|
|
Interview with Duery Felton, curator of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial CollectionBy Vietnam magazine | Vietnam | Single Page | 10 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post How are those sentiments expressed? Subscribe Today
There was once an Esquire article in which the author wrote about how he regretted not serving in Vietnam. Shortly after that we started noticing people leaving notes with similar sentiments, "I regret not having served in Vietnam." There was an apparent cause and effect in that case. Then, for some reason, there was a period when we found many messages such as, "Doc, because of you I'm alive today, thanks." And then we were having medical corpsman leaving notes questioning themselves, did they do enough to save this or that person? You know, a corpsmen would treat you as best they could, then throw you in that chopper and never have contact with you again. So for them, the result was usually unresolved. But think of how many medics there were, how many of them had lives in their hands and, lets be honest about it, made choices of who would live and who would die. I still haven't figured out why the corpsman, and this "thank you doc" thing was happening. This kind of thing seems to be cyclical. Do donors have any expectation of privacy? We do get sealed letters and we won't open them. Sometimes people will leave letters unsealed. People are pretty savvy and realize the stuff will be kept. I think it may be a partial catharsis as well, a combination. We have a brown paper bag…we call it a field expedient, that I feel the person had no intention to leave anything and then they were so overcome by emotion they grabbed whatever was handy. Rangers have observed kids coming down, then looking through their backpacks and leaving a toy.  "Rangers have observed kids coming down, then looking through their backpacks and leaving a toy." I think so. I have a theory. When a child dies, a parent is often emotionally unable to deal with going through their effects, sometimes the siblings are not. But when you get to the children or grandchildren, they have the emotional distance to deal with it. What inspires this phenomenon, the war's circumstances or the memorial? For some reason circumstances came together, and it was time. Why do we have another generation that didn't respond like this, the World War II vets? We wanted our memorial. Why? Anyone can hazard a guess, but you have to understand that before World War II you had a debate and then Congress acted under Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. That affirmation of America's support was absent for Vietnam. How has the Wall and its collection impacted other memorial projects? We are the flagship with regards to this type of memorial. No one had any clue in 1982. We've collection exhibitions around the country and around the world. We've been called on to consult people in places like Oklahoma City, Columbine, Shanksville and Ground Zero in New York. Spain even sent in a delegation a few years ago to study our methodology because they are trying to respond to the terrorist bombing there. At one time it was not unusual to go to a museum and see the bias of a curator or the organization in the exhibits, which typically included mostly things associated with the preeminents of the time. Then there began a rethinking, with a greater emphasis on social history. Well, this has always been a social history collection. Any bias regarding what is worthy of inclusion in this collection has been taken out of the hands of National Park Service, and been taken out of my hands as curator. We have no exclusions here, with the exception of live plant matter and unaltered U.S. flags. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: interview, Social History, Vietnam War
 |
SPONSORED SITES
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||
What is HistoryNet?The HistoryNet.com is brought to you by the Weider History Group, the world's largest publisher of history magazines. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 5,000 articles originally published in our various magazines. If you are interested in a specific history subject, try searching our archives, you are bound to find something to pique your interest. |
From Our Magazines
|
Weider History Group |
Weider History Network: HistoryNet | Armchair General | Great History | Achtung Panzer! Copyright © 2010 Weider History Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. |
||
Loading ...
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