The Yellowstone Gateway Museum announces the opening of a new exhibit, A History of Service: Park County Vietnam Veterans. Twenty-three biographies of local Vietnam veterans and newly displayed artifacts expand the museum’s first-floor military exhibit. The exhibit commemorates the 50^th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

With the new exhibit, the museum invites you to learn about the service and sacrifice of some of the Vietnam veterans who call Park County home.

A special thank you to the veterans who were interviewed, shared their stories, and loaned items to the museum for this exhibit. These include: Larry Blades, Fred Counts, Merlin DeShaw, Robert Eyman, Bob Gollmyer, Point Hatfield, Bill Juhnke, Jerry Kahrs, Herb Kemp, Warren Mabie, Tom Melin, Harry Miller, Wayne Nelson, Wendell Olson, Richard Parks, Doug Peacock, Dan Phariss, Brian Prahl, Bob Raney, Dean Reimer, Bernie Rustad, Bob Seely, and Lynn Walker. We’re grateful to volunteer Anna Simons who interviewed many veterans for this exhibit.

Park County residents have a long history of service in all branches of the armed forces. The museum’s larger military exhibit chronicles the poignant stories and displays artifacts of the men and women who served in the military from the Civil War to present day, including the Spanish American Philippine War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Iraq War. The Livingston home front is richly interpreted with numerous artifacts from the museum’s collections.

The new Vietnam exhibit will be displayed for at least one year. The exhibit is funded in part by the Community Closet and the Friends of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum.

Please contact the museum if you have information about local veterans who have served (or are serving) in the military to help us continue our work honoring our veterans.