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Interview with Duery Felton, curator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial CollectionBy Vietnam magazine | Vietnam | 10 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post  As a wounded Vietnam veteran and curator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection, Duery Felton offers a unique perspective on the more than 100,000 objects left behind at the Wall in Washington, D.C. (Photos: Jennifer Berry) "Some won’t visit the Wall until late at night, when other visitors are gone. We are all trying to deal with the Vietnam experience." Duery Felton, a Vietnam War veteran, is curator of the huge collection of items left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. He spoke with Vietnam’s editors at the National Park Service Museum Resource Center near Washington, D.C. Subscribe Today
To view photos of items left at the Wall, click here. Q. When and where were you in Vietnam, and how were you wounded? A. I was a radio telephone operator in the 1st infantry, in III Corps in 1967. I was wounded near the Cambodian border. That is all I will say. When did you get out of the Army? After getting wounded, I still had time left. I officially left the Army in 1968. I had a lot of injuries, life-threatening injuries. I am told that I am a miracle. I spent many years in and out of Walter Reed. Surgery, surgery, surgery. I’m still dealing with it. How did you view the controversy over the design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial? I’m a native Washingtonian, so one day I was with a friend who had been a Marine at Khe Sanh and we went down to the Mall to find the site where the memorial was to be built. We were given wrong directions, and so we felt like, you know, “a Vietnam veteran gets screwed again.” Well, there was a tent on the Mall, and people were gathered around it, along with some Marines who were holding a vigil at the site, because allegedly there had been a threat to blow up the site. A lot of people had still not learned to divest the warrior from the war. Then, when the winning design for the memorial was finally picked, it was fraught with controversy as it was associated with an Asian American. And remember, Maya Lin’s design itself was considered radical and unconventional. What was your first impression of the Wall? You have to understand that in 1982 there were still really mixed feelings. At the time, there was still that stigma attached to being a Vietnam vet. So to be honest, I thought it was nice just to have something. Personally, I didn’t care what the memorial looked like, it was something, and we were now getting some recognition. And I also appreciated the fact that, other than Congress donating the land, it was paid for by private donations. How did you get your job? I had read an article about these things that were being collected, and I made arrangements to go see them. It just so happened that Voice of America was out the same day. So they were walking about the containers and I was explaining to them what some of the things were. I?didn’t know it but the site manager was standing behind me, verifying what I was telling them. A lot of people doing the cataloging didn’t have any military knowledge. So I then began volunteering. At the time, the things from the Wall were not an official collection of the Park Service. We were a bastard child to be honest with you. Then, when the official designation for the collection came, it was decided some changes had to be made to set up a different program. Gradually, I was drawn into this, and now I’ve been here for some 20 years. What kind of training have you had? I trained at a number of curatorial schools. A lot of people aren’t aware of this but the National Park Service is a government museum organization. They always think of the NPS as parks. Think about all the sites that are actually museums. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: interview, Social History, Vietnam War
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10 Comments to “Interview with Duery Felton, curator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection”
Knowing all the love and care that goes into the collection of the items left at the Wall, I am glad to see such an article in Viet Nam Magazine — quite a unique history — glad to know more details about such a wonderful man as Duery is – thanks for sharing — Bobbie
By Bobbie Keith on Jul 29, 2009 at 9:47 am
Thank god…..again.
By norman guevin on Jul 29, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Great interview with a great American. Wall Volunteer
By Annmarie Emmet on Aug 14, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Dearest Duery
You are such an amzing man. I feel so honored to know you. Thank you for being the gentle curator of our collection with such love and devotion. You are our Guardian Angel.
Lt Col Janis Nark
Director, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
By Janis Nark on Aug 17, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Dear Duery
Thank you for your service to our Country and thank you for taking care of the items that were left behind in memory of my brother Tommy and all whose names grace the Wall.
Jim Doody
Founder, Western Slope Vietnam War Memorial Park
By Jim Doody on Aug 17, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Thank you, Duery, for giving respect and care to those who chose to leave something of themselves behind. I can tell from the article that the items are in the best hands possible.
Thank you for your service. I’m glad you made it back.
By Karen St. John on Aug 18, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Dear Duery,
I have not been to the site where you work, catalog and preserve all the items left at the Wall…I can only imagine how painful your job must be, especially since you were in that war.
I have not left anything at the Wall, even though I go there frequently …..Somehow it would be an acknowledgement that my Son is really gone, a Son of the Vietnam war who died there at 18 years of age.
I think of you often, even though we have never met. When an item comes to you with Rex Sherman’s name on it you will know that I have accepted the fact that he is not coming back..May God Bless you for your military service and for what you do every day.. Thank you—Ann Y. Sherman Wolcott, PNP- American Gold Star Mothers
By Ann Y.Sherman Wolcott on Aug 24, 2009 at 10:05 pm
G’Day Duery,
Thanks again for the wonderful insight you gave us Australian Vietnam Vets at the depository, when we visited in ‘08 while we were in DC for the Memorial Day weekend. I enjoyed your talk and knowledge about various memorabilia left it at the Wall. It was a pleasure to meet with you and Pam.
Best Regards Brother.
Pete Ravelje . Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club
Queensland Chapter – Brisbane – Australia.
By Pete Ravelje on Aug 25, 2009 at 6:58 am
I just finish reading the book Offerings at the Wall, THANK YOU so much for having the knowledge of putting all of this together.. What a heart you have..I would like to meet you.
I first learned of the book Offerings at the Wall in a book called When God Winks at You.
I have been to the wall in Washington..What a treat that was.
I had no family in the War… Thank you again.
By Jo Burch on Aug 27, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Dear Mr. Felton
I just saw part of your interview regarding the Vietnam War more memorial. In the begining of your interview as shown on the Smithsonian Channel you spoke up a gentelemen, who came to the construction builder, and a gentlemen fame with his sons purple who was awarded it after he passed. I am extremely familiar with this story. I do personally know the story because the gentleman and construction worker who saluted this man and had it put into the foundation was my father. The construction compant who built it and was in charge was Tompkins construction company, who have even done the WWII memorial where a simialar story occured to my mother in laws father at Bastone. The gentleman was the Project Manager of Tompkins construction. He is now the CEO of Tompkins construction. I will personally give you the information via email as to what exactly occured if you respond. I am not sure if my father wants it pubically known but I know he would have know problem even telling you the story himself. I have known this story and the unknown story of the WWII memorial. Please let me know if you are interested in hearing the entire story.
Aaron
By Aaron on Sep 9, 2009 at 6:02 pm