Vietnam War–Era Veterans Commemoration Ceremony

On Wednesday, March 29, on National Vietnam War Veterans Day, the Oklahoma History Center (OHC) will hold a special commemoration ceremony to honor the servicemen and servicewomen who served anywhere in the world during the Vietnam War Era. This includes service from November 1, 1955, to May 15, 1975 regardless of location. The event will be held in the Devon Great Hall of the OHC from 10 a.m. to noon. This event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m.

The event is being held at the Oklahoma History Center, in association with Villages of OKC and Humana Market Point. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City. For additional information, call 405-522-0765.

Governor Kevin Stitt will be introduced by Trait Thompson, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Governor Stitt will welcome the attendees and offer his remarks on the importance of this opportunity to honor the veterans of the Vietnam War-era. Michael Do, an Oklahoma City businessman, will speak on behalf of the Oklahoma City Vietnamese community and the South Vietnamese military. Music will be provided by the 145th Army Band, known as “The Governor’s Own.”

The keynote speaker will be Harvey Pratt, a Vietnam War veteran and world-recognized forensic artist largely responsible for the conviction in many high-profile murder cases such as Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer. In 2018 the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian announced that Pratt had submitted the winning concept design for the National Native American Veterans Memorial. On Veterans Day 2020, Pratt’s Warriors’ Circle of Honor was dedicated. It is located on the museum grounds on the National Mall in Washington, DC.