Veterans share their stories with local students at CVTC

Members of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 351 of Appleton were at Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire Tuesday afternoon sharing their stories about the war with students, staff and community members.

Members of the group started sharing their war stories with students around the Fox River Valley in the 1980’s.

Later, they added display lockers and memorabilia to their presentations and are now sharing their experiences with high school and college students over a wider area around Wisconsin.

“We’ve got what we feel is probably the largest mobile museum of Vietnam artifacts probably in the state of Wisconsin,” says coordinator, John Koehler.

Displays include actual war equipment, clothing, photographs and other items.

Veterans say their goal is to provide an overview and background on the war, share personal stories, and encourage people to pay attention when there's talk of war.

The group says sharing knowledge and experiences is most important to them and say they do not advocate for any political agenda.