Editors note: This article appeared in the Eagle Times June 3, 2007 in the Sunday Magazine...the cover! Thank you Carol Christian for taking the time to show me around and explain the exhibit. SLB

"Ladies and Gentlemen We Salute You": New Exhibit at Walpole Historical Society

by Sue Bingaman, Contributing Writer

    The Walpole Historical Society opens  "Ladies and Gentlemen, We Salute You!" an exhibit of uniforms and memorabilia from the Civil War, World War I and World War II at the Old Academy Museum  on Main Street  Saturday, June 2, from 2 to 4 p.m.. 

    "The whole point of this exercise is to honor and thank service men and women for what they have done and continue to do  for our country" Carol Christian, Curator of the museum, explained. "We created this exhibit to complement the dedication of the new war memorial on the town Common and Ken Burns' introduction of his new PBS docu-series "The War" in Walpole this week."

    The museum exhibit is filled with mementos "demonstrating how everyone helped with the war efforts in one way or another" explained Christian.  "Many townspeople dug into their attics and closets and loaned family mementos of past wars. Twelve uniforms, from the museum's enviable costume collection and several on loan, include some dress uniforms, complete with medals, ribbons and dog tags and others items for everyday wear. One dress jacket, the only one from WWI, belonged to Captain Neil Stevens of Walpole. Another Civil War uniform and cap was worn by Sargent Henry Elias Howland also of Walpole. Lisa Trafton Costigan, who you may visit at the U.S. Post Office in town, loaned her Air Force camouflage uniform that she wore as an auto pilot specialist when she trained pilots to fly KC-135 refueling tankers. She also loaned her "dress blues" which are on the museum's upstairs landing. 

     Children may be interested the U.S. Treasury Department Citation, displayed upstairs, that  Walpole High School students earned "for their service to the War Savings Program for completion of a "Schools at War" campaign." Town students during World War II gathered enough discarded tinfoil, old tires, and aluminum to buy the War Bonds and Stamps needed to finance an ambulance!

    Cooks will be fascinated by the 1943 edition of The Joy of Cooking--published at the height of food rationing during World War II--with milkless, eggless, meatless and sugar saving recipes.

     Other interesting items include War Ration Stamps and tokens and war posters hanging on the walls encouraging the buying of stamps and bonds. The exhibit also shows books describing all major wars, magazines like The Leatherman, a 1944 Marine publication, and a 1985 Life Magazine reflecting on World War II 40 years later.

Peg Dion, newly elected President of the Historical Society, thanks "all of the people in the community who contributed in making the exhibit possible,  including Carol Christian, Dutchie Perron, Paula Schwenk, Carrie Grenier, Dorothy Galloway and Frannie Hansel and all those who brought in their mementos and stories of rememberance. Thanks also to Judy Shumway, gift shop chair, and Pat MacLachlan who refreshed and refurbished the gift shop, painting walls and hanging new window treatments."  "This exhibit, noted Dion, "is truly an example of how everyone pulls together in a village. Come see it you will be fascinated!"

The exhibit is open Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.  June  through September. There is no admission charge.

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