Heroes Hall Speaker Series

Speaker Series

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Heroes Hall Museum & Education Center presents a new speaker series titled, “Echoes of Conflict: Remembering Vietnam.” The series will run throughout 2025, in conjunction with its latest exhibit of the same name. 

A Patriot Without His Country: The Story of an ARVN Officer’s Service in Vietnam and His Escape to the U.S.

April 18 | 2-3:30 p.m.

South Vietnamese-born Hoa V. Pham devoted his life to service and homeland defense from a young age, serving his community at 13, leading an Armed Civilian Defense Group at 15 and seeing his first combat at 16 before entering the Vietnamese army in 1972. After graduating officer training in Nha Trang, he joined Group 72 Special Mission Service in Da Nang and led Recon Team 723 on deep reconnaissance missions across I Corps and the Vietnam-Laos border. During a mission in Thuong Duc shortly after the U.S. withdrawal, his team was trapped in minefields in heavy fog, surrounded by North Vietnamese forces and tracking dogs. The team successfully evaded capture, and a week later the region fell to North Vietnamese troops.
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Into the Valley of Death: An Eyewitness Account of America’s First Major Battle at Ia Drang

May 9 | 2-3:30 p.m.

Veteran Ronnie Guyer of the 1st Air Cavalry Division fought in one of the Vietnam War’s first major battles, the Battle of Ia Drang Valley, later depicted in the film “We Were Soldiers.” Drafted into the Army in 1964, he trained at Fort Meade before deploying as a Specialist 4th Class, serving as a radioman and transport driver during the battle. As fighting intensified, he was assigned the responsibility of identifying casualties, ensuring the fallen and wounded were returned home with care and dignity. For his service, he was awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge, the Purple Heart and the Presidential Unit Citation.
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Shooter: From Vietnam Combat to Presidential Portraits

June 13 | 2-3:30 p.m.

The Legacy of the Vietnam Vet: A Helicopter Door Gunner’s Journey

June 27 | 2-3:30 p.m.

Born in the Dutch East Indies, Frans VandenBroek immigrated to the U.S. in 1960 at age 12 and was drafted into the Army in 1966. He arrived in Vietnam in October 1967, serving with the 68th Assault Helicopter Company based at Bien Hoa, northeast of Saigon. Over his 15-month tour, he logged more than 1,000 combat flight hours, surviving the loss of three helicopters and two pilots to enemy fire and mechanical failure.
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