 The LBJ Library's dedication to serious debate of controversial questions was never so evident as in 1991, when 22 policymakers from the Johnson presidency came together to talk about the administration's decisions with respect to the war in Vietnam. This was no superficial chat about old times. Instead it was a really incisive discussion, with questions posed by three of the most eminent historians of the war who had conducted deep research in the LBJ archive. The gathering included no less than former National Security Advisor Walt Rostow, CIA Director Richard Helms, and General William Westmoreland, who had commanded U.S. forces in Vietnam in the years when LBJ had dramatically escalated the American commitment to the war. Over the years to come, the library would host additional events focused on the Vietnam War that pulled together academic specialists as well as participants in the momentous decisions of the 1960s. In 2016, in fact, the library built on the foundation laid down in 1991 by hosting a Vietnam War summit, three days of lectures, discussions, performances, and other events that brought together policymakers like former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, renowned filmmaker Ken Burns, and anti-war activist Tom Hayden. Perhaps most impressive of all, the event drew hundreds of Vietnam veterans, many of whom took part in veterans' recognition ceremonies, and took time to visit the half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that graces the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For a full week, the replica was set up on the outdoor plaza just east of the library. Here's a look back at that memorable time. It's a nightmare that I just can't get rid of because I was supposed to die in the first hour supposed to die, and then when I picked up the pieces of these guys, it's been haunting me for 45 years. When LBJ opened his library in 1971, he expressed hope that it would enable visitors to see the history of his presidency with the bark off. With our events focused on the Vietnam War, we've tried hard to live up to those words.