The NVMM is proud to commemorate National Vietnam War Veterans Day with a “Welcome Home” Ceremony for our Veterans, live from our Great Hall. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

Our keynote speaker is U.S. Navy Veteran, Dr. Kimberly M. Mitchell. Mitchell was a Vietnamese orphan who was adopted by a U.S. Airman and grew up in Wisconsin, and is a nationally recognized advocate for service members, Veterans, military and Gold Star Families, frequently speaking at events across the country. She has held key leadership roles, including Senior Advisor at the Department of Veterans Affairs (2022-2025), Senior Vice President for Military and Government Affairs at National University, and President and CEO of Veterans Village of San Diego. A 1996 Naval Academy graduate, she served 17 years as a Surface Warfare Officer and later worked with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on warrior and family support initiatives. With extensive experience in Veteran transition and reintegration, she has served on multiple boards, earned a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, and was featured in President George W. Bush’s book Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.

Emily Compagno will serve as the emcee for the Welcome Home Ceremony. Compagno currently serves as a co-host of “Outnumbered” on FOX News and is the author of Under His Wings, which debuted as a New York Times’ #1 bestseller. Compagno holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington, where she was awarded the U.S. Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps’ Cadet of the Quarter Award. She holds her Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she was President of the Federalist Society and Articles Editor of the Intellectual Property Law Bulletin. Emily will be signing copies of her book after the ceremony.

Museum admission will be reduced to $5 and the “Welcome Home” ceremony is free.