Vietnam remembered

by Alex Carrier Special Correspondent
Published: May 29, 2008

If those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat; then a debt of gratitude is owed people like Craig LaMountain. For more than a dozen years, the Vietnam veteran has been gathering and restoring Vietnam era mementoes in a collection he calls Vietnam Remembered. 

“It started with my cousin, a Social Studies teacher on Long Island,” explains LaMountain.  “Her students were only getting about 2 hours on the Vietnam War, a war that lasted 10 years and took the life of my brother and so many others.”

“I drove an old jeep to the school and talked to the kids about the reality of the war.  They didn’t care about Vietnam because they didn’t know about it.  When I finished, they looked at it in a different light.”

Those students were not the last to appreciate LaMountain’s efforts.  His collection has grown and so has the number of people visiting the display and hearing real stories from LaMountain and the other Vietnam veterans.

Recently, a general joined a group of students from the Judge Advocate General School in Charlottesville. 

“The school wants to visit on a regular basis. Many of the students do not actually go through basic training so bringing the class here gives them a better understanding of what soldiers face.”

“I enjoy what I do – having people come and look and talk,” says LaMountain.  “People ask questions and, if I don’t know the answers, I do research so I will know it next time.”

LaMountain’s collection has continued to grow since he and his wife Debbie retired to Greene County.  His career as the second-generation owner/operator of an auto repair business gives him the experience he needs to restore new additions. 

“The vehicles come from organizations, flea markets, government auctions, even donations from other veterans and their families,” says LaMountain.  “Each one has its own little problem and can take many hours to restore to its faded glory.”

“I have about six vehicles plus the helicopter.  We have the vehicles but we also have memorabilia - little things soldiers carried - the stuff that makes it all come together.”

Memorabilia includes LaMountain’s personal mementos, donations from others and items gathered on trips to Vietnam. 

“I’ve been back seven times since the war,” admits LaMountain.  “I am working with some people who would like to do video recordings in Vietnam of the bases today. A lot of veterans would like to know what the place is like now.”

“I go there to save the history – Kason, the Hanoi Hilton, the LDX.  We left so much behind.  Lives were lost on both sides.”

LaMountain wants to show all aspects of the war.  His collection contains items from the Vietnamese people, posters and letters, even military rations.

“I have nothing against the protestors and am looking for the things they had,” he explains.  “I want people to know about the life we left behind as well as the one we had in Vietnam.”

“I want people to understand what the returning soldiers of that time faced.  I was raised with John Wayne and heroes and hearing the stories of my father and uncles fighting in Guadalcanal.  I was the first of four brothers to go and when we returned we were told not to wear our uniforms in public because of the negative sentiment.”

LaMountain wants people to learn the lessons of history and believes his collection can add to that knowledge but fears for the future of Vietnam Remembered. 

“It needs a permanent location in a building big enough for additions to the collection.  I don’t want it to be broken up and sold off after I am gone.”

Anyone wanting to help with finding a permanent home for Vietnam Remembered or wanting to visit the collection can call LaMountain at (434) 985-8408.

“Our generation is not going to be around forever,” worries LaMountain. “I don’t want our time to be forgotten.  I want future generations to know about these soldiers.”

“We were closer to each other than we were to our brothers.  We did everything together and relied on our comrades to survive. You are never closer to someone than you are to the ones you leave in the field.”