Members of the Women's Army Corps pose for a group photo in 1967. From left: Rhynell M. Stoabs, Betty J. Benson, Elizabeth P. Hoisington, Peggy E. Ready, Edith L. Efferson, and Patricia C. Pewitt. (Photo Credit: Public Domain)
By Abigail Petrey, CHaSS Communications Intern
Utah State University is proud to announce the Women and America's Vietnam War Symposium, scheduled for Friday, March 1, 2024, at the Eccles Conference Center. This Tanner Talk event is organized in conjunction with USU's ongoing Bringing War Home Project, dedicated to collecting digitally the objects and stories from veterans and military families that help us preserve America’s experiences with modern war.
The all-day event will feature three guest speakers: memoirist and author Thi Bui, former military nurse and author Susan O’Neill, and Professor Kara Dixon Vuic, LCpl Benjamin W. Schmidt Professor of War, Conflict and Society in Twentieth Century America at Texas Christian University.
“We are thrilled to bring these inspiring speakers to campus to kick off Women's History Month and very grateful to our co-sponsors at USU as well as to the Utah Historical Society and the Utah Division of Arts and Museums for making this possible,” said Susan Grayzel, professor of history and co-organizer for this event.
After officially ending nearly fifty years ago, the Vietnam War left a lasting impact on many lives. Among those deeply affected were the women from diverse backgrounds who served militarily, had loved ones deployed, cared for those affected by the war, protested its impact, or tried to make sense of its complex experiences and legacies.
“Women represent a huge presence, both in the workings of the world and in war, and not only as military medical and clerical personnel; not even only as combatants defending their own countries or fighting elsewhere, as we now do in the US,” said O’Neill, a Vietnam veteran invited to present at USU’s symposium. “We are victims of war — not only killed, [but] injured, raped, displaced, left alone to mourn our own dead and raise the families of our absent or injured spouses. And when we survive, it is often left to us to pick up the pieces of broken civilizations, re-start the clocks, and create a version of normality in the ashes.”
The symposium aims to shed light on the experiences of these women by inviting students, scholars, creative artists, and community members to learn from those sharing diverse perspectives about this conflict. In line with the interdisciplinary approach of the BWH Project and The Mountain West Center for Regional Studies, speakers include writers, artists, scholars, students, and veterans.
This free event on USU’s Logan campus is open to the public. For those unable to attend in person, virtual participation will be available via Zoom.
To view the symposium schedule and to register, please visit https://www.usu.edu/mountainwest/bringing-war-home/register-symposium
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