News Release

Upcoming presentation by Fort Lewis Museum Director and Curator will explore themes of diversity and inclusion in the US Army

Perry Watkins of Tacoma was drafted into the US Army in 1968 and served until 1984. He was openly gay, and one of the first service members to challenge the ban against homosexuals in the military.

US Army

News Release Date: March 21, 2023

Contact: Heidi Pierson, Curator, Lewis Army Museum

On Saturday, April 8, 2023, at the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center, Director Erik Flint and Curator Heidi Pierson of the Lewis Army Museum in Tacoma, WA, will present a historical overview and discussion of diversity and inclusion in the United States Army. This presentation will cover key moments and significant shifts in military policy and practice, which reduced discrimination and allowed more opportunities to serve. In addition, this presentation will highlight individual service members and emphasize connections to Washington State.

Erik Flint is a retired lieutenant colonel and has been the director of the Lewis Army Museum for eight years. Over his 35-year military career, Flint served as an enlisted US Marine, Washington State Army National Guard soldier, active-duty Army infantry officer, and Army Reserve officer. He was deployed twice to Iraq as a special operations combat historian and prior to retirement from the Army Reserve, served as the First Corps command historian at Join Base Lewis McChord. Flint has a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in International Land Warfare Studies. In his free time Flint also leads historical battlefield tours in Europe and throughout the Pacific.

Heidi Pierson has a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology, with a specialization in museum studies and historical archaeology. Pierson worked for the National Park Service at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site beginning in 2004, before taking the curator position at Lewis Army Museum in 2015. Pierson uses her knowledge of history and anthropology to provide a unique perspective on the history of the US Army in the Pacific Northwest.

"We are incredibly pleased to welcome the director and curator of the Lewis Army Museum to Fort Vancouver. Military history is a key component of this National Park Service site, and we are glad to offer this opportunity for our visitors to learn more," said Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Superintendent Tracy Fortmann. Fort Vancouver NHS encompasses areas of Vancouver Barracks, the region's earliest Army post, founded in 1849.

What: Exploring Diversity and Inclusion in the US Military, a public talk presented by Director Erik Flint and Curator Heidi Pierson of the Lewis Army Museum

When: Saturday, April 8, 2023, at 1 pm

Where: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Visitor Center, 1501 East Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98661

Cost: Free. Advance reservations are recommended. To reserve a spot, please go to the Friends of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site website here.