HANDS-ON HISTORY
VIETNAM MEMORIES:
STORIES LEFT AT THE WALL
This traveling exhibit examines the Vietnam War through the eyes of those who have left items at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., including letters, mementos, and personal items. The exhibit came to MHS for two weeks in May 2005, funded by a grant provided by the MHS Educational Foundation.
"...this memorial is for those who have died, and for us to remember them." - Maya Ying Lin, designer, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
Program for MHS juniors and seniors
All junior and senior history classes toured the exhibit after participating in an assembly program on the war and the history of this traveling exhibit. Teachers incorporated assignments into the curriculum, helping bring students even closer to this turbulent period in American history.
Program for the community
There were opportunities for the community to visit the exhibit, including a lecture by Drew University political science professor Doug Simon and a presentation by the exhibit's curator, Gary Patnosh, of the NJ Children's Explorer's museum.
"I really enjoyed working on this project...and between formulating questions and conducting interviews I learned about many admirable Madisonians who gave their time and some their lives to the Vietnam War effort." - AP History Student at MHS
Oral history project with Madison Historical Society
Dr. DeBiasse's 11th grade AP US History class began developing an oral history for the Historical Society. Students conducted interviews with veterans and other community members about their war-time experiences. Even though the class has ended, a number of last year's AP students volunteered to continue work on the project which resulted in a completed documentary that was shared with the community on April 20,
2006 in the Chase Room of Madison Public Library starting at 7:30 pm.