Hoosier Voices from Vietnam

Hoosier Voices from Vietnam is currently on view at the Indiana Historical Society, located at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 West Ohio Street in downtown Indianapolis. It opened on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, and runs through Aug. 7, 2027, so you've got plenty of time to catch it.

The exhibition tells the story of the Indiana men and women who served in the Vietnam War, and it does so through the people themselves rather than a broad overview. It's built around newly recorded and archival interviews, oral histories, and artifacts, so you're hearing these accounts in the veterans' own words. It opens with a memorial wall listing the 1,525 Hoosiers killed or reported missing in action, followed by an interactive space where you can read a wall of letters written home from Vietnam.

Those voices come from across the board—the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, and Army, as well as non-military support roles like the USO and the American Red Cross. Among the items on loan is material from Major General Harry W. Brooks, Jr., a decorated Indianapolis native who served nearly three decades in the U.S. Army. The exhibit coincides with the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, and IHS President and CEO Jody Blankenship put the focus on the individual: "There is no one story of the Vietnam War. Each person's experience was shaped by so many factors... We're proud to make room for Hoosier veterans to share their stories with us in their own words."

Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for seniors 60+, and $5 for youth ages 5-17. It's free for Access Pass holders, children under 5, IHS members, educators, and military. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM.