State House to showcase artifacts commemorating 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end

The Vietnam Moving Wall on the UNH campus Thursday, May 5, 2017. GEOFF FORESTER

Visitors look at the names at the wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, Monday, May 25, 2015, during Annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Jose Luis Magana

Monitor staff

Published: 04-25-2025 12:49 PM

Modified: 04-25-2025 4:00 PM

facebook

The New Hampshire State House will host an exhibit beginning next week to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

Open on the exact anniversary, April 30, through Memorial Day in the Hall of Flags, the display will include artifacts in addition to the traveling replica of Washington D.C.’s Vietnam Memorial Wall, which shows the names of more than 58,000 people who died in the war.

The replica came to New Hampshire in 1990, and this exhibit will showcase the letters, medals, photos and other items that were left in the Granite State after its visit.

“This exhibit is full of poignant reminders of the ultimate sacrifice thousands of veterans made during the Vietnam War,” Secretary of State David Scanlan said in a statement. “We’re sharing these artifacts with the New Hampshire public to honor their memory and recognize all our state’s veterans and service members.”

New Hampshire is home to more than 85,000 veterans, according to a 2024 state report, and many of them – about 30,000 – served during the Vietnam era.