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Through shared experiences, conversation, and reflection, the Vietnam Trip helps students deepen their understanding of service, sacrifice, and the nation’s history while also representing College of the Ozarks.
POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — The College of the Ozarks Patriotic Education Travel Program recently took 20 students, seven Veterans and 10 staff and faculty members, on its sixth trip to Vietnam Dec. 9 – 22, 2025, to allow those attending to grow in a stronger understanding and respect for all those who served in the Vietnam War.
The trip gave students the opportunity to reflect on some of the most significant moments in American history. This trip took students back to the 1960s and 1970s, when the United States was engaged in a war to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. Students participating in the trip successfully completed “HTA 403: United States in Vietnam” during the semester before learning directly from the Veterans as they walked alongside them in the very places where they once served as they told their stories. Through shared experiences, conversation, and reflection, students deepened their understanding of service, sacrifice, and the nation’s history while also representing College of the Ozarks.
While this trip was designed to help the students learn more about history, culture, and patriotism, it was centered around honoring Vietnam Veterans and giving them a time to heal, receive closure, and to build positive memories in a place that once brought heartache.
The students and Veterans first stopped in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, Vietnam’s largest city. There they explored local markets and experienced elements of the country’s contemporary culture. Their journey also included guided tours of the Củ Chi Tunnels, an extensive underground network used by Viet Cong forces during the Vietnam War, as well as a cyclo ride through the capital city of Hanoi and a walking tour of its historic Old Quarter. Additional stops included the My Lai Memorial Site, the former U.S. military base at Chu Lai, the Demilitarized Zone, Hải Vân Pass and China Beach.
Veterans highlighted at each of the stops included James “Dan” Bunch; Frank Rutledge Eversole IV; Job Gonzalez; Guy D. Gruters, POW; Gregory L. McManus; John Sorenson; and Edward Wilson.
A Profound Impact
Annabella Mohler, a senior at College of the Ozarks, shared what the trip meant to her.
“The focus of the trip is not about the students, but it is for the Veterans,” Mohler said. “We students are their companions who accompany them on their journey of closure. Because of this, the purpose of the Vietnam trip became substantially more important and meaningful. The Patriotic Education Travel Program is a service for Veterans, and the fact that I was selected to attend the trip and help carry out this mission of helping Veterans receive the attention, recognition, and gratitude they deserve means the world to me. In the many years to follow I will continue to follow this mission and honor America’s Veterans and be a pioneer to encourage others to do so as well.”
Vietnam Veteran Greg McManus shared with the students his reflection on how the trip has continued to further his healing journey.
“You students are like the salve that cleared the blackness off of our hearts from the war, which has allowed our light to come through,” McManus said.
Mohler also shared the lifelong impact this trip had on her life.
“The lessons I learned in the Vietnam class and during this trip are incredibly important to know, and it has made me a more well-informed and responsible citizen,” Mohler said. “This trip has made me incredibly grateful to have been born in the United States of America.”
College of the Ozarks President Brad Johnson shared the profound impact the trip made on him as well as everyone attending.
“Traveling to Vietnam created bonds unlike any other experience,” Johnson said. “Students gained a deeper understanding of history, patriotism, and the sacrifices of Veterans, while Veterans found healing through sharing their stories with attentive, grateful students. These shared moments fostered respect, understanding, and a lasting appreciation for the freedoms they fought to protect.”