Welcome Home: Oklahomans and the War in Vietnam exhibit closes

In November 2017 the Oklahoma History Center opened an exhibit titled Welcome Home: Oklahomans and the War in Vietnam. This exhibit is on display through Saturday, November 30, 2019.

The exhibit looks at more than the historic events that occurred during the war. It explores the impact of the war on Oklahoma families, as told through the stories of the young men and women who served their country in the armed services, and the immigrant families who fled Vietnam and came to Oklahoma seeking freedom and opportunity.

The story begins with a look at the family histories of Oklahomans who served in Vietnam. This opening section concludes with the stories of young people from those families who volunteered to serve their country in the armed services during the War in Vietnam.

The second section explores the roots of Vietnamese families that eventually relocated to Oklahoma. It also follows American military personnel and Vietnamese families onto the stage of war during the 1960s and 1970s. This includes stories of those in uniform, both American and Vietnamese, as well as stories of civilians whose lives were changed forever.

The next section tells the Vietnamese refugees’ harrowing stories of escape as they left all that they had known in their homeland to obtain safety, security, and opportunity in the United States. While they left under varying circumstances, they shared the common goal of a new life. The fourth and final section of the exhibit brings Oklahoma-born military personnel and immigrants back to Oklahoma, where their stories continue as they deal with challenges and seize opportunities. By connecting the dots of history, the exhibit provides a contemporary portrait of Oklahoma’s diversity set against the backdrop of historic events. For more information please call 405-522-0765.