AUBURN -- The American Veterans Institute and the Dean V. Kruse Foundation are sponsoring a national essay contest for students in grades 7-12 in conjunction with July’s Operation Welcome Home celebration in Auburn, Indiana. The Kruse Foundation, which operates the World War II Victory Museum and is building the National Military History Center, is hosting AVI’s third national Operation Welcome Home, July 2-6, 2008.
“We are asking young people to express their views on topics related to America’s veterans and the service and sacrifice of our military,” said AVI President Mike Jackson, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.) “Since young people are tomorrow’s leaders, we want to open a dialogue with them on leadership, courage, and service to country. There are many perspectives out there and we want to encourage some thoughtful, creative input.”
Essay topics include: 1). The Meaning of Service & Sacrifice; 2). My Hero (write about a veteran you admire and why); 3). A Strong American Defense; 4). The Challenges Facing Veterans; 5). The Ultimate Sacrifice.
The contest is open to Junior entrants (grades 7-9) and Senior entrants (grades 10-12). Essays guidelines can be downloaded from the Operation Welcome Home web site (www.NationalOWH.org) or the American Veterans Institute web site (www.AmericanVeteransInstitute.org). Entry is based on the student’s grade level during the 2007-2008 school year. Current prizes in each category include $1,000 first prize, $500 second prize, and $250 third prize. Winning entries will be featured on AVI, Operation Welcome Home, and National Military History Center web sites and in Operation Welcome Home commemorative materials.
Operation Welcome Home was created to recognize the service and sacrifice of America’s GIs, especially those who were not properly thanked and welcomed home following their tours of duty.
“Whatever our young people decide to do with their lives, we want them to understand that the freedom to pursue their dreams was secured by an American veteran. The goal of the American Veterans Institute and the National Military History Center is to preserve the stories of our country’s veterans, and to help young people learn from those stories and embrace American history. This essay contest is a great way to start the dialogue, and we are grateful to the Kruse Foundation Board for initiating it,” Col. Jackson said.
The deadline for contest entries is May 20, 2008.
IPFW Student’s Project Displayed In Gallery Of WWII Museum
One major project and one-hundred and twenty hours later, museum Intern, Emily Fischer, recently completed “A Soldier’s Essentials”; a three-dimensional display for the WWII Victory Museum galleries.
Fischer, a Kendallville resident, executed everything from the planning, researching, and actual construction of the 4’x8’ shadow box as part of her requirements for an Internship under Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne’s History program.
Titled “A Soldier’s Essentials”, the display highlights over 50 items an American soldier may have carried with them in training or in combat. Items such as a pocket guide to Germany, personal journal, dispensary chow pass, sewing kits, etc. can be seen. The collage is a personal look at the possessions a WWII soldier relied on to help them survive the war.
Getting up close and personal is exactly why Fischer chose to complete such a project. “The human element of World War II and the story behind the picture, the soldier. Connecting through that is why I enjoyed working on the shadow box so much,” explained Fischer.
More than just tangible artifacts, Fischer learned through research and personal documents that many of the items were life lines for some soldiers. Spiritually, physically, and mentally, each object tells a different story for a different solider. And even if that story involves a can of personal insecticide powder, Fischer stills finds it “fascinating”.
The shadow box is the first of its kind in the museum galleries and hopefully not the last. “Internships are an important part of the development of the DVK Foundation and the Museum’s programs and exhibits, explains Executive Director, Bob Krafft. We hope to take what she’s accomplished and build on that.”
In the past, Interns from Tri-State, IPFW, IWU, and Ivy Tech have gained hands-on experience ranging from business, program development, marketing, and history. For more information about the internships at the Foundation, contact Bob Krafft at 260-927-9144 or visit www.dvkfoundation.org.
A Stinson 10A restored Civil Air Patrol airplane is waiting in the wings at the World War II Victory Museum.
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was founded a week before the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor.
A New Haven, Ind., Army veteran is the proud owner of a new Harley-Davidson, thanks to a $25 investment in a raffle by the World War II Victory Museum and RiverCity Harley-Davidson.
Don Amstutz won the bike, a 35th anniversary SuperGlide, designed by Willie G. Davidson. Davidson also signed the gas tank of the bike, which was on display for several months at the museum and at local events.
