Vietnam War: 'They remember it well'

On Sept. 1, the Harrison Center, a community art center in Indianapolis, will premiere “Returning to the World – Vietnam Veterans’ Journeys,” a series of photos and interviews with Vietnam War veterans living in central Indiana.

The project was undertaken by Jack Wickes, a local artist, retired lawyer and Vietnam Army veteran himself. He started developing his idea at the beginning of 2022, and began interviewing and photographing his subjects in November toward the 50-year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam this year. A few he knew personally, but the rest were recommended by contacts at state agencies, nonprofits and VSOs, making up the “sufficiently representative sample” he was looking for.

In addition to their experiences in service, Wickes says he centered the interviews on “home”: the servicemember looking forward to going home, what happened when they got home and reflections on their return 50 years later. He found “a very high level of candor” – many interview subjects said they had never spoken at length about it, or no one had asked.

Wickes says the interviews “far exceeded what I could ever have hoped for,” and added that the project did bring to mind his own history – “but it’s not about me.” He hopes the exhibit is seen by people of all ages, who recognize the endurance and perseverance of veterans through their varied transitions home, some more seamless than others. Even 50 years later, he concludes, “as these veterans make plain … they remember it well.”

The exhibit will run throughout September, and will also be available on the Harrison Center’s website.