Canadian museum exhibit spotlights Vietnam War, its veterans

A video now available on YouTube examines a Canadian war exhibit, with participation by an American Legion member.

“Tour of Duty: Canadians and the Vietnam War” will run through Jan. 13, 2019, at the Military Museums in Calgary, Alberta. According to the museum’s website, “This personality-based exhibit will relate a range of soldiers’ perspectives on the Vietnam War. Artifacts and oral histories from Canadians who were there will be presented. The central narrative will cover the estimated 40,000 Canadian citizens who enlisted in the U.S. military and fought overseas in the war. Other stories will be presented, including U.S. and South Vietnamese veterans who later moved to Canada.

“Importantly, Canada’s official connection with the war will also be presented – the story of the International Commission of Control and Supervision. This little-known peacekeeping mission was responsible for overseeing the American withdrawal, and enabling the repatriation of hundreds of American POWs. The veterans associated with the Vietnam War have received very little recognition in Canada, and we hope to help correct this oversight.”

The Calgary Herald ran a story, and accompanying video, on the exhibit. Featured in the latter part of that video is Jim Grosset. Grosset is a Vietnam War Army veteran who lives in Calgary – and is a member of American Legion Post CN20, also in Calgary. He is currently post adjutant, and has also served as post commander, district and department commander for Montana, as well as 2014-2015 president of FODPAL (Foreign and Outlying Departments and Posts of the American Legion). In the video, Grosset encourages people to visit the exhibit, stating, “It’s heartwarming … this whole thing. I’m really happy to be a part of it.”

Grosset added to The American Legion, "I am so happy that we can show the citizens of Calgary and the area what we were about, and that we were not alone as some 40,000 other Canadians also served. My hopes are that we can find some of the U.S. vets who live in Calgary and do not know about The American Legion, and let them know what we are about and give help to those who need it."