Fighting America’s Wars: From the Civil War through Vietnam

Photograph of an enlisted man with note on back: "Civil War Veteran Wearing Crepe from Lincoln's Funeral," ca. 1865 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, GLC05111.02.1227)

Veterans Legacy Program Seminar: Fighting America’s Wars: From the Civil War through Vietnam is a weeklong PD event for up to 40 K–12 teachers at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA. This seminar explores the varied experiences of American servicemembers in four major conflicts: the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the US war in Vietnam. We will discuss: Who serves, and why? How was each war fought and what did that mean for those who served? What was the relationship between servicemembers and the home front? What did veterans carry home with them, and how were they received? How was their service and sacrifice commemorated?

In partnership with the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), a division of the US Department of Veterans Affairs

Application Information

Interested K–12 teachers should complete an application to be considered. Applications will be reviewed by Gilder Lehrman Institute and National Cemetery Administration staff. The deadline to submit an application was March 5, 2024. Selected teachers will be notified by April 5, 2024.

Beth Bailey, Lead Scholar

Beth Bailey is a Foundation Distinguished Professor and founding director of the Center for Military, War, and Society Studies at the University of Kansas. Her books include An Army Afire: How the US Army Confronted Its Racial Crisis in the Vietnam Era; America’s Army: Making an All-Volunteer Force; and The First Strange Place: Race and Sex in World War II Hawaii, and she co-authors the US history textbook A People and a Nation. Bailey was elected to the Society of American Historians in 2017 and received the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize for lifetime achievement from the Society for Military History in 2022. Her research has been supported by the Carnegie Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the American Council of Learned Societies. She chairs the Department of the Army Historical Advisory Subcommittee.

Jermain Corbin, Master Teacher

Jermain Corbin is a master teacher with the Gilder Lehrman Institute and has worked in Boston Public Schools since 1999. He currently teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th grade history at the James F. Condon K–8 School in South Boston. Jermain has master’s degrees in history, secondary education, and American studies. He is also a twelve-year veteran of the Massachusetts National Guard and has served combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Part of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), a division of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Legacy Program commemorates our nation’s veterans through the discovery and sharing of their stories. VLP encourages students and teachers at the university and K–12 level around the country to immerse themselves in the rich historical resources found within NCA national cemeteries. Participants research veterans interred in national cemeteries and develop educational tools that increase public awareness of veteran service and sacrifice.

Founded on Memorial Day 2016, the Veterans Legacy Program has established itself as a leading model of community engagement. Partners from across the country have created VLP products and events that reflect the unique impact of veterans on their local community.

Please find more information and resources on Gilder Lehrman's work with VLP here.