Veterans Day Programs and Special Display
Press Release · Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Washington, DC

This Veterans Day, the National Archives honors our nation’s veterans with a featured document display, documentary screening, and panel discussion. Learn how the National Archives serves veterans and their families; visit Veterans Day - Resources at the National Archives.

These programs are free and open to the public and will be held in the William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. Attendees should use the Special Events entrance on Constitution Avenue at Seventh Street, NW. Metro accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station. Reservations are recommended and can be made online. For those without reservations, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The theater doors will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Late seating will not be permitted 20 minutes after the program begins.

FEATURED DOCUMENT DISPLAY: Honoring Native American soldiers' WWI service
East Rotunda Gallery
National Archives Museum, Washington D.C. 
When the U.S. entered World War I, American Indians volunteered to serve despite a long history of discrimination against indigenous people and their traditional culture. Many Native Americans weren’t even recognized as U.S. citizens. In honor of National American Indian Heritage Month and Veterans Day, a collection of World War I records will be exhibited to highlight one of the unique ways that Native American soldiers used their language and cultural heritage to serve the country. On display through December 4, 2019. 

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING AND DISCUSSION: Just Like Me: Vietnam War Stories from All Sides (2018; 60 min.)
Thursday, November 7,  7 p.m.
Reserve a seat
Journey from present to past and back again with filmmaker and Vietnam veteran Ron Osgood in his quest to recover fragmented and buried stories from all sides of the Vietnam War. The stories from veterans and noncombatants provide a unique window into the complexities of this controversial war and humanize former enemies. By interweaving American and Vietnamese perspectives, the program promotes cross-cultural connection, empathy, and compassion. Following the screening, historian Marc Leepson will join the filmmaker to discuss the film and answer audience questions.

PANEL DISCUSSION & BOOK SIGNING: WWII Soldier Photographers from the U.S. Army Signal Corps Photo Collection at the National Archives
Thursday, November 14, 7:30 p.m.
Reserve a seat; watch the live stream on our YouTube Channel
U.S. Army photographers from the Signal Corps are known for their comprehensive documentation of battle during World War II. Not as well known is their work in 1945 as the war came to an end. Their photographs of the war’s impact have been compiled into a book: Aftershock: The Human Toll of War. Join us for a panel discussion as we explore these fascinating photos from the National Archives. Panelists include the book’s authors Richard Cahan and Mark Jacob; Dr. Erik B. Villard, Historian, U.S. Army Center of Military History; Rebecca Raines, author, History of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, and Kaitlyn Crain Enriquez, Archives Specialist, National Archives Still Picture Branch. A book sale and signing of Aftershock will follow the program.

Presented in partnership with the U.S. Army Center of Military History.