The week-long professional development seminar offers educators a rich, immersive exploration of the Vietnam War through scholarship, experiential learning, and practical classroom application. Each morning begins with scholarly lectures by leading historians, examining political, social, and military dimensions of the war, as well as its lasting impact on American society. Participants then engage in dynamic discussions connecting historical content to contemporary teaching strategies.
Midweek, educators will engage in a field study in Washington, D.C., exploring landmark sites including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and the Library of Congress. Guided tours and on-site interpretive sessions will help teachers translate these historic places into rich classroom narratives.
Participants will receive hands-on training in the Medal of Honor Character Development Program, learning to incorporate values such as courage, commitment, and sacrifice into their instruction. This training is presented in partnership with the Medal of Honor Foundation.
A highlight of the seminar is a keynote address by Medal of Honor Recipient Dwight W. Birdwell, a Vietnam Veteran, who will share firsthand experiences of his service, resilience, and leadership. This personal testimony deepens historical understanding while inspiring educators to foster empathy and civic responsibility in students.
By week’s end, participants leave with enhanced content knowledge, a portfolio of adaptable lesson plans, and a network of like-minded colleagues. This intensive program equips teachers to present the Vietnam War with historical accuracy, emotional resonance, and a focus on the enduring values exemplified by those who served.
Please note: For the field study day, participants should be prepared to walk significant distances, including up to one mile at a time, as part of the program. Some historic sites and other locations included in the itinerary may not be fully ADA compliant due to the age of the buildings and may lack elevators or other accessibility features.
Speaker:
Dwight W. Birdwell
Medal of Honor Recipient Dwight W. Birdwell was born in Amarillo, Texas in 1948 and raised in the community of Bell, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation. He joined the US Army after graduation and served in Vietnam as a member of the Fourth Cavalry tank unit from 1966 – 1968. He returned to Oklahoma with a Bronze Star, two Silver Stars, and two Purple Hearts for actions in battle, including during the first day of the Tet Offensive in 1968.
After returning home, he graduated from Northeastern State University, then graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. In addition to serving in private practice in Oklahoma City, he became a member of the Judicial Appeals Tribunal (Supreme Court) of the Cherokee Nation, serving as Chief Justice from 1995 – 1996 and again from 1998 – 1999.
In 2022, Specialist Five Birdwell became the 33rd Native American soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for “acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division, in the Republic of Vietnam on Jan. 31, 1968.”
Ronald Granieri
Ronald Granieri is Professor of History and the Chair of the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. He previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania as well as other universities in the United States and Germany. He is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He is the Podcast Editor and Principal Podcast Host at “A Better Peace: The War Room Podcast” from the War College. He also spent the last ten years as host of “People, Politics and Prose with Ron Granieri,” a monthly video interview program from FPRI. A graduate of Harvard and the University of Chicago, Granieri is also a former Federal Chancellor Scholar of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung. He is the author of The Ambivalent Alliance: Konrad Adenauer, the CDU/CSU, and the Politics of German Westbindung, 1949-1966 and is currently working on a book about German politics from the 1960s through unification as well as a history of the Atlantic Community.
Typically scheduled from Sunday through Friday in the summer, Founding Forward’s week-long teacher seminars are hosted at Union League Liberty Hill a 300+ acre private conference center and golf course in suburban Philadelphia. Each seminar has a single theme and consists of content-focused talks by highly regarded scholars (morning and afternoon) interspersed each day with activation sessions featuring either lesson demonstrations from master teachers and presentation from resource providers like Retro Report or Periodic Presidents. Finally, each seminar includes an out-of-classroom field study to historic sites, archives, and museums.
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