For many Americans, Vietnamese, and others, the war in Vietnam was the defining event in their lives. It was a conflict that divided families and brought violence both to Vietnam and to the United States. Many of us had a Vietnam experience.

At its peak, over half a million U. S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen were serving in Vietnam, the surrounding waters and countries, along with millions of Vietnamese and thousands of Australians, New Zealanders, South Koreans, Thais, and Filipinos.

Even with such extensive involvement, the Vietnam War Era has been misrepresented and misunderstood for decades. Current education of this era for public school children typically does not begin until 8^th grade, and only one or two weeks are dedicated for lessons. This lack of representation and education perpetuates the misunderstanding many have of the Vietnam War.

Our museum is here to help bridge the gap of knowledge and understanding.

The National Vietnam War Museum is committed to welcoming its visitors and providing them with high quality exhibits and artifacts. To ensure they have an enjoyable experience at the Museum, we use the services of volunteers to answer their questions about the Museum and its exhibits or assist them with their purchase of items from the Gift Shop.

Our volunteers truly make a difference. The Museum could not open without them. We are looking to recruit people who enjoy volunteering and are eager to learn new things. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for volunteer positions at the Museum. Interested individuals should feel comfortable working with our visitors of diverse abilities, ages, and backgrounds. Our volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. No special experience is required, and any needed training will be provided for all of our volunteer positions.

Every year, Museum volunteers are recognized for their efforts at a special luncheon. Awards are presented to the Top 10 Volunteers based on their hours of service.  

Why Volunteer?

• Help ensure that our visitors enjoy their visit to the Museum, making them more likely to spread the word about it to their friends and relatives.
• You will have opportunities to meet and talk to a wide variety of people coming to visit from all parts of the United State and several foreign countries who are interested in learning more about the Vietnam War era.
• You get to learn a lot about the Vietnam War from our visitors, our curator, and our board members.
• You receive special discounts for gift shop purchases.

Listed below are some of the jobs that are available to you.

Museum Receptionist

Welcome and assist visitors as they enter the Museum, answer phone calls and emails, and process gift shop sales. Click here to learn more.

Gift Shop Assistant

You will assist our visitors with their selection of items to purchase in the Gift Shop. Click here to learn more.

Visitor Support Assistant

You will assist our visitors in the galleries by answering questions about the Museum, its exhibits and its artifacts. Click here to learn more.

Museum Hours of Operation

The Museum is open on Wednesdays through Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Volunteers may select which day, or days, they wish to work. They can also select full days or half-days, working from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., or from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  

Health and Safety

In order to protect the health and safety of the Museum staff and our visitors, our volunteers are expected to follow current COVID-19 safety protocols.

To obtain more information about the volunteer program, please email our Volunteer Coordinator, Wayne Sanderson, at  or fill out the form below indicating an interest in our volunteer program and someone will contact you.

To enter the Volunteer Program, all applicants must fill out and submit an Application Form. To download the form, Click Here. Forms may also be picked up at the Museum reception desk near the entrance to the Museum.