Angelo State University’s West Texas Collection will host a reception on Friday, Aug. 14, to mark the closing of the “Vietnam: Though the Lens” exhibit that opened last November in the Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive.

The reception will be a two-part program that is open free to the public, and attendees may participate in one or both of the activities. The first part of the program will begin at 5:30 p.m. when an ASU bus will transport attendees from the University Center to Goodfellow Air Force Base for a 6 p.m. tour of the Airborne Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) History Exhibit and the EC-47 aircraft on static display at the Norma Brown Headquarters Building.

To be eligible to enter Goodfellow AFB for the tour, participants over the age of 16 who do not have a military ID or military-related civilian ID must RSVP in advance to the West Texas Collection (WTC) by Tuesday, Aug. 11. They will be asked to provide their full name, date of birth, and driver’s license number and state of issuance. They will then be able to enter the base through the south gate off Chadbourne Street by showing their driver’s license or other photo ID at the gate. This process must be completed, regardless of whether they intend to ride the ASU bus or take a private vehicle to the tour location. Drivers of private vehicles must also show proof of insurance.

The second part of the program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the WTC Gallery on the second floor of the ASU University Center. All Vietnam veterans in attendance will be recognized, and a reception and refreshments will follow. This will be the final opportunity to view the “Vietnam: Through the Lens” exhibit, which includes the photos, documents and other memorabilia of more than 50 local Vietnam veterans. The closing reception has been recognized as an official event in the national U.S.A. Vietnam War Commemoration initiative, and the WTC and Goodfellow AFB are hosting as members of official Commemorative Partnerships.

While the “Vietnam: Through the Lens” exhibit will close on Aug. 14, WTC staff will continue to conduct interviews and collect photos and memorabilia from interested veterans. For more information and/or to RSVP for the tour at Goodfellow AFB, call the WTC at 325-942-2164.

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