Vietnam Memorial and History Center
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Vietnam Memorial and History Center Needs Your Support
In April of 1966, a young and frightened Charlie Hettling from Minneota, Minnesota, entered the Vietnam War as a member of the 2nd battalion, 5th Marines. His plane landed at 2:30 a.m., and after hours of searching, he found his platoon amid artillery, rice paddies, rats, and the always lurking VC (Viet Cong). His platoon was then moved, wet and cold, to an area outside of Chu Lai; it was Hill 69, the most remote outpost, a little more than a half hour southeast of Saigon. This vulnerable group of men worked in shifts around the clock to man listening posts and guard the perimeter, two off and two on. Charlie serviced the utility vehicles (mules), and when he had the chance to rest, he lay on a plywood floor and bundled himself “like a mummy” in his military-issue blanket to trap some warmth and to keep the rats from running across his body or underneath the covers.
Around Thanksgiving, Monsoon in progress, Charlie’s platoon was moved to An Hoa. There he helped guard the perimeter and went on combat missions to stop the VC and the North Vietnamese soldiers who were trying to encroach on U.S. camps. It was always wet, and Charlie was never warm.
Just a few short years later, Royal Hettling, Charlie’s younger brother, became a dog handler in the Cam Rahn Bay K9 Unit of the U.S. Air Force. In a 2014 presentation to high school students in New Ulm, Minnesota, he told students and faculty "what real fear is like," sharing his experiences on night patrol. He talked of guard duty with his dog Thunder and hearing trip wires go off all night long—that some of the Viet Cong lurking around the perimeter were being “taken care of.” His guard duty required him to patrol the circumference of a hill with ample ground cover for VC soldiers to hide. He tried to “walk on air” to keep from being heard. He would reach the clearing on the other side, breathe a sigh of relief, then realize he had to go back the same way he came, knowing he may have been heard and followed by the VC. The fear generated by this ritual left him unable to eat, drink, or recognize himself in the mirror. When he was sent home from Vietnam, he was treated with disdain. He was spit on and called a “baby killer” by those whose freedom he thought he was protecting.
Six young men from Charlie and Royal’s small, rural hometown lost their lives in the Vietnam Conflict. The Hettling brothers have memorialized them with stone plaques that have adorned a special room in the Vietnam Memorial and History Center they established in 2011 in Minneota, Minnesota. This nonprofit has been funded solely out of pocket by the two brothers and with a few hundred dollars of donations over the past 4 years. The Center contains artifacts collected from the war and from the 25 trips Charlie has made back to Vietnam.
There will always be disagreement about why and how the Vietnam War was fought. It isn’t the goal of the Hettling brothers to change anyone’s mind. Rather, they are ready and willing to tell their personal stories of survival—something somewhat rare among Vietnam veterans—and they would like to see some its history preserved. Their collection garnered some attention from KSTP’s Jason Davis on the Road a couple of years back. The clip can be viewed on the Center’s web site, http://www.minneota.com/Memorial/index.htm .
Recently, the Vietnam Memorial and History Center, along with its growing collection of artifacts, lost its home when the rent became unaffordable. The Hettling brothers have found a new home on Main Street/Highway 68 in Minneota, and it has approximately three times more square footage than the previous space. The conversion of this spot from a restaurant to a history center will require some electrical work, along with extensive cleaning, painting, repairs, and signage. None of this is worthwhile without public exposure, so advertising will be an ongoing need, along with continued appearances at events and schools. There will be annual taxes on the new building, formerly CJs Restaurant, along with utility bills. More cabinet/counter space and seating will allow the Center to accommodate visitors for tours and to display their entire collection, along with several new acquisitions.
The Hettling brothers served in the Vietnam War, and since they returned, they have continued to serve their hometown and other communities out of a passion for preservation of the stories and history of the Vietnam War. They have material evidence of something that is underrepresented in history books and has been historically distorted by the media. As a long-time teacher and an American, I do not want to see this opportunity lost. Most of us have been touched by the loss of a brother, comrade, family member or friend. If we all give a little, we might have a chance to help create a great historical resource for this generation and those to follow.
You can contribute using GoFundMe . (A credit card will be required.) Or, mail a check or money order to Vietnam Memorial and History Center, c/o Royal Hettling, 311 North Grant Street, Minneota, MN, 56264. Your donation is tax deductible.
The Vietnam Memorial and History Center has 501(c)3 status and is NOT affilitated with any other military organizations or campaigns in the Minneota area.
If you are able to help with building upgrades, repairs, or painting, please contact Charlie or Royal at one of the numbers listed on the Center’s web site . You can learn a lot about the organization on Facebook as well. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully, Dana L. Miller
