The West Haven Military Museum and Learning Center Board of Directors will commemorate the United States’ involvement in World War I on Thursday, Oct. 26 with a program of ceremony, music, exhibits, special guests and a reception. The event, which will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m., is open to the public.
The evening will begin with a grand entrance by the Second Company Governor’s Footguard, Color Guard and Band with the presentation of the colors and renditions of World War I songs. Museum President Frank Chasney will welcome guests and introduce Peter Sonski, Manager of Education for the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, who will describe that organization’s involvement in “The Great War”.
Special guest Laura Mancuso, author of the recently published “New Haven in World War I” will describe Connecti- cut’s 102nd Infantry’s role in the Battle of Seicheprey on the Western Front in France as she uncovered it for her research. Her presentation about this country’s first battle in WWI is supported by the museum’s military intelligence map and an artist’s rendering of the scene. Attendees will then be free to enjoy self-guided tours, a book signing by Ms. Mancuso, and a reception by students from The University of New Haven School of Hospitality and Tourism.
While this is a fundraising event, admission is free and all monies raised from free-will donations will be used for the new Media Center, according to Event Chairman Arlene DeGrand Painter. Grants, private gifts and general donations support the overall operation of the museum and library, which is 100 percent volunteer staffed by veterans and members of the area communities.
The 9,000-square-foot mu- seum’s collections of thousands of articles and artifacts from the Revolutionary War to today’s war on terror include rare uniforms, a Second World War bunker, an early meeting room of The New Haven Grays (1865-present), and a wing tip from a WWII Japanese fighter plane. Among the special exhibits are a portrait of Sergeant Stubby, the famous 102nd’s four-legged mascot about whom a cartoon documentary is being made.
The non-profit 501(c)3 Military Museum and Learning Center is an all-volunteer organization located at 30 Hood Terrace. For more information contact (203) 934-1111.