KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National World War I Museum and Memorial will unveil its new Vietnam War exhibit this weekend.
The war is hard to forget, according to Matthew Naylor, president and CEO of the National World War I Museum and Memorial.
"So many of us lived through that period,” Naylor said, “whether we served in Vietnam or we grew up during that period.”
To remember that time period, they created the exhibition.
"This exhibition seeks to tell a broader story about what happened in Vietnam, as well as what happened here at the homefront," Naylor said.
Displays will feature the Pentagon Papers and gear worn by soldiers during the war, as well as show connections to the Kansas City area.
This show also has a special touch. More than 20 of the museum's volunteers are Vietnam War veterans and will be able to share their experiences in country.
"To see them interacting with this exhibition, those who have served, it was really a powerful experience them to see this," Naylor said.
Naylor said he wants people to remember all the sacrifices given during the war.
"I think that people will find that,” Naylor said. “That when they come here, it really does speak to them.”
The exhibit opens Friday to the public and covers the history of one of the longest and most divisive wars in U.S. history, detailing struggles on the homefront and the front line. It will run through May 31, 2020.
Admission to the museum will be free for veterans and active-duty military next weekend in honor of Veterans Day weekend.
Veterans Day, which is a federal holiday, will be observed Nov. 11 this year.
