MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS NEWS RELEASE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Watts  101 EGGERT CROSSING ROAD LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ 08648 732-335-0033
RELEASE: IMMEDIATE (20 June 00)

On Thursday, July 6 at 7:00 p.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will host a lecture by Robert R. Tomes, author of Apocalypse Then:
American Intellectuals and the Vietnam War, 1954-1975at the Vietnam Era Educational Center in Holmdel.

Tomes is an Assistant Professor at The College of Professional Studies, Saint John's University. He also wrote Vietnam Veterans' Homecoming: Crossing the Line. Tomes presents, in Apocalypse Then: American Intellectuals and the Vietnam War, 1954-1975, the definitive account of the extraordinary impact the Vietnam War had on intellectual life in America. President Kennedy had championed intellectualism as a national asset. The perspective of intellectuals was increasingly shaping the policies of American government and thereby the actions and opinions of American people. However, the Vietnam War, with its unexpected incidents at home and abroad, undermined fundamental assumptions of power and ethics.

The Vietnam Era Educational Center will also be presenting the exhibit "Conflicts of Interest - American Public Opinion During the War"fromJuly 1 to 31. The exhibit will spotlight the cultural attitudes that led us into, through, and out of the Vietnam War. Books that reflected and affected public opinion will also be on display.

Attendees are asked to RSVP at least one week prior to the event to (732) 335-0033. A donation of $5.00 per person is suggested.

The Vietnam Era Educational Center is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial off the Garden State Parkway exit 116. The Educational Center is regularly open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM. Regular admission is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel. Regular adult admission is $4.00; student and senior citizen admission is $2.00, and children under 10 are admitted free.