Austin’s LBJ Library New Home to Vietnam Veterans Memorial
By Pete Lewis | National Archives News
WASHINGTON, November 18, 2024 – For more than four decades, visitors have been able to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial just outside of the National Mall in Washington, DC. Now, for the first time ever, an original piece of this memorial is available to view outside of the nation’s capital. In September of this year, Panel 44 was put on permanent display at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, TX.
Panel 44, engraved with the names of 335 service members who gave their lives from March 9 to 16, 1968, during the Vietnam War, is now on permanent display at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, TX. (LBJ Library photo by Jay Godwin)
"The LBJ Library wanted Panel 44 as a visible representation of one part of LBJ's legacy. This panel honors the profound sacrifices made during the Vietnam War and has a powerful, tangible connection to the stories behind the war,” said Shannon Jarrett, Deputy Director, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum. “It is a stark, intimate reminder of the names behind the policies, making history personal."
The slab—made of black granite, standing more than 6 feet tall, and weighing more than 900 pounds—is one of 146 panels created in the 1980s as part of the DC memorial. It is engraved with the names of 335 airmen, Marines, soldiers, and sailors who gave their lives from March 9 to March 16, 1968, considered perhaps the most brutal eight days of the war. They came from 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. They ranged from 19 to 47 years of age. Among the names are a Medal of Honor recipient, three Distinguished Service Cross recipients, three Navy Cross recipients, and nine Silver Star recipients.
During construction of the panel, a crack developed in one of the corners. Due to concerns about the panel’s integrity during Washington, DC’s seasonal weather changes, the decision was made to remake the panel. The original Panel 44 sat in a scrap pile for decades.
"The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund acquired the panel and had it on display in their offices,” said Lara Hall, a curator at the LBJ Library. “In 2014, they started touring the piece in advance of the anniversary of the Wall. They eventually approached former library director Dr. Mark Lawrence about housing the stone here."
In connection with the Panel 44 display, on October 5, the library premiered a new exhibit, Ain’t No Daylight in Vietnam: March 1968. The exhibit—which was curated by Hall—will be on display through August 10, 2025, and focuses on March 1968 as a pivotal moment in the Vietnam War. The exhibit offers a nuanced perspective on the war, through the use of the accounts, letters, and photographs of the service members, civilians, and medical personnel who lived through it.
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum premiered a new exhibit, Ain’t No Daylight in Vietnam: March 1968, October 5. (LBJ Library photo by Jay Godwin)
"This exhibit offers our visitors a unique perspective on the war by highlighting the experiences of the people involved,” said Hall. “It honors the courage and sacrifice of those who served in the war, and the resilience of the families that supported them, along with the enduring spirit of the citizens of Vietnam who underwent great hardship during this tumultuous period."
Panel 44 is one of the first things visitors will now see when they visit the LBJ Library, and its significance is highlighted by the new exhibit. The LBJ Library is located at 2313 Red River St, Austin, TX, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, with last admission at 4 p.m. CT.
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Visit the National Archives Catalog to search digitized Vietnam War-related federal records in our holdings.