For many Americans, Vietnamese, and others, the war in Vietnam was the defining event in their lives. It was a conflict that divided families and brought violence both to Vietnam and to the United States. Each of us had a Vietnam experience.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. as well as many other community and state memorials have been established to recognize the sacrifice of the 58,260 that gave their lives during that most unpopular and longest war the United States has been involved in to date.

These memorials, which have done much to aid in the healing of the wounds brought on by this conflict, do not provide an opportunity to reflect knowledgeably on the many other aspects of the era. This turbulent period influenced events in much of the world that still affect those who lived through the era, subsequent generations and governments around the globe.

At its peak, over half a million U. S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen were serving in Vietnam, the surrounding waters and countries, along with millions of Vietnamese and thousands of Australians, New Zealanders, South Koreans, Thais, and Philippinos.

They, along with their friends and families, have been misunderstood and misrepresented for over thirty years.

When completed, The National Vietnam War Musuem will offer an educational environment where people from all over the world can come to remember, learn and understand....

 

NOTICE:  The first three museum gardens, with all of their memorials and exhibits are now open to the public from dawn to dusk every day of the week. Our new Visitor Center is open most days from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except it is temporarily closed on Fridays and at various other times, depending on the availability of volunteers. The main museum building has not yet been built.  Its construction awaits the completion of our ongoing capital campaign fundraising effort. All of the museum's exhibits are currently outside on the museum's site on U. S. Highway 180, about a mile east of the Mineral Wells city limits.  The Development Projects page provides access to information about the gardens, including their memorials and exhibits. About $25 million will be needed to complete the museum. Over $1 million has already been raised and has funded the construction of the first three gardens, two parking lots and the new Visitor Center.  The fourth garden is now under construction and is expected to be open by Spring, 2012. The key element of the third garden is a 300-foot long, approximately half-scale, permanent replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington.  The museum's Memorial Wall is truly unique, in that it will be updated annually to ensure it is always current. Your help is needed to complete the museum. Your stories need to be told...to those who lived during the era...to those who came afterward...and to future generations.  Our countrymen and visitors from the rest of the world need to know what happened....they need to fully understand the war. You can support the ongoing effort to build the museum by purchasing items from the gift shop, by making a donation using the gift shop order form or by mailing your check to us at our address on the Contact Us page. Please click the Donate Now! button on the right side of this page to help build the museum. Thank you for your generous support!

The National Vietnam War Museum, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, incorporated in the state of Texas. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Contact your tax advisor for complete information.

The museum is located on Hwy 180 about 1 mile east of the Mineral Wells city limits and about 45 miles west
of Fort Worth, Texas.