Veterans Gallery Memorial

Now that the exhibit is mostly finished, I thought I'd post some pictures of one of my favorite parts, the memorial. It is located at the center of the gallery and features 4 American flags surrounding a pair of combat boots at the base of a gun on its end with a helmet on top. It's a pretty iconic image, reminding each of us of the heroes that have fallen while defending our country. The CCHS memorial also features four different verses, each memorializing fallen soldiers in a different way. Read them below, and in the comments, share with us any poems, verses or songs that you would have included in this exhibit.

Mothers

Kay Boyle (1902-1993)

In the still of night

Have we wept.

And our hearts, shattered and aching

Have prayed.

In the cold, cold moonlight

Have we sobbed

And dreamed of what might have been.

And our hearts have bled from stabs

Given unheeding.

We are the women who have suffered alone -

Alone and in silence.

Where have all the flowers gone

Pete Seeger (1919- )

Where have all the flowers gone,

Long time passing?

Where have all the flowers gone,

Long time ago?

Where have all the flowers gone?

Young girls have picked them, every one.

Oh, when will they ever learn?

Oh, when will they ever learn?

No Man Knows War

Edwin Rolfe (1909-1954)

Needless to catalogue heroes. No man

weighted with rifle, digging with nails in earth

quickens at the name. Hero's a word for

peacetime. Battle

knows only three realities: enemy, rifle, life.

No man knows war or its meaning who has not

stumbled from tree to tree, desperate for cover,

or dug his face deep in earth, felt the ground pulse with

the ear-breaking fall of death. No man knows war

who never has crouched in his foxhole, hearing

the bullets an inch from his head, nor the zoom of

planes like a Ferris wheel strafing the trenches...

War is your comrade struck dead beside you,

his shared cigarette still alive in your lips.

In Flanders Fields

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Fundraising Update

Great news! CCHS has recently received a $600 donation for the Veterans' Gallery from the estate of a Carver County family. This donation gets us closer to our goal, but we are still in need of lots more to reach our goal by November 11.

Although renovations are already underway in the Veterans’ Gallery at the Carver County Historical Society, we are still in need of funds to complete the project. It is estimated that gallery construction will cost approximately $15,000. CCHS is looking for donors to sponsor portions of the display. Donors may choose which section they wish to sponsor and a plaque denoting sponsorship will be placed in the gallery upon its completion. Any amount you feel you can give will be appreciated. Please help us create a memorial to those who have served.

If you would like to donate by credit card, please visit www.carvercountyhistoricalsociety.org and click on the “Donate” link on the home page. This will allow you to make a secure online donation through the Paypal service. We cannot take credit card donations at the museum but have a computer available if you would like to make your donation here.

A big THANK YOU to everyone that has given so far and to those who have donated their time, stories, and objects to help us build this exhibit.

Submitted by Erin Anderson
CCHS Education Coordinator

Traveling Veterans' Exhibit

Work continues in the Veteran's Gallery, and though it may seem as if it is moving along slowly there is something changing every day. Walls go up, paint is applied, and artifacts are categorized by era and type. Volunteers, interns, and staff are hard at work every day to make the gallery a reality by early November.

If you visited the gallery before it was closed for renovation, you may remember the cases on the east side of the gallery. Each case was dedicated to a Carver County man who lost his life at war. There were 10 or more cases and included veterans from many eras but ended with the Vietnam War. While these cases will not be included in the new Veterans' Gallery, they will not be retired. The names of the veterans who gave their lives in service will be included in a memorial inside the gallery, and the cases themselves will be inventoried, secured, and sent on the road.

The cases will travel to several locations throughout Carver County, brining to life soldiers who made a difference in the history of our county. Visitors to libraries, government buildings, and museums will be able to see the objects and read the stories of Carver County soldiers.

One such story is that of Matt J. Tschimperle, (September 11, 1911 to December 18, 1944). After only 11 months in the US Navy, Fireman 1st Claass Matt Tschimperle of Victoria lost his life in a storm at sea. A sudden typhoon swamped his ship, the USS Monaghan, while it held a defensive position in the Pacific Ocean. Only six people survived the wreck. One of the survivors, Joseph McCrane, later wrote to Matt's wife Julie to describe what happened: "Matt was a member of the Engineering Department and...showed himself to possess all the qualifications necessary to become an excellent petty officer. I became very well acquainted with Matt as we would often stand our watches together in the fire-room. He often spoke of you and your children and he showed me a picture he had of all of you, with the exception of the newest addition to the family. Matt was a devoted husband, just waiting for the day when this terrible war would end and he could return home."

Erin Anderson
Education Coordinator

The gallery sparkles with fresh paint on new walls, a velvety black ceiling, and brilliant coat of wax on the tile floor. It echoes when we speak; it’s ready to be filled with moving, emotional stories about the Carver County men and women who have served our country. It’s ready to memorialize those who made the “ultimate sacrifice” for us. This won’t be an exhibit that glorifies war – it will be a way to remember and honor those who served.

This gallery has been in the back of my mind for several years. We have an amazing collection of military artifacts, some with strong local ties and others that represent typical equipment used by all branches of the armed forces. Visitors to the former gallery shared stories; some reacted with great emotion to the old displays. Incorporating these local stories into a new, interpretive exhibit with improved handicap access has long been a dream of mine. Now it’s happening, and the hard work begins!

On June 1, a team of four top students from Bethel, St. Thomas and the University of Missouri will meet for the first time to begin dividing up the research. They will interview local servicemen and women, consult military records and local archives, and pull together a cohesive story that spans the period from the Civil War to the present conflicts in the Middle East. They will tell Carver County’s stories in a global context, explaining the “whys” and “wheres” along with the “whos.” They will be advised by a team of local veterans who will help guide us in deciding which stories to tell and how to tell them.

As the interns conduct research, other volunteers sort and inventory the collection. Vaughn Shepherd and Dave Lovaasen, both knowledgeable veterans themselves, continue to identify objects, gather “like” objects together and assign them to time periods. Damien Parsoud completed an inventory of the existing memorial cases, which will travel throughout our communities in Carver County.

I will continue to work on the construction of new exhibit furniture, artifact mounts and conservation issues. For example, we have a large G.A.R. banner, resembling an American flag approximately six feet square. The white silk stripes and painted lettering are shattering, but the red stripes and blue field are in good condition. The banner will be carefully stitched to a muslin background with the damaged areas sandwiched in transparent silk crepeline. The whole assembly will be mounted on a padded board that is slanted to reduce the effects of gravity and covered with a large piece of Plexiglas to protect the banner from dust. It’s fussy, tedious, time consuming work – just my cup of tea!

Don’t forget that all of this work can be expensive! A conservation-grade mannequin can cost $1,000 or more, and we hope to exhibit at least 12 uniforms at a time. Your donations are very welcome, and donations of all sizes will be acknowledged in the gallery. Memorial gifts are especially meaningful. Thank you for your support!

Submitted by Larry Hutchings,
CCHS Curator of Collections and Exhibitions

MGG Exhibit Facts

The exhibition is organized into several major thematic areas: Growing Up; Heading Off to War; The Home Front; The Battlefront; Moving Out and Making the Boom; The Whole World; and, a concluding section honoring the legacy of this generation. Visitors to the exhibition will encounter iconic artifacts and experiences including:

• A re-created 1930s movie theater with clips from films popular with kids during the era and stories about movie-going.
• Artifacts and stories from the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps.
• A homemade "car" from the 1938 St. Paul Soap Box Derby.
• A classic soda fountain from the 1930s with a vintage pinball machine that visitors can play and jukebox where they will hear stories of carefree teenage lives interrupted by the events of December 7, 1941.
• A "home front" setting where visitors will be able to recycle aluminum and experience what rationing was like.
• An interactive "bullet-packing" station where visitors will be able to pack ammunition shells on a re-created factory assembly line based on the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant.
• An M8 armored vehicle produced during the war by workers at the St. Paul Ford plant.
• The fuselage of an actual war-era C-47 troop transport aircraft where visitors are transported into the harrowing experience of a D-Day flight through a realistic multimedia presentation.
• A Combat Stories audio feature where visitors will hear compelling stories told by Minnesota men and women who experienced the war on the front lines.
• Stories and objects from the Military Intelligence Service Language School at Ft. Snelling where Japanese-American soldiers trained for work in wartime intelligence.
• Stories and objects from the University of Minnesota’s "semi-starvation" study in which conscientious objectors volunteered to be "guinea pigs" in a wartime project studying the effects of malnutrition.
• A 1950s television showroom with clips from popular shows of TV’s pioneer days and the KSTP Archives housed at the Minnesota Historical Society, as well as an interactive area where kids can test TV tubes to see if they are faulty.
• An iconic "St. Paul Tourist Cabins" neon sign.
• A 1950s-era hospital nursery with an "endless babies" vista.
• A 1955 Ford nicknamed "the Bluebird" by its original owners in Clinton, Minn.
• A dry-cleaning shop with a moving rack of clothes highlighting the activities of this "generation of joiners."
• A 1960s airport setting recalling the global reach and work of men and women of this generation from Washington, D.C., to the State Department and the United Nations.
• A multimedia show that will remind visitors of the life arc and profoundly important legacy of this "greatest generation."

"Minnesota’s Greatest Generation: The Depression, The War, The Boom"Experiencing Their Past, Learning For Our Present"

NEW EXHIBIT OPENING MAY 23 AT THE MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER
http://www.mngreatestgeneration.org/

The Great Depression, World War II and the boom that followed the war were all defining events in the life of Minnesota's Greatest Generation. With the current challenges facing our county, including a struggling economy and high rates of unemployment, it is more important than ever to reflect on their stories and learn from their enduring legacy. Experience the accomplishments, sacrifices, disappointments and challenges of this remarkable generation at the Minnesota Historical Society's new exhibit, "Minnesota's Greatest Generation: The Depression, The War, The Boom," opening May 23, 2009, Memorial Day weekend.

This landmark, 6,000-square-foot exhibit traces the entire life arc of the generation – from birth to legacy – in a manner unlike anything else at any other history center or educational institution across the nation. With the use of recorded interviews, archival footage, film and audio, members of the generation guide visitors through their childhood and adolescence in the 1930s, to their years as young adults during the war and post-war era. The exhibit is a highly moving experience, featuring artifacts, displays, hands-on elements and multimedia interpretive techniques that reveal the experiences of Minnesota's Greatest Generation.

Put Yourself in Their Place
"This exhibit is the culmination of one of the most ambitious undertakings in the Society's nearly 160-year history," said Nina Archabal, Minnesota Historical Society Director. "It tells the story of a generation that endured great hardship, displayed courage and seized the opportunity to shape our modern nation and world. At a time when there is a rare and clear convergence between past and present, we are so fortunate that many of the members of the Greatest Generation who lived these experiences have told us their stories in their own words. Looking around us today we see Minnesotans and other Americans facing hardship, displaying courage and seizing the moment to change the world."

Exhibit visitors will embark on a journey that transports them back in time and creates the feeling that they are experiencing the events of the past. As they travel from a childhood trip to the movies to a classic, 1930s soda fountain, visitors will gain a new understanding of how the attacks on Pearl Harbor ripped the generation from their peaceful lives and threw the United States into the middle of a tumultuous World War.

A re-created factory assembly line where visitors can learn to pack ammunition shells conveys the dedication and determination of life on the home front. A simulated D-Day flight in the fuselage of a war-era C-47 airplane reveals the intensity of the battlefield. Finally, a 1950s television showroom and hospital nursery return visitors to the wonders of prosperity and suburbia as the post-war boom begins.

Opening Weekend and Summer Events
To celebrate the opening of the exhibit, a series of events will be offered at the Minnesota History Center from Saturday, May 23, through Monday, May 25, Memorial Day weekend. Events include educational presentations, musical performances, film screenings, craft and cooking demonstrations and programs honoring veterans’ service. In addition, the Minnesota History Center and state historic sites, such as Historic Fort Snelling, will host Minnesota's Greatest Generation events throughout the summer. For more information on events, please visit www.mnhs.org/mggevents.

The Minnesota's Greatest Generation Project
The exhibit is the capstone of the Historical Society's multi-year Minnesota’s Greatest Generation project. Since the project’s launch on August 14, 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of the World War II, tens of thousands of people across the nation have been engaged to collect, preserve and share the stories of Minnesota's Greatest Generation through traditional and Web-based programs, including a collections initiative, an interactive Web site, oral history project, publications, and public and educational programs. The project has been lauded by the National Endowment for the Humanities as an initiative that "may establish a model for history museums throughout the United States," and the exhibit has been designated as a prestigious "We The People" project for promoting knowledge and understanding of American history and culture. For more information about the project please visit http://www.mngreatestgeneration.org/.

About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849 to preserve and share Minnesota history. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. More information can be found at http://www.mnhs.org/. The Carver County Historical Society is an institutional member of the Minnesota Historical Society.

Veterans' Gallery Post-Phase I Construction

A volunteer's workstation - cataloguing bayonets







Temporary housing for all the objects that were in the gallery prior to renovation






Temporary uniform storage







Our makeshift barred entryway - we knew that pew would come in handy someday!






A view of the gallery entrance - note the beautiful khaki color






One of the curved walls that will form the outer ring of the displays










The same wall, as seen from another angle








The men pictured here are some of those that will be featured in a photographic exhibit of soldiers from Carver County

Another of the curved walls to form the outer ring of the exhibit - behind it is a brand-new storage closet for many of the things that won't be on display

The interior of the storage closet, which will be fitted with gun racks and uniform storage

The new wall. You can also see the ceiling, which was recently painted black.

The large case pictured here will house 5 mannequins dressed in different soldiers' uniforms that we have in the collection. This exhibit will change periodically to highlight different uniforms, branches, and Carver County soliders and veterans.

The photographic exhibit. This nook will showcase a photograph and name of each person from Carver County who has served in the military.