room of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, and admission is free and open to the public.

For more information about the festival and all of the films see http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/2011filmfestival.

Kim Phuc, the subject of the film Kim’s Story, will be speaking as part of our Guest Lecture Series on Thursday, April 14th at 7:00pm in the Allen Theatre of the Texas Tech Student Union.

We hope to see you at one or more of these events!