Museum Exhibit Highlights Bonds Between Special Forces and Montagnards in Vietnam

Six high school students curated the newest temporary exhibit at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM) in Fayetteville, N.C. “Warrior Bonds: U.S. Army Special Forces & Montagnards in Vietnam” is part of the museum’s Curatorial Apprentice Program in partnership with Jack Britt High School in Fayetteville, the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum, and the 82d Airborne Division War Memorial Museum, both at Fort Bragg.

The exhibit explores the partnership between the Montagnards of Vietnam’s Central Highlands and U.S. Army Special Forces. It demonstrates Special Forces unique ability to build effective military alliances with indigenous communities and emphasizes the importance of mutual trust, respect, and cultural understanding.

Now in its third year, prospective curatorial apprentices are required to submit an essay explaining why they want to be part of the after-school program. They then undergo an interview, said Jack Britt High School teacher and project advisor Steve Clabaugh. He works alongside teacher Steve McCabe, who first conceived the idea while working at U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

“Steve came to us with the idea of helping students create an exhibit that would be shown at JBHS,” It was a great concept, but because of the amount of work involved in curating an exhibit, we suggested moving it to the ASOM instead,” said ASOM Director Jim Bartlinski. “With over 125,000 visitors a year from around the world, ASOM offered a much bigger platform than a school setting. That change made a huge difference. The kids were genuinely motivated by the idea that their work would be shown in a professional museum. It pushed them to go beyond the usual school project and aim for something more ambitious. They really stepped up, got creative, worked hard, and built an exhibit they could be proud of.”

The museums, Clabaugh said, help identify the topic prior to the school year before students are selected. Exhibit subjects are chosen based on availability of artifacts to display. Project kickoff begins each October after the student selection process. Students then curate specific artifacts for display and create the storyboards that accompany them, learning how to handle each piece properly. It takes months of planning.

“As an entire team, we meet at ASOM about every other Saturday morning from 10-12, starting in early October,” Clabaugh said. “One hundred percent of the work for this exhibit is done on the students' own time.”

Bartlinski credited the students’ commitment to the project, noting how well the exhibit came together over five months. He also touted the relationship with the JFK Museum and its director, Roxanne Merritt, along with her staff of museum professionals. They were instrumental in the exhibit's success. “The JFK staff not only shared their knowledge on the subject, but also volunteered their weekends to help the students bring the exhibit to life. The museum also provided an ample selection of artifacts for the students to choose from to incorporate into their exhibit,” he said.

Maura Lake, a recent Jack Britt graduate, says the projects are challenging and rewarding. “I came back this year for my second year and we have all really enjoyed it,” she said. “It's a great honor for all of us to have been chosen.” She hopes to be an advisor this year, and several students want to return.

The student apprentices faced significant challenges learning about the Montagnards. “I think the biggest challenge for me … was finding information about them in all aspects of their lives,” said student apprentice Samantha Oliver.

It was an opportunity for the students to learn about the military and its connection to different cultures, too. “So personally, I learned how deep the connections between the military and the people they're helping are,” said student Alexa Medvedev. “We learned how deep the connections between the Montagnards, and the Special Forces truly was, and how the Army really impacts other communities around the world.”

They hope museum visitors will get a better sense of the important role military partnerships play. Student apprentice Sophia Pino agrees that it’s important to remember the Montagnards. “I'm most proud of being able to inform people on the Montagnards and what they went through as a result of the war and their relationship with Special Forces. My part of the exhibit focused on the refugees and those who stayed after the war. There's a lot of persecution that they have gone through, and they're continuing to go through it,” she said.

The project was a total team effort, with everyone playing an important role, student apprentice Jaden Mogen said. “Considering how big it was and how hard it was to find the information directly, I think I was most proud of how smoothly things went, how we were all able to coordinate together and get everything smoothly.”

Student apprentice Eli Coughlin is proud of the team’s overall effort. “I'm most proud of how, all the information fit together and how all the exhibits came together … and how it just all seemed to flow together and became a pretty cool looking exhibit,” he said.

Previous student exhibits focused on Task Force Dagger and the Horse Soldiers in Afghanistan in 2023 and the clandestine Special Forces Berlin Detachment A during the Cold War in 2024. The 2026 exhibit will highlight Panama and Operation JUST CAUSE.

“Warrior Bonds: U.S. Army Special Forces & Montagnards in Vietnam,” which opened in April, will be on display at the ASOM through March 2026. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

Additional information about the relationship between Special Forces and Montagnards in Vietnam can be found on the USASOC History website at https://arsof-history.org/articles/v3n2_montagnard_page_1.html and https://arsof-history.org/articles/v5n4_cidg_page_1.html.