The politics, strategies,
and execution of the Vietnam
War remain controversial to
this day, but the
contributions made by
Wisconsin men and women
during the conflict are
beyond dispute. Only World
War II saw more
Wisconsinites in the armed
services. Like the Korean
War, Vietnam saw the state’s
service people scattered
among all branches of
service, both at home and
abroad. Roughly 165,400 men
and women from Wisconsin
served during the Vietnam
War, and more than 1,200
died. The incredible range
of experiences, feelings,
and views on the Vietnam
War—the very things that
make it such a contentious
topic—make it worth
studying. The accounts of
Wisconsin’s Vietnam veterans
serve as an entry point into
the greater American
experience.