Vietnam Era Museum Commemorates 15 Years with Dedication Ceremony for NJ's Only Woman Killed in the Vietnam War

The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation (NJVVMF) will commemorate the 15th Anniversary of its Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center on Saturday, September 28, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the general public.

Join the Foundation on the special day as they also dedicate a memorial to Captain Eleanor Alexander, one of eight women recognized as killed in the line of duty during the Vietnam War and the only woman from New Jersey.

NJ Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno,The Adjutant General of New Jersey, Brigadier General Michael L. Cunniff, and Deputy Commissioner for Veterans Affairs, Ray Zawacki will be in attendance. The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center is the first venue of its kind in the United States. Its exhibits and programs are devoted to encouraging and fostering an understanding of the Vietnam era, including the political, historical, social, cultural and military aspects that affected the United States with a focus on New Jersey.
 
At 10 a.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will host the dedication ceremony of the Captain Eleanor Alexander Memorial in the Women Veterans Meditation Garden. Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander was born on September 18, 1940 in River Vale, NJ. She attended St. Michael's High School in Manhattan, and D’Youville College School of Nursing, Buffalo, NY. Alexander joined the Army Nurse Corps in May 1967, and attained the rank of Captain. After finishing her basic training at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Houston, she was placed at the 85th Evacuation Hospital in Qui Nhon, Vietnam where she served as an operating room nurse. Alexander was killed on November 30, 1967. She was with twenty-six other people, including five medical personnel, in a transport plane that crashed three miles south of their station.  She is one of just eight women recognized as killed in the line of duty during the Vietnam War and  the only woman from New Jersey.

The event schedule for the day includes:

10:00 am
Dedication of the Captain Eleanor Alexander Monument
in the Women's Meditation Garden

10:30 am
Welcome Ceremony
Featuring Special Guests: 
Lt. Governor & Secretary of State, Kim Guadagno
The Adjutant General of New Jersey,
Brigadier General Michael L. Cunniff
Hudson County Freeholder, Anthony Romano

11:00 am
Tours of the Memorial with Vietnam Veteran Guides

1:00 - 2:00 pm
Panel Discussion
Jody Small: Producer of NJVVMF Exhibit Films, Jody Small Productions
Kelly Watts: Former Executive Director, NJVVMF
Katie Witzig: Former Collection Manager, NJVVMF
Louis Vlahakes: Past Board President and Educational Center Planning Committee Member

2:00 pm
Tours of the Memorial with Vietnam Veteran Guides
 
The NJVVMF's Museum & Educational Center is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial off the Garden State Parkway at exit 116 in Holmdel, NJ. Hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and by special appointment.  Admission is $7 adults; $5 senior citizens and students; and children 10 years of age or younger and veterans and active military personnel are free. For more information on the Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center, visit www.njvvmf.org or call (732) 335-0033.