National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum Opens 'Women on War'

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About the time I turned 21 I received my orders congratulating me on my assignment to Vietnam. I wondered about that word 'congratulations' and I went. At the 67th Evacuation Hospital in Qui Nhon I worked on the busy orthopedic units. Most of our patients were trauma related. In 2001 I began painting. My first painting emerged as a filled body bag. I was shocked."
Former Army Nurse Helen White

The 10,000 women of Vietnam are an unlikely collection of females compared with those in today's armed forces. Unfortunately, the efforts and contributions of these courageous and remarkable women are all too often forgotten. Thanks to the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum women veterans have a creative outlet for their wartime experiences.

The new "Women On War" exhibit explores the wartime experiences of America's female servicemember. Like former Army nurse Helen White, many have chosen to record their wartime experiences through creative visuals, while others have chosen to write about their experiences.

White, who said she has always enjoyed working with plants, fabric and threads, discovered she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder when she painted the body bag.

The new "Women on War" exhibit explores the nature of women's art as it relates to their unique experience in Vietnam. While today's military women stand next to men in combat, the women of Vietnam played a behind the scenes role, but highly important to the overall operation. The women who served in the Vietnam War were professional nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, air traffic controllers, aerial reconnaissance photographers, intelligence and language specialists, legal officers and held security and administrative posts. Their importance to the Vietnam War is not the life they gave, but rather the telling of stories and repairing of broken bodies, hearts, minds and spirits.

Americans have honored,as a country, the men who lost their lives, the men who've shared their experiences, but not the women, who also paid a price.

"Women on War" includes three fiber art pieces from San Antonio created using the American flag as an image, photography of flora and fauna, a result of the artist's recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder, a
figurative work by Helen White, a number of drawings from the Lotus Gallery in Vietnam and various poetry and short stories.

"The opportunity to show this particular exhibition allows visitors to explore art in reference to these women's individual experiences," said Kimo Williams, NVVAM executive director. "There are so many
stories from the women who served in various capacities in Vietnam; so much incredible and diverse artwork has been created from it."

The "Women on War" exhibits opens November 11 at the NVVAM, which is located in Chicago.