Museum of the Republic of Vietnam

10/07/2026

Save the Date!

Join us this Saturday, October 10th, 2026 at 1:00PM for the MuseumRVN Monthly Free Tour followed by a special feature presentation on the uniquely iconic Soldier Uniforms of the Republic of Vietnam and their legacy that continues to influence contemporary fashion to this day.

Free Admission • No Registration Required

Museum of the Republic of Vietnam
10561 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843

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"Soldier Uniforms of the Republic of Vietnam , 1955-1975"

The Republic of Vietnam was home to a vibrant textile industry with origins dating back centuries. Coastal cities, such as Vung Tau, were legendary crossroads that emerged and thrived in the region's robust textile trade. Tailors and locally manufactured fabrics of all kinds could be found throughout the Republic.

Amid this context, it should come as no surprise that the uniforms worn by soldiers of the Republic of Vietnam evolved through many complex variations over the course of twenty years from 1955 to 1975.

Indigenous aesthetics and manufacturing techniques influenced by military uniform designs from countries across the globe culminated in the creation of unique patterns so iconic that they transcended their initial military function to appeal to mainstream fashion in popular style trends we can still see all around us worldwide over a half century later.

Tour Starts at 1PM.

Free & Open to all!

We look forward to seeing you!

10/05/2026

"The Many Children of the Republic of Vietnam"

In early 1975, the population of the Republic of Vietnam was overwhelmingly young.

* Over 60% of the population was under 20 years old.

* Over 50% was under 18 years old.

* And, over 30% - one for every three people across the country - was under 10 years of age.

To compare for perspective, in the United States today, those under 10 years old account for only 12% of the population with all those under 20 comprising roughly 25%.

Why were there so many children in the Republic of Vietnam over fifty years ago?

Sometimes the disproportionately high number in the population of the Republic by 1975 is incorrectly said to be a consequence of the war.
In other words, it is implied that because so many adults died in the war, the ratio of children among the population was abnormally high.

However, between 1955 and 1975, the overall population of the Republic of Vietnam more than doubled in size to over 20 million by 1975.
Although war casualties were high, statistics discount this as being the cause for the abundance of children versus adults.

Traveling back in time to the Republic over fifty years ago, the true reason for the population ratio could be learned by asking one question to anyone over the age of 20:

"As a child growing up, did you have access to regular healthcare?"

The answer more than likely would be "No," or "Not until a few years ago."

From the founding of the Republic of Vietnam in 1955 onward, great effort and investment was directed towards the construction of public medical facilities across the country. Concurrently, the government strongly encouraged students to pursue careers in medical fields by offering a variety of incentives and scholarships. As a result, the number of new hospitals, clinics, and trained medical professionals soared.

The success of these endeavors could be seen in the demographics of the country by the 1970s.

09/17/2026

Photographers’ Studio Portraits
Republic of Vietnam
Circa 1955 – 1975

The power of photographs to preserve experiences was understood over a half century ago by the people of the Republic of Vietnam as it is worldwide today.

Important milestones in life were commemorated with a visit to a photographer’s studio to pose for a portrait. Photographers’ studios could be found throughout the Republic. On any given day, countless numbers of individuals, friends, and families would take the time to give special care to their appearance and don formal or new clothing before making their way to a photographer’s studio and pay to have portraits taken of themselves to forever record the events of that moment in time.

Exhibited here is a collection of these portraits of the people of the Republic of Vietnam.
Each of these is a one of a kind original portrait taken and created in a photographer’s studio somewhere in the Republic between 1955 and 1975. Many are of soldiers. Many show friends and loved ones.

The event each portrait commemorated is often revealed in the handwritten notes the people added to the backs of the photographs. Dates , locations, names, and other details offer context to the image on the other side. They reveal many of these portraits were taken after first entering the military or finishing training. Some to record a promotion. Quite a few are couples on their wedding day or engagement.
Many are families together.

Some have handwriting made long after the photographs were taken. The somber words and dates provided highlight the tragic costs of war through the personal portraits of the faces of young lives ended far too soon. The portraits as artifacts once held in the hands of those appearing in them offer a tangible visible connection unlike any other to their lives in the past for us in the present.

Together these portraits form a new exhibit at the museum.

They are displayed publicly here to honor the people of the Republic of Vietnam and give testament to educate others as to their experiences through the candid humanity these images evoke that was as identifiable half a century ago as it is to us today.

09/14/2026

Vietnam War
101st Airborne Division
United States Flag

Nearly three million Americans served in country to help defend the Republic of Vietnam. Among them were soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division. Elements of the division first arrived at Cam Ranh Bay in 1965.
This flag came with them.

When first unfurled and raised atop the command tent of a company of the 101st Airborne assigned to establish a camp to serve as part of the staging and supply area for the division near Cam Ranh Bay the flag's colors were vivid and bright. Along with the crisp uniforms and polished boots, the flag was just one of the many newly minted fine pressed articles given to the company as they deployed to Vietnam. The soldiers were also new. Most were not long out of boot camp. The average age was nineteen.

By age twenty, they were veterans.
So too was the flag.
Although it still flew over the camp, a year of rain, wind, and sunlight in Vietnam took its toll. The war did as well. Bullet holes throughout the flag testify more than words ever could.
As with the soldiers themselves, twelve months in country aged the flag far beyond its years.

The metaphor was not lost on the men of the company. When one of them reached the end of his first tour of duty, he thought to bring the flag home. He carefully preserved it with an eye towards its immeasurable value as an artifact symbolizing what he and the millions others like him endured.

The Museum of the Republic of Vietnam was honored to receive the donation of this flag from the veteran. It remains on exhibit at the museum in reverence to the many Americans who served to defend the Republic and to educate others of their sacrifices on behalf of the country to ensure they are never forgotten.

09/08/2026

🇺🇸 A LIFE OF SERVICE, LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION 🇺🇸

The Museum of the Republic of Vietnam, together with The Asian American G.I. Project, is honored to present a special afternoon with Major General William S. Chen, U.S. Army, Retired, as part of the Asian Pacific American Military Oral History Series.

Join us as we explore Major General Chen’s remarkable journey—from his early life in wartime China, through service connected to the Vietnam War era, to missile command, national defense, innovation, and his historic rise to the rank of two-star general.

His extraordinary career represents a story of service, perseverance, leadership, and the contributions of Asian Americans to the United States Armed Forces.

📅 Sunday, September 13, 2026
🕧 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 Museum of the Republic of Vietnam
10561 Garden Grove Blvd.
Garden Grove, CA 92843

A light reception will follow the program.

We invite veterans, families, students, educators, members of the Vietnamese American and Asian American communities, and everyone interested in American military history to join us for this special opportunity to hear Major General Chen’s story.

📩 For more information:
Montgomery Hom
[email protected]

Please share this announcement and help us preserve and pass these important stories to the next generation.

09/06/2026

Polaroid instant cameras were a worldwide phenomena in the 1960s and 1970s. The ability to take a photograph and quickly produce a print without the need of a darkroom brought photography into daily life like never before. For Polaroid photographs to also be in color made them all the more popular.
Supply and demand did not always equate to availability and low cost. In much of the world, such as the Republic of Vietnam in the 1960s, Polaroid cameras and the film required for the prints were not as readily available as in North America.

For those with an artist's mindset, special techniques could be learned to alter the images of Polaroids.
Double exposure was the most well known. With adjustments to the camera's process and use of the same film, multiple images could appear as one.

Some original examples of Polaroid photographs taken and printed in the Republic of Vietnam in the 1960s and early 1970s are presented here. Note the examples of the double exposure technique. Two images in one was especially popular with couples posting for photos as the original examples here show.

An original 1960s working Polaroid 340 camera along with more original Polaroid photographs from the Republic are just one example of artifacts to be experienced in the many uniquely one of a kind exhibits encountered with a visit to the Museum of the Republic of Vietnam located in Garden Grove, California. The museum is open to all, and admission is always FREE. Hours are Friday to Sunday, 11AM to 4PM. The museum is also open by appointment. Just send a message with the day and time you would like to visit and we will be happy to accommodate.

09/02/2026

Happy September❣️ Join us on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 1:00PM for the MuseumRVN Monthly Free Tour followed by a special talk and Q & A on how to conduct Oral History interviews.

Free Admission • No Registration Required

Museum of the Republic of Vietnam
10561 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA
92843

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A Special Talk and Q & A:
Oral History: How To Begin?
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History happens now.

To document individuals' memories of past experiences is to contribute to the historical record of humanity.

Oral history is of immense value to give insight for understanding and exploring different perspectives on events of the past as told through the words of those whose eyes bore witness to them.

Unique historical accounts of priceless value exist all around us in the memories carried by people we know and see.

But, how to begin?
What do I need?
What are the steps involved?
How to conduct an oral history interview?
What are the standards for properly recording and documenting an interview?
Legal requirements?
Should it be filmed or audio only?
How to engage the conversation?
What kind of questions should I ask?
How to build a rapport?
How to document my family's experience through oral history?
Tips for approaching family members for interviews?
How to approach someone I don't know?
What to do with the completed recordings?
And more !

07/27/2026

Cuộc Thi Hát Quốc Ca Việt Nam Cộng Hoà (2026-Kỳ I) giúp các em học và hát quốc ca, hiểu về lá cờ vàng, duy trì lịch sử của người Việt Quốc Gia, và tri ơn sự hy sinh của tiền nhân đã cho các em có cơ hội sống trong tự do ấm no.

07/05/2026

06/22/2026

https://youtu.be/1h8WGWIrnjY?is=cSch--P2toXFjJ8j

This is a spoken word tribute to every Vietnamese father who left e...