Georgia Southern Museum seeks Vietnam War-era artifacts for new Statesboro exhibit
Are you a Vietnam Veteran with a story to tell? Georgia Southern Public History student Breana James is leading a project in conjunction with the Georgia Southern Museum to showcase Vietnam War-era artifacts and the oral histories of those who served in the Vietnam War in an exhibit at the Bulloch County Annex.
Museum curators will be at the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau on Tuesday, Nov. 27 from 4 to 8 p.m. to meet with the public and collect items for an exhibit focused on the Vietnam War that will be a part of the permanent exhibit on the military heritage of Bulloch County.
James said the open house-style event is open to anyone in the community interested in sharing artifacts, documents, photos or stories that will help tell the story of Bulloch County and the Vietnam War. University faculty and Museum curators will be on hand to help identify items as well.
Museum Director Brent Tharp, Ph.D., said it is an important time to take action in collecting research for the Vietnam War era.
“A lot of focus lately has been on our disappearing World War II generation. While we recognize the importance of this generation, we are working to help our students and other folks in our community understand more about the experiences of those involved in the Vietnam War to preserve these stories for the generations to come,” Tharp said.
James added there are several 45th and 55th anniversaries of battles in the Vietnam War coming up, adding to the importance of collecting items.
“As grim and sad as it is, and as wars get further in the past, that means our veterans are getting older and it’s important to be able to collect these stories before the opportunity passes,” she said.
The exhibit is expected to be complete in spring 2019. For more information, email James at bs05686@georgiasouthern.edu.
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving nearly 26,500 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
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