Black W.W.II History
Museum
opens in Pownal
Bennington Banner
Monday, June 5, 2006
NEAL GOSWAMI
Staff Writer
POWNAL -- After a lifetime of collecting war memorabilia,
Bruce Bird of Pownal was finally able to fulfill his dream. On Saturday,
Bird opened up the black World War II History Museum at the old school house in
Pownal.
According to Bird, nearly 20 people attended the opening of
the museum, including state Rep. Bill Botzow, Select Board Chairman Nelson
Brownell and a color guard from the Vermont National Guard.
Bird said he has been collecting military artifacts for as
long as he can remember.
"I've been interested in military history since I was knee
high to a grasshopper. In 1988 and 1990 I was the founder and curator of
the Vermont Veterans Militia Museum, which is the National Guard's museum in
Vermont," he said.
After budget cuts forced severe cutbacks in the museum, Bird
began to look for space to open another museum.
"I looked and looked for a building, for almost 15 years, and
finally found this place," said Bird.
Bird initially planned on his museum covering the war in a
much broader fashion, but decided to narrow the focus as he learned more and
more about African-American servicemen.
"I was going to do World War II in general, but in the last 10
years, stuff began to trickle out that there was black service in World War II.
Most people don't know much about it," he said. "As a historian there are
two things that really bother me. One is people who never did the heavy
lifting who still claim all the credit. The other is those who did the
heavy lifting and did not get the credit for it. This is true with the black
troops. We heard little about what they did."
Bird said he was fascinated to learn about the thousands of
black servicemen and women who served heroically for the United States. A
small exhibit in the museum portrays the efforts of the 761st tank battalion, an
all-black unit that received 391 decorations for heroism. Out of about 700
soldiers in the battalion, Bird said 246 received Purple Hearts for their
service.
The museum also offers a glimpse into a dark time
in our Nation's
past, with striking examples of racism.
To give you an idea of how racist they were at the time, see
black Nurses in the panel to the left.
The museum features models, guns, ammunition and plenty of
pictures to illustrate the war, which was painstakingly set up and labeled by
Bird.
"I have had friends assisting me a little bit. I am
hoping more people volunteer," he said.
Bird hopes that the museum will be an attraction for tourists
and an educational experience for students in the area. He is hoping to
apply for grant money in the next year so he can add to the museum, creating a
place that will last long after he is gone.
During Saturday's opening, Bird said that after years of
collecting and planning, his emotions were too strong to contain.
"I totally broke down in my speech. I was completely
tongue tied. It all just hit me at once," he said.
The museum will be open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. There will be a $5 admission fee for all adults, and a $3 fee
for children ages 6 to 18, senior citizens and veterans.
Interested parties can contact Bruce Bird at (802) 823-5519 or
click here
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