USU Hosts Women & America's Vietnam War Symposium

LOGAN — Utah State University has announced the Women and America's Vietnam War Symposium, scheduled for Friday, March 1, 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, the Lance Cpl. 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 50 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 U.S.,” 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, restart 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.

A cornerstone of Utah State University, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences brings together faculty members engaged in original research and creative activities to teach and mentor students who aspire to be leaders in their professions and communities. Degrees in humanities and social sciences cultivate highly adaptable professional skills in students through teaching effective communication, research, data analysis, and creative problem-solving.

The Bringing War Home Project at Utah State University is dedicated to collecting and preserving the stories and artifacts of veterans and military families, fostering understanding and empathy for the experiences of those affected by war.