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| Photo Credit: Jen Rickards |
October is Family History Month, and it's been a busy month. On October 6, the Franklin County Historical Society held its Annual History Fair at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Union, Missouri. I've had the privilege of having a booth set up for a few years now, but this year's fair was very special.
I teased my display on Instagram for about a month before the fair to drum up interest.
Since my dad passed away back in 2021, I've been working hard going through his stuff to preserve it before Mom sold their house. I knew about some of my dad's Vietnam collection from when I was a kid. He allowed me to display a few items from his service in the military at a school event. But going through Dad's stuff led me to find more than I expected. When my Uncles cleaned out one of my dad's sheds in the backyard, they uncovered a box of Vietnam stuff including tools, pouches, clothing, and more. The box was falling apart from the rain that leaked into the shed through the years. I was excited to go through the items, but sad at the same time cause I wished Dad was still here so we could go through it together. Since he wasn't, I was left to go through it all alone. And when I did, I got a little surprise.
Watch me get a surprise from a little friend
It was so nice of him to drop by. Unfortunately, he left behind a mess that I had to clean up. And he destroyed a few items. But now it's all protected and safe. But that wasn't the last of the items that Dad had kept. Sometime later, My Dad's brother, Uncle Marty, contacted me and told me he found some of Dad's uniforms in his shed. WHAT?! So he brought that over for me to put with Dad's collection. But we still weren't done. Just this past year, my cousin had been cleaning out the lake house told me she found Dad's foot locker! Holy cow!! She asked if I still wanted it and you can guess my answer. OF COURSE! This would be the perfect way for me to display Dad's collection for the history fair. Now, having all this together, it was time to figure out how to display and label the items. Thanks to my wonderful hubby, he was able to get some plexiglass from work for me to lay over the top of the footlocker to keep items from being touched, taken, or damaged. Also, thanks to the Historical Society for lending me one of their mannequins for my dad's uniform. In the end, the display looked amazing.
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| Photo Credit: Jen Rickards |
I wished Dad could have been here to see my display. But as I told my Aunt Patty, if Dad had been here, I wouldn't have had this opportunity to display his collection. Dad kept his collection to himself, and wouldn't even talk about Vietnam except on rare occasions. And on those occasions, I was able to record his voice. I put together a slide-show video to share.
I am so blessed I was able to put his collection on display for others to see. My favorite part of the day was when a young boy, about 12 maybe, came to the history fair specifically to see this display. He was really into the memorabilia from the period and was even dressed in a replica uniform. I pulled items out so he could hold them and touch them. He even wanted his picture taken with the display. Dad would have been so happy to see this.
Something that surprised me, although it shouldn't have, was how many people were surprised to see a Vietnam display. It's no shock to anyone how controversial the Vietnam Conflict was and still is to this day. The war was not supported by the American people and soldiers were treated like scum. When they came home, they were not given a Welcome Home celebration like other wars in the past. They were insulted, ridiculed, rejected, and more. So when you see a Vietnam veteran, thank them for their service and tell them, "Welcome Home."
With more recognition being given to the soldiers who fought in Vietnam, I hope we will start seeing more displays and more veterans who are willing to share their stories. Don't forget, that March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. Thank you to everyone who came out to the Franklin County History Fair. And to everyone who stopped by to see my display. I wish Dad could have been there.
Watch my Facebook Reel from the History Fair
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