Museum offers WWI exhibit
Although the Bella Vista History Museum marked the 100th anniversary of the United States entering World War I in April this year, it took several months to set up an exhibit and plan a Saturday event. But the November date makes sense, Xyta Lucas of the Bella Vista Historical Society said, because even though the United States entered the war in April, it was November before any troops made it onto World War I battlefields.
On Saturday, Nov. 18, the museum welcomed two collectors to display some of their items. Both had a chance to talk about their collections to an audience of about 15 people.
Tim Wicks volunteers as a docent at the museum. Some of his collection of WWI memorabilia has been displayed at the museum all month. He said his interest in historical artifacts began when he volunteered as a Civil War re-enactor, but then he got interested in World War I. It was a brutal war that caused a very high loss of life among the soldiers.
The war marked a change in how wars are conducted, Wicks said. When machine guns were introduced into battle, soldiers started digging trenches to avoid them.
Wicks was joined by Jay Williams of Siloam Springs, who also has an extensive collection of mostly German artifacts. He also collects items from other conflicts, but he got interested in WWI because his family was originally from Germany.
“Then there’s the lost-cause factor,” he said.
Wicks said he has more German paraphernalia than American because it’s less expensive.
Williams showed off an ornate German helmet with a spike on the top. The gold on the helmets used early in the war was replaced by decorative tin since the gold made it so visible. The spike was only decorative and later versions didn’t have it, he said.
Early German uniforms were so
ornate that officers needed help dressing. By the end of the war, they were simpler.
Williams showed the audience a bread bag and canteen that allowed soldiers to carry their rations on their belt.
“They didn’t have MRIs,” he said.
He also had a small shovel and a bayonet that would also have been carried on a soldier’s belt, along with several pouches for
ammunition. The belt was heavy when a soldier was outfitted, he said.
Although American foot soldiers didn’t enter the war immediately, the April declaration made a big difference in the outcome, Williams said. Once the U.S. declared war, the Navy was able to start sinking German warships, more aid was sent to the British and American banks were able to lend money to the allies.
As the program drew to a close, Lucas suggested the men return in November 2018 and help the museum celebrate the end of World War I.