INTREPID MUSEUM OPENS MAJOR EXHIBITION ON THE LINE: INTREPID AND THE VIETNAM WAR ON OCTOBER 16
From: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
West 46th Street and 12th Avenue at Hudson River Park
Contact: Rubenstein Communications, Inc., Public Relations
Mike Stouber – (212) 843-9381 / mstouber@rubenstein.com
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Luke Sacks – (646) 381-5282 / lsacks@intrepidmuseum.org
INTREPID MUSEUM OPENS MAJOR EXHIBITION
ON THE LINE: INTREPID AND THE VIETNAM WAR ON OCTOBER 16
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Exhibition Offers Unique Insight into Life on the Aircraft Carrier during the Vietnam War
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All U.S. Veterans and U.S. Active Military to Receive Free Museum Admission for
Duration of Exhibition Thanks to Generosity of Bank of America
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New York, NY (October 14, 2015) – The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will open On the Line: Intrepid and the Vietnam War, a major exhibition exploring the events and impact of the Vietnam War through the lens of Intrepid’s history, on Friday, October 16. The exhibition, which is free with the price of admission to the Museum, offers a site-specific immersion into an important chapter of American history through oral histories, unique artifacts, photographs and film clips—many of which are on display for the first time.
The legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid served three tours of duty in Vietnam between 1966 and 1969. Set within the very spaces where men lived and served, the exhibition will focus on the experiences of Intrepid and its crew “on the line”—the periods when the ship was active in the Gulf of Tonkin, launching aircraft for missions over mainland Vietnam. This localized history will serve as the starting point for understanding the larger historical landscape, including the Cold War, Operation Rolling Thunder and protests at home.
“Telling the story of Intrepid and honoring the people who served aboard are the profound responsibilities of our institution,” said Susan Marenoff-Zausner, president of the Intrepid Museum. “Our incredible team of historians, scholars and curators has brought this part of the ship’s history to life in a way that will resonate deeply with visitors of all ages and backgrounds.”
Consistent with Intrepid’s ongoing efforts to remove accessibility barriers, On the Line features labels with large-print text and a high-contrast color palette. All video content includes subtitles and an induction loop for visitors who are hard of hearing.
To honor their service, U.S. veterans and U.S. active military will receive free admission to the Museum for the duration of the exhibition thanks the generosity of Bank of America.
"Our partnership with the Intrepid Museum is an extension of our longstanding support for the nation’s military and their families. It is an honor to help provide access for U.S. veterans in addition to active service members so they can experience such a unique tribute to those who served in the Vietnam War,” said Lewis Runnion, director of military affairs at Bank of America. “We also thank the Intrepid Museum for bringing to light the sacrifices of those who served in that era.”
“We are so grateful to Bank of America for providing free admission to the Museum for all the brave men and women who have put on a uniform and defended our freedom around the world,” Marenoff-Zausner added.
The exhibition coincides with the 40th anniversary of the conclusion of the war, which officially ended with the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. It features a number of stories and artifacts, including the following
In 1967, four junior pilots from attack squadron VA-34 shared a stateroom in the fo’c’sle, and they nicknamed it “Triple Stix” after its compartment number: 0111. From May 11 through November 23, 1967, these four roommates captured their feats, fears and frustrations in a shared diary. They wrote of their combat experiences, including being shot at by anti-aircraft fire and learning that squadronmates were lost. In lighter moments, they also wrote about shipboard antics, including throwing parties and playing pranks. Providing a unique look into life on the ship, the diary is one of the artifacts included in the exhibition, along with oral histories of the three surviving members of Triple Stix.
- Prisoner of War: Lieutenant Wilson Denver Key
Lieutenant Wilson Denver “Denny” Key graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1963 and served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years. In January 1967, Key was assigned to serve as a naval pilot with VA-34, an A-4 Skyhawk squadron based in Jacksonville, Florida. That same year, VA-34 was assigned to service aboard Intrepid in Vietnam. From June to November 1967, Key flew a series of bombing missions over Vietnam before he was shot down by enemy fire on November 17, 1967. Key was captured and remained a POW until March 1973, when he was released as part of Operation Homecoming. Along with his oral history, the uniform and tinware Key used during his time as a POW are included in the exhibition.
- Missing in Action/Advances in DNA technology: Lieutenant Edward J. “Barney” Broms
Lieutenant Edward J. “Barney” Broms was shot down on August 1, 1968, during a strike mission on Dong Dun, North Vietnam, as part of Operation Rolling Thunder. Broms was never seen again and was classified as MIA, though an incident review board determined there was a low probability of survival. In 1975, the U.S. government concluded that no Americans remained in captivity in Vietnam, and his status was changed to “killed in action,” though Broms’s remains had not been found. In 1993, a team of American investigators, assisted by local authorities in Vietnam, found remains at a crash site that corresponded with the location of Broms’s last flight. Contemporary DNA evidence could not provide conclusive results, but further evidence found at the crash site in 1995 indicated that Broms had been killed in action. By 2011, advancements in DNA technology finally made it possible to positively match the remains to Broms’s sister.
In 1967, four Intrepid crew members—Craig Anderson, Richard Bailey, John Barilla and Michael Lindner—deserted while the ship was on leave in Japan. Their decision was motivated by a desire to protest the United States’ military policy in Vietnam.
Over 50 artifacts are included in the exhibition, including a handwritten calendar counting down the days until the crew members’ return home, letters to loved ones written on the ship, items showing the unrest and protests at home, an anti-aircraft gun used by North Vietnamese forces, and an A-4B Skyhawk that flew from Intrepid during the war and is painted exactly as it was during the 1966 deployment.
The exhibition extends into several spaces on the ship, with a re-creation of the Triple Stix stateroom in the fo’c’sle and 10 aircraft on the flight deck that have a direct connection to the Vietnam War, including the F-8K Crusader, A-1 Skyraider, F-4N Phantom and the iconic helicopter UH-1A Huey. Also on display are two Soviet-designed MiG fighter jets—the same types that threatened Intrepid aviators during operations from Yankee Station.
The Museum will also offer education programs for teachers and students and a series of public programs related to the exhibition. Public programs include a performance on October 20 by the Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet, which will perform George Crumb’s Black Angels on board Intrepid. The groundbreaking work was written in response to the Vietnam War and, in Crumb’s own words, is “a kind of parable on our troubled contemporary world.” Following the performance, John Schaefer, host of NPR’s Soundcheck, will lead a discussion with the members of the Kronos Quartet and Dr. Steven Bruns, an associate professor of music and expert on George Crumb. The panel will explore music’s ability to reflect on issues past and present with insight and sensitivity.
The programming continues on Wednesday, November 18, with Memory, Trauma and Resilience, a panel discussion exploring new research on memory and trauma. The panel features Joseph LeDoux, director of the Emotional Brain Institute at New York University; George Bonanno, director of the Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab, Teachers College, Columbia University; Charles Marmar, director of the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Veterans Center and Military Family Clinic; and Daniela Schiller, head of the Schiller Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. BBC journalist and author Kim Ghattas, who grew up on the front lines of Lebanon’s civil war, will serve as moderator.
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