WASHINGTON — Vietnam veteran, Duery Felton Jr., has been the face of the Vietnam Memorial Collection for many decades. Soon after the Vietnam Memorial was built Felton found himself thrust into a new role he could have never imagined. He became a National Park Service curator for the Vietnam Memorial Collection preserving the artifacts the visitors were leaving behind. Felton often shares political and social stories from the Vietnam era along with his personal experiences. His efforts have helped set the standard for processing and archiving objects from memorial sites.

This story was produced by Heather Wilson who is completing her master’s degree in Journalism & Public Affairs at American University.