New WWII European Theatre exhibit opens Nov. 16 at Iowa Gold Star Military Museum
The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, 7105 NW 70th Ave., Camp Dodge, Johnston, Iowa, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating its new World War II European Theater exhibit on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 10:30 a.m. The public and media are invited to attend this event.
Iowans were involved in every major campaign of the European Theater of Operations ("ETO") during World War II. A new, 1,000 square foot exhibit examines the role of Iowa military veterans serving in North Africa and Europe, whose selfless service eventually resulted in victory over Italian and German forces in May 1945.
Visitors to the new exhibit will encounter sights, sounds, and artifacts interpreting the service of Iowa's Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines in the European Theater during WWII. The multi-sensory exhibit allows visitors to interact with a variety of full-sized dioramas.
Follow the road to war in Europe with an interactive animated map depicting the major WWII campaigns on a global scale. Trace the route of Iowa National Guard troops across North Africa and through Italy as members of the famous 34th Infantry Division, where they accrued more days of continuous combat than any other U.S. division in Europe. Explore the role of Iowa's female veterans as part of the largest mobilization of female inductees in U.S. military history. Ride along on a B-17 strategic bombing mission high over Nazi Germany and hear firsthand accounts of Iowa Airmen. View the role of Iowans assaulting Normandy France on D-Day from the perspective of a German machinegun bunker overlooking Omaha Beach. Learn the story of the Meskwaki Code Talkers mobilized with the Iowa National Guard, who utilized their native language skills against Italian and German troops in North Africa and Italy. Assess the defensive armor and firepower of a U.S. M3 Halftrack used by Iowa's 113th Cavalry in the Northern European campaign. Examine the blood-stained shirt and bullet-pierced Bible of an Iowan seriously wounded during the Battle of the Bulge, was taken prisoner, and survived the war.
The exhibit also contains numerous U.S., German, and Italian weapons, accoutrements, and artifacts acquired during the WWII European campaign by Iowa veterans who achieved victory, liberated concentration camps, and restored order in post-war Europe.
More than 262,000 Iowans served in the U.S. armed forces during WWII, including 8,398 Iowans who died during the war from battle wounds, injuries, and illness. This exhibit was made possible by funding from the State of Iowa and generous private donations.
**********Established in 1985, the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is the only federally-recognized repository for military artifacts in the state of Iowa. The mission of the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is twofold: to preserve Iowa's military history and honor the military service of all Iowans.
The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum's permanent exhibits tell the stories of Iowans who have served in defense of their state and nation, beginning in the early settlement of the state through the Global War on Terror. The museum also contains one of the finest military small arms collections in the Midwest. Additionally, an exhibit detailing the history of the Iowa State Patrol is also on display.
The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is located on Camp Dodge, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston, Iowa. Admission is free. Museum hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please use the NW 70th Ave. entrance, which is open 24 hours a day. Photo identification is required for adults (age 16 and older) to gain admittance to Camp Dodge (a driver's license is acceptable).