Memorial Day 2011 - From Our Veterans

We are now a Blue Star Museum

Our museum has joined 49 other museums in Illinois and over 1000 nationally to become a "Blue Star Museum". This program, sponsored by the National Endowment for The Humanities, promotes free visits to museums to our active duty military personnel and their families. Although we do not charge admission to the public (but like donations!), this partnership allows us more contact and publicity with our military families. We are here to honor them and all veterans everyday!

Related articles

• 1,300 Museums Offer Military Families Free Tickets (abcnews.go.com)

Flanagan-Cornell High School Fieldtrip

Greeting by Museum President, Jack Murphy

Bev Hart, Social Studies teacher, looks over museum with Roger Kutzner.

Students enjoy learning history at our museum.

Jack Murphy, Museum President, talking about history of museum.

This student took several minutes to read a fascinating, historic letter describing the brave death during World War II
of an Australian soldier, Alex Bell. It was written by a friend in a Japanese prisoner of war camp to Mrs. Bell describing her son's bravery in the face of starvation and death. Mystery: We received this letter without any documentation of its origin or donor. 

Jack Murphy describes bravery of local soldiers. 

Thanks to Bev Hart,  Social Studies teacher, Flanagan-Cornell HS students returned for their annual fieldtrip to encounter history at our museum. Our veterans enjoyed meeting them and sharing their experiences!

Pontiac High School history classes visit

Willis Harms talks about his Army experiences in World War II.

Bill Hall recounts his Marine days in the Pacific in World War II. 

Pontiac Township High School history class

Eric Sweetwood, PTHS Social Studies chair,  presents "Blue Beetle" comic to Jack Murphy (Museum President). Megan Bozarth (Teacher) presented a check for Museum Life Membership to David Estes (Education Director).

Gerry Bull answers questions about his service as a Marine in Vietnam.

Jack Murphy, Museum President, helps put a parachute on PTHS student.

Rollie Gagnon, Navy veteran,  in animated conversation with PTHS students.

Gerry Bull points out various weapons. 

Eight Pontiac High School history classes, led by teachers Eric Sweetwood, Megan Bozarth, and Stephen Kraft visited our museum again this year. Great interaction and learning between these enthusiastic students of history and our military veterans!