50th Anniversary End of Vietnam War Events at State Historical Society of Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo.- April 15, 2025 – The Vietnam War came to an end 50 years when North Vietnam troops captured Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975. A two-day special event to commemorate the Fall of Saigon anniversary will be held April 30 and May 1, 12-1:30 p.m. at the State Historical Society of Missouri Center for Missouri Studies, 605 Elm St., Columbia, Mo.
Among the U.S. troops fighting in Vietnam, 147,403 soldiers were from Missouri. One of these veterans has been telling his personal journey from war to reconciliation. Larry Rottmann, who was raised in Columbia, Mo., served as a lieutenant with the 25th Infantry Division during 1967-68. His account can be found in the more than 122 cubic feet of letters, photographs, poetry, books, and other material donated to SHSMO by Rottmann, a retired English and journalism professor at Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical College in Springfield.
The two-day anniversary events are being created by Rottmann and his colleagues. On Wednesday, April 30, the public is invited to a screening of the award-winning documentary film Voices from Vietnam, which intertwines original poetry, music and photographs taken during and after the war by Rottmann and Trong Thanh, a North Vietnamese Army photographer. Rottmann wrote, narrated, and produced the film, which includes additional video footage by director Mark Biggs of Springfield, who accompanied Rottmann on multiple trips to Southeast Asia. Original music was composed and performed by Ray Castrey. They’ll be answering audience questions after the one-hour screening.
Rottmann and military veterans Tim Burrows, Nixa, Mike O’Brien, Boise, Idaho; and Rottmann’s son Eli Redstone of Gainesville, Florida, will give a presentation titled, A Different Vietnam War, on Thursday, May 1 at noon. The veterans will share their stories, accompanied by original live music composed for this event by Burrows.
Rottmann has made 23 postwar visits to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and has written or contributed to more than 50 books. He hopes his extensive collection will help the public better understand the war through his own experiences as a Missouri vet.
“In order to more truly and fully understand the war and its historical, cultural, and political fallout, my postwar visits and personal friendships with our former ‘enemies’ are essential to learning about what really happened at the human level and how all that still influences the behavior, attitudes, and even the memories of former soldiers and civilians,” said Rottmann. “Not to mention how future scholars, researchers, and writers will interpret the Vietnam War.”
In conjunction with these events marking the 50th anniversary of the ending of the Vietnam War, the photo exhibit, Faces from Vietnam, by Larry Rottmann will be on display in the SHSMO lobby.