Veterans’ Museum offers ‘History Beyond the Classroom’
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Halls Veterans’ Museum hosted its inaugural “History Beyond the Classroom” discussion series on six Thursday nights in March and April.
The next sessions, offered over four Thursday nights in September, will focus on the Pacific Theater in World War II. The discussions are free and open to anyone age 16 and older.
Last spring’s discussion leaders were Josh Lents, Dyer County High School American history and AP geography teacher, who talked about the rise of totalarianism after World War I. Lents presented a second session on the effect of the war across the United States.
Deborah Puckett, history teacher at Crockett County High School, talked about the Holocaust. Dyersburg military historian Matthew Stafford led two sessions, the first on the air war in Europe and the second on the ground war.
Museum staff led the last session about the effects of World War II locally. Museum Administrative Assistant Hillary Wheeler discussed the history of the Dyersburg Army Airbase and the museum, which is located on the former base.
Board Chairman Pat Higdon read interviews from some of the 40 families whose property was condemned in order to build the base. Some townspeople shared their homes with soldiers’ families, and they remained friends for life.
Although building the facility uprooted some, it also provided jobs for area civilians. Warner Pace, a 99-year-old from Ripley who attended every session of the series, worked in the PX on the base and made $25 per week.
The museum staff thanked all who attended the series. “I am so excited that we are doing something in education for adults,” Higdon said. “There rarely is a venue for adults to come together to remind ourselves of this era and discuss those critical times.”
The next four-part series on the Pacific Theater begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 4 at the museum’s Headquarters Building. Presenters will be Lents and Stafford.
Other upcoming museum activites are the Ladies Fall Luncheon, Oct. 16; Veterans Day Celebration, Nov. 9; and Christmas Memories, Dec. 3. For more information, follow the museum’s Facebook page.