50 Years Later: America and the Vietnam War, 1945-1975 with Rick Collin

50 Years Later: America and the Vietnam War, 1945-1975 with Rick Collin

• This is a 5-meeting virtual class using the Zoom platform
• Thursdays, March 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24 
• 7-9pm CT
• Our classes are taught asynchronously, which means you can watch a recording of the class later if you miss the live session

This course will examine America in the Vietnam War, with an emphasis on perspectives after 50 years, since Spring 2025 marks the 50th Anniversary of the end of the conflict. An event that had an enormous impact on American society and the role of the U.S. in world affairs, it will cover from 1945, when Ho Chi Minh declared an independent North Vietnam, to 1975 when South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam and America's role ended. The main focus will be on the years the U.S. was most involved, 1961-1975. 

The course will meet five nights – the first night will be an introduction, then each night after that will be devoted to a particular phase of the war. The goal of this course is to examine the chronology of the war and perspectives about it 50 years later, while also providing ample time for member discussion.

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Rick Collin is a historian passionate about history told through stories. Rick worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota for 16 years. Previous Public University courses he has taught include From Camelot to Woodstock: America in the 1960s, America and the Modern Presidency: From Franklin Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, 1933-1989 and Riding the Back of the Tiger: America and the Vietnam War, 1945-1975. Rick is an Army veteran whose brother-in-law was a medic with the Marines in Vietnam during 1970-71 and whose next-door-neighbor in Maryland, an Army soldier, was killed in the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969.

HND VALUE STATEMENT

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota. However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally. Therefore, our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University. To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.

Humanities North Dakota classes and events are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities