Grumpy Ol' Man
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas, U.S.
Our community has an auditorium called the Peace Memorial Auditorium. It was built in the 50's and dedicated to the 101 servicemen from our county who gave all in WWII. Over the years, the community let it waste away. Lights were not repaired, they were "stolen" for use elsewhere. Air conditioning was never installed so no one wanted to use it during summer weather. Broken seats were not repaired. It had virtually been vacated... abandoned.
About 2 years ago, the City wanted to rip out the inside of the structure and turn it into offices. A number of WWII veterans still living, along with families of those who had fought in that conflict, became organized in an effort to save the memorial. The City Commission at that time did not want to spend a dime on rehabilitation of the structure. After the organization said they would raise the money needed to refurbish it, the Commission said if a certain amount was raised... it was well over $1 million... they would match the funds. That Commission, of course, never thought they would need to come up with the money.
In the two years, the organization came up with the required amount for matching funds. They have begun work on the foyer, wanting to highlight the 101. Many of those no longer have family in the area. Many of those who do have not kept track of memorabilia from a couple generations ago.
An uncle of my wife's was one of the 101. Some years ago, she ended up with a trunk containing what was left of the things reference his service. That trunk had been in our basement for years, with no real time nor interest to dig through it. My wife was not even born when her uncle was killed. When we saw the plea for memorabilia, I brought the trunk upstairs so she could begin going through it. Wow!!!
An old uniform. What appears to be ALL the letters he wrote home to his Mother and Father. His funeral service folder. His induction paperwork. His pilot training graduation. (He was in the Army Air Corps. There was no "Air Force" back then. He piloted a bomber, flying missions in Europe. His plane went down over Germany 5 days before the Nazis surrendered.) She found his last letter home, posted the day before his plane went down. He told his Mother if he ever say one inch of German soil again it would be too soon. Said his plane had over 50 holes in it from enemy fire, but was still air worthy and they would keep flying as long as they could. The next day, the plane went down and the entire crew was lost.
A couple representatives from the organization will be here tomorrow evening. They are excited about our "find". We will, of course, donate everything they can use to the Memorial Auditorium project in hopes the items will assist in telling the history of that time. Been an interesting few days as my wife has been going through an "old forgotten trunk from our basement".
About 2 years ago, the City wanted to rip out the inside of the structure and turn it into offices. A number of WWII veterans still living, along with families of those who had fought in that conflict, became organized in an effort to save the memorial. The City Commission at that time did not want to spend a dime on rehabilitation of the structure. After the organization said they would raise the money needed to refurbish it, the Commission said if a certain amount was raised... it was well over $1 million... they would match the funds. That Commission, of course, never thought they would need to come up with the money.
In the two years, the organization came up with the required amount for matching funds. They have begun work on the foyer, wanting to highlight the 101. Many of those no longer have family in the area. Many of those who do have not kept track of memorabilia from a couple generations ago.
An uncle of my wife's was one of the 101. Some years ago, she ended up with a trunk containing what was left of the things reference his service. That trunk had been in our basement for years, with no real time nor interest to dig through it. My wife was not even born when her uncle was killed. When we saw the plea for memorabilia, I brought the trunk upstairs so she could begin going through it. Wow!!!
An old uniform. What appears to be ALL the letters he wrote home to his Mother and Father. His funeral service folder. His induction paperwork. His pilot training graduation. (He was in the Army Air Corps. There was no "Air Force" back then. He piloted a bomber, flying missions in Europe. His plane went down over Germany 5 days before the Nazis surrendered.) She found his last letter home, posted the day before his plane went down. He told his Mother if he ever say one inch of German soil again it would be too soon. Said his plane had over 50 holes in it from enemy fire, but was still air worthy and they would keep flying as long as they could. The next day, the plane went down and the entire crew was lost.
A couple representatives from the organization will be here tomorrow evening. They are excited about our "find". We will, of course, donate everything they can use to the Memorial Auditorium project in hopes the items will assist in telling the history of that time. Been an interesting few days as my wife has been going through an "old forgotten trunk from our basement".
