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.