Ron Milam

Ron Milam is a Professor at the Texas Tech University Department of History and Executive Director of the Institute for Peace & Conflict (IPAC), which houses the Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive. A Vietnam War combat veteran, he specializes in U.S. History, Vietnam War studies, and Military History. His teaching includes courses on the Vietnam War, terrorism and insurgency, and study abroad programs in Southeast Asia.

• Education: Ph.D., University of Houston

Ron Milam’s research focuses on military leadership, historical narratives of warfare, and the cultural impact of the Vietnam War. His book Not a Gentleman’s War (2009) challenges misconceptions about junior officers in Vietnam, emphasizing training challenges, frontless warfare, and soldiers’ lived experiences. He is currently researching the Montagnard-American alliance during the Siege of Phu Nhon.

Ron Milam has received numerous honors, including the President’s Excellence in Teaching Award, Chancellor’s Council Excellence in Teaching Award, and induction into the OCS Hall of Fame (2015). He also serves on the Board of Directors of the David Westphall Veterans Foundation and was appointed to the Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Rehabilitation (VACOR) by the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs. An avid motorcycle enthusiast, he combines military scholarship with personal experience from his service as a MACV advisor in Pleiku Province.