The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Historical Society hosts veterans-themed exhibit
An attempt to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American military entering World War I snowballed into an exhibit about all Lorainites who served in wartime.
The exhibit is entitled, From War Bonds to War Medals, and it will be presented until Sept. 9 at the Lorain Historical Society’s Carnegie Center, 329 W. 10th St.
Barb Piscopo, executive director of the Historical Society, said when they started on the World War I exhibit, they were surprised by the wealth of information and artifacts they found relating to other conflicts going back to the Civil War.
“We can’t just do World War I; there’s too many really good things here,” Piscopo said.
The exhibit, which takes up the second-floor of the museum, features uniforms, newspaper clippings and other artifacts, not only of those who served abroad, but those left behind who sought to help the war efforts with their industry and thrift, she said.
“I think this is our best exhibit, because it’s very personal,” Piscopo said.
Building the exhibit became personal for intern Andreas Kolaczko, who said he put some of his grandfather, Andrew Kolaczo’s journal entries into the exhibit.
“Reading through that and kind of the horrors he A case holding uniforms from World War I at the center of the Lorain Historical Society’s From War Bonds to War Medals exhibit at the Carnegie Center, 329 W. 10th St. The exhibit runs until Sept. 9.
encountered, it was really his shoes because he was weird putting myself into my age,” said Kolaczko, 22.
“Just reading through what he experienced and thinking of myself in that situation, I don’t know if I would have been able to react the same way he did.”
He said looking at the wars through the lens of Lorain puts a different perspective on these historic events than he got from reading about it in books.
The museum also is exhibiting the photographs of Elyria native and U.S. Army veteran Mike McCray. The exhibit mainly is focused on pictures from his latest photographic essay, “Just off Ohio State Route 301.”
The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays; from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the second and fourth Saturdays of the month; and from 1-4 p.m., Aug. 13. Admission is $5.
The Historical Society also is working to collect oral histories from veterans across the county. The project entails veterans being interviewed on camera about their war experiences.
The interviews are then posted on www.Lorainveterans.thedigitalmosaic.com where they can be viewed for free.
Piscopo said she hopes the project will expand to include those on the home front as well.
“Because we did so much manufacturing here, many companies really were focused on war efforts even though the civilians were working in the manufacturing companies,” she said.
Piscopo said she hopes the oral histories will serve as a lesson to younger generations about those who go off to fight in wars.
“We can learn a lot and develop more respect and a greater sense of compassion for their returning home,” she said.