The Vietnam Veterans Museum celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2013. Now known as the Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center, it annually sees over 14,000 visitors pass through its entrance. From slow beginnings, the Museum has grown to be a popular and unique New Jersey attraction. Located at 1 Memorial Lane, Holmdel, NJ, it fulfills quietly its purpose – to act as an educational tool, an adjutant and expansion of the nearby Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
The Building
The designers of the museum are Ralph Appelbaum Associates Inc. of New York City. They are also responsible for the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. They created a simple but multifunctional 10,000-square-foot facility. The overall design reflects and complements the nearby New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial. It consists of three main components:
- The circular room containing the exhibits including the timeline, letters, photographs, text and related displays
- The Oral History Theater providing visitors with the various histories of individuals who lived during the Vietnam Era as well as documentaries
- The Multi-Purpose Room is capable of sitting from 30 to 40 individuals for a variety of purposes.
There is also a resource space for research.
Experiencing the War First Hand
The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center has a singular intent: to help those who visit arrive at a more complete understanding of the period in which the Vietnam conflict occurred. This embraces all aspects – social, historical, cultural, military and political. The Vietnam Veterans’ Museum provides an overview of the impact on the American public but it also pays particular attention to its impact on those who lived and served in New Jersey.
To achieve this goal, the Museum has put together a multi-media blitz. It is a crash course on the war provided through a variety of media. Touch screen computers and actual letters from and between those who were fighting in Vietnam and those who remained at home provide historical information and personal context. Alongside personal touches are news photos, war footage and images from the home front. Careful juxtaposition of the diverse elements ensures maximum impact. It is an effective way to present history. It is also a memorable one.
What is also effective is the two concurrently running timelines recording events taking place in Southwest Asia and those at home. This both widens the perspective and narrows it. It allows visitors to take in the breadth of the impact of the war in the two countries: United States and Vietnam. At the same time, the added information surrounding it ensures visitors never escape from the highly personal aspect of this war.
Vietnam Veterans’ Museum Tours
Many New Jersey Veterans did their tours in Vietnam. Today, several are helping people understand what that meant. They volunteer, therefore, helping their Vietnam Veterans’ Museum come alive for all who choose to visit. Through their hard work and skill, the Museum is able to offer a third dimension – one that is only possible because these men and women served their country in Vietnam.