In honor of Women’s History Month, the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation will host the panel discussion New Jersey Women of the Vietnam Era at the Vietnam Era Educational Center in Holmdel on Thursday, March 15, at 7:00 p.m.  This presentation features oral-history testimonies from four women with four different perspectives.  New Jersey Women of the Vietnam Era is part of the series “New Jersey in the Vietnam Era: A Lecture Series Featuring Individuals Who Lived the History.”  This series is supported by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State.

New Jersey Women of the Vietnam Era focuses on women’s contributions to the history and culture of the state.  Two of the panelists are Vietnam Veterans.  Iris Taskalos, of Toms River, volunteered for military duty as a nurse for the U.S. Navy.  Nancy Healy, of Edgewater Park, volunteered for civilian duty, serving in the service clubs for Army Special Services.  The other two panelists remained in New Jersey during the Vietnam War years.  Nellie Malet, of Sayreville, was a teenager with a boyfriend serving in Vietnam but who was more interested in the teen culture in America than the war in Vietnam.  Rena Amada, of Whiting, is the wife of a World War II veteran who, with her husband, became active in the Vietnam War resistance movement.

These four oral histories will demonstrate the diversity of women’s experiences and perspectives during the Era, while also highlighting the similarities.  Moderator for this panel discussion will be Ann Kelsey, of Whippany.  Kelsey is the Associate Director of the Sherman H. Masten Learning Resource Center at the County College of Morris in Randolph.  During the Vietnam War, Kelsey served as a librarian in Vietnam with Army Special Services.

Lecture attendees are asked to RSVP one week prior to the event to (732) 335-0033.  A donation of $5 per person is suggested.  The Vietnam Era Educational Center is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial off the Garden State Parkway at exit 116.  The Educational Center is regularly open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Regular admission is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel.  Regular adult admission is $4; student and senior citizen admission is $2; and children under 10 are admitted free.