Overview
First in War: Vietnam
After leaving the interpretation timeline of the Big Red One’s post-World War II interwar years spent in Germany (1945-55) and Fort Riley, Kansas (1955-65), walk into the jungles north of Saigon where the 1 ID fought for five years, beginning in 1965 when it was one of the first two divisions sent to Vietnam. First learn about the complexities associated with the two types of enemy (NVA=North Vietnamese Army & VC=Vietcong) Big Red One soldiers would face.
Exhibit Highlight: Soldier Stories
As you continue through the jungle learn through artifacts and virtual interviews (Soldiers Stories) with six Big Red One veterans how the division sought to clear the enemy from bases in the Iron Triangle and the Michelin Rubber Plantation.
Learn how soldiers made innovative use of helicopters and weapons, and how they worked to win the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people. Learn about the Tet Offensive in 1968 and how the division helped take the fight back to the enemy and eventually returned home to Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1970.
Coming Soon
This gallery-section will soon interpret nurses, Red Cross workers and cultural tensions associated with fighting a foreign war during 1960s America.