The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton will welcome Neal F. Thompson Tuesday, April 17. He will discuss “Reckoning: Vietnam and America’s Cold War Experience, 1945-1991.”
The free presentation inside the Cantigny Visitors Center, will begin at 7:30 p.m., but doors will open at 6:30 p.m.. Parking will be complimentary.
Published in 2013, following years of exhaustive research, Thompson’s book examines how political agendas shaped our country’s Cold War policy, involvement in Vietnam, and views on communism. The author challenges conventional wisdom in each of these areas in a thought-provoking examination of U.S. history, post World War II.
Thompson entered the U.S. Army in 1970 and served a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. Following his discharge in 1974, he joined the Illinois National Guard, and served for 28 years before retiring in 2003. Thompson attended Triton Junior College in River Grove, and the University of Illinois Chicago, and received a degree in history. He was graduated from Northwestern University Law School in 1981. A resident of Naperville, Thompson practices law in Chicago.
This event is part of the First Division Museum’s Date with History, an ongoing series will feature lively discussions with authors, panelists, historians, and special guests. Information about upcoming programs is online at fdmuseum.org.
—The First Division Museum
