"Johnny Rebs and Billy Yanks: Uncommon Soldiers" will be the topic of the University Forum lecture set for Oct. 2.

James I. Robertson Jr., Alumni Distinguished Professor of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an author of numerous books about the Civil War, will explore the sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking chronicle of a soldier's life during the war between the states. UNLV's department of history is cosponsoring Robertson's lecture.

On Oct. 4, the University Forum lecture will focus on "A Martial South? Dixie and the Vietnam War."

J. Andy Fry, a UNLV professor of history, will discuss why Southerners have often been portrayed as being peculiarly prone to violence and supportive of American wars. Fry's talk will assess the attitudes of Southerners about America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Both lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History. All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by the Lodge Kalafatis Trust and the UNLV Foundation. For more information on the series, call 895-3401 or send an E-mail to: forum@nevada.edu.