Next month marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and a few good men are putting together a family friendly celebration in Bullard to commemorate the milestone.

The “Vietnam 40 Years Later” event is planned for April 25 at the American Freedom Museum, 1051 North Houston, near The Brook Hill School.

The purpose of the gathering is to pay tribute to millions of American military members who served during the Vietnam War era and remember the thousands who died fighting for freedom, organizers said.

U.S. Army veteran Don Allen, 66, who owns the AVTT Vietnam Wall, a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, is heading up the event.

He predicts the celebration is the first of many to come.

“Let’s stand together again,” said Allen, who logged 22 years in the military. “This is going to be a family event. Bring the kids, bring the grandkids. This is a joint operation between AVTT and the American Freedom Museum. It’s shaping up to be a great time.”

The anniversary is a perfect time to educate younger generations about the meaning of service, commitment and honor, he added.

The commemoration is unfolding over two days with April 24 set aside specifically for schools, allowing youngsters the opportunity to see the wall and tour the museum. Availability is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; school officials are asked to contact the museum for scheduling and details.

April 25 is family day, starting at 9 a.m. when the museum and wall open for visitors.

Special computers will be available to help families locate specific individuals listed among the 58,300 names engraved on the wall. Rubbing tools will be on hand to record the etching, organizers said.

Veterans and active military can tour the museum for free; admission is $4 for youth and adults.

“It’s the camaraderie we’re looking for with this event,” said co-organizer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Hue Adams, 68, of Tyler, who served from 1966 to 67. “We want to get together with a bunch of guys who remember what it was like to be 19.”

Expect plenty of laughs and tall tales to be shared among veterans, Adams said with a grin, adding: “We’ve had 40 years … we’re really good at them. We’re going to have a good time.”

Planned activities include a performance by East Texas Men in Harmony, followed by a noon recognition ceremony, group photo and complimentary lunch with performances by The Brook Hill School choir.

There will be military vehicles on display and a prisoner of war, missing in action table.

The ALERT Academy from Big Sandy is expected to provide an honor guard. A lineup of special guest speakers is expecting to share their recollections of the Vietnam era.

Keynote speaker is Dave Berry, 66, an award-winning journalist who served in the U.S. Army from 1970-72, capturing photos of people, places and events of war. Berry is the former editor of the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

“We were all there and shared worries and fears and danger,” Berry said. “Let’s celebrate the fact we are all Vietnam veterans. I think it’s something to be proud of, it shaped us and made us who we are today.”

Allen said the traveling memorial wall display has made hundreds of stops over the past decade, but this is the first time he’s organized something of this magnitude, so close to home.

“Come out, have a hot dog and have a good time,” he said.

Event supporters include Brookshire’s, Flowers Foods, Contractors Building Supply Company, Jim Toman Insurance, East Texas Men in Harmony, The Diner, Flowers by Ela, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, Academy Sports and Outdoors, AVTT Traveling Wall, Sam’s Club, American Freedom Museum, ALERT International Academy and AVTT Engraving.

RECORDING HISTORY

To commemorate the milestone anniversary, the Tyler Morning Telegraph is launching a type of living history project to capture the words and memories of Vietnam War veterans.

The newspaper is compiling stories from military service members, who served during the era, either at home or abroad.

Veterans are asked to provide a response to the question, “What memory or experience would you like future generations to know about your service during the Vietnam War?”

Information collected over the next two weeks will be preserved within the newspaper’s archives and shared with local history museums to educate future generations about individual service and sacrifices.

Some submissions may be considered for publication closer to April 30, 1975, when Siagon fell and the Vietnam War ended.

There are two ways to participate: electronically or by traditional mail, limiting narratives to about 300 words or less.

The deadline to participate is April 10.

Be sure to include your name, hometown, branch and years of service, plus contact information for verification purposes. Telephone numbers provided to be newspaper will not be published.

Electronic submissions may be e-mailed to jasimmons@tylerpaper.com with Vietnam History Project listed in the subject line.

Paper submissions may dropped off or mailed to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, 410 W. Erwin St., Tyler, TX 75702 to the attention of Jacque Hilburn-Simmons. For questions, call 903-596-6266.