The World War II exhibit is composed of photographs and excerpts from essays by Chadron State College students. Interviewees from the Nebraska Panhandle and surrounding areas include numerous decorated combat veterans, a member of the Merchant Marine, military wives, WACs, cooks, medical technicians, women who ran the ranches or worked in munitions factories at home and a military band member. The project honors those who served their country during the war and recognizes the value of living history in the education of Chadron State College students. The following quotations exemplify the variety of experiences recorded.

"Bullets were coming from every direction, and there were dead Marines all around me Every so often, the firing would slow up, and we would move up the beach. That first day and night on the island was the longest 24 hours I ever had."
John Ahrens
WWII Veteran at two Iwo Jima

"I, along with three other men, had been pulled aside and had been taught some barbering while we were at boot camp So, one of my jobs now was to cut some of the concentration camp victims' hair When I ran the clippers up over the top of these people's heads, my clippers were Just bloody. There were that many lice on their heads."
Milton Grantham (deceased)
WWII Veteran

"When I woke up, I got a cup of hot water. At 10:00 a.m., I got a piece of bread. Then at 12:00, I got dehydrated cabbage or green soup. In the evening I got a few potatoes."
Charles Anderson
WWII Veteran and POW

"Total humiliation…You have failed... You let yourself down. You let your division down. You let your country down. You let your parents down. You let your friends down. And you have to live with that."
Gordon Pinney
WWII Veteran and POW

"A warrior is committed to picking up the dead and wounded Many Indians who won medals during the war were helping to pick up those left behind"
Phillip C. Good Buffalo (deceased)
WWII Veteran, Silver Star Recipient

Exhibit Narrative

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The WWII project was jointly funded by Chadron State
College and the Nebraska Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education. CSC is a state supported institution of higher education located in Chadron, Nebraska. It is the only four year college serving the western half of the state. Due to its location in the northwest corner of the state, CSC also serves a significant number of students from the surrounding states of Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. For more information about CSC call 1-800-CHADRON or visit http://www.csc.edu