Nebraska National Guard Museum

Seward, Nebraska

A Newsletter Honoring the Nebraska National Guard Apr-May-Jun 2019

Annual Bob Hope Show featuring Colonel Craig Strong as the iconic comedian. The show featured events from 1944 for the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of St. Lo by Nebraska soldiers of the 134th Infantry Regiment in World War II. The show also featured acts from around the state in tribute to the sacrifice of the Great- est Generation at the Seward High School Auditorium. The show was hosted by the Museum Society and the Seward July 4th Committee. See page 5 for more….. P A G E 2

Nebraska National Guard Museum

Nebraska National Guard State From the Society President…. Historian Another busy quarter of Services in the Museum Higgins. We are getting action around the Muse- putting the finishing ready for a Liberation um! We had a very suc- touches on the hedgerow Tour of Europe in July cessful fundraising cam- exhibit. We are so sponsored by the Socie- paign to pay for our new blessed with generous ty. Super busy summer “Cornrow to Hedgerow donors who have helped around the Museum! 4D Experience” exhibit make this dream come thanks largely to the ef- true. The annual Run to forts of Chuck and Jan St. Lo set new records on Matzke and the fundrais- a modified route (due to Gerald D. ing committee. So nice recent flooding). St. “Jerry” to see them honored at John’s Summer Horizons Meyer the Bob Hope Show. students enjoyed the NENG Historian Speaking of Bob Hope, great classes on World what a show! So much War I and II. The [email protected] talent performing on one NENG Historian attend- 712-269-1981 (cell) 402-309-8763 (Office/Docent) night to help us kick off ed 75th anniversary 402-309-8761 (Curator Off.) the July 4th week (the events for D-Day and the Nebraska National Guard Address: show was held Sunday, important role of NENG Museum Historical Society Nebraska National Guard Museum June 30th). So great to soldier and WWII indus- President, Darin Krueger. He 201 North 8th Street Seward, Nebraska 68434 see Hartman Historical trialist Andrew Jackson served in the National Guard 1986 -2013. He currently works for the Please Note: Historian Office is located just VA in Omaha. inside the main entrance. Curator Office is located in the main storage room in base- ment. Building is open during the weekdays from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Please call before coming to Seward. Thank you. NNGHS Mission Statement:

WWW.NNGHS.ORG To collect, access, pre- the State of Nebraska about the heritage of the Like us on serve, store, account for, military history and her- Nebraska National Facebook de-militarize, and value itage of its citizen- Guard in both peace and historical artifacts and rec- soldiers and airmen. To war. ords for training, develop- educate and “tell the sto- “Nebraska ment, and interpretation of ry” to the members of National the Nebraska Army and the Army and Air Guard Guard Air National Guard and and the general public Museum”

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG P A G E 3 Run to St. Lo Memorial 5K Results 1 Trevor Acton 5K M 17 503 4:47 0:14:53 0:14:53 2 Ethan Ideus 5K M 13 530 5:17 0:16:26 0:16:26 3 Justin Zoucha 5K M 21 580 5:40 0:17:39 0:17:39 4 Jacob Jurchen 5K M 13 533 6:10 0:19:10 0:19:10 5 Erik Acton 5K M 14 504 6:11 0:19:12 0:19:12 6 Eli Hiser 5K M 15 576 6:26 0:19:59 0:19:59 7 John Berry Jr. 5K M 40 513 6:27 0:20:02 0:20:02 8 Morgan Bevan 5K M 43 577 6:30 0:20:14 0:20:14 9 Judd Allen 5K M 53 505 6:41 0:20:46 0:20:46 10 Matthew Acton 5K M 48 501 6:44 0:20:57 0:20:57 11 Daniel Schmid 5K M 65 555 6:53 0:21:25 0:21:25 12 Bryan Kummer 5K M 23 536 7:00 0:21:45 0:21:45 13 Jared Knoble 5K M 30 534 7:18 0:22:42 0:22:42 14 Warner Berry 5K M 7 512 7:33 0:23:30 0:23:30 15 Fred Heard 5K M 44 523 7:43 0:23:59 0:23:59 16 Marty Baker 5K M 60 507 8:01 0:24:56 0:24:56 17 Jalen Schultz 5K M 10 556 8:04 0:25:06 0:25:06 18 Morgan Mathis 5K M 58 540 8:45 0:27:13 0:27:13 19 Wesley New- ton 5K M 35 546 9:12 0:28:37 0:28:37 20 Kyle Jones 5K M 32 532 9:18 0:28:54 0:28:54 21 Bradly Cunningham 5K M 28 518 9:24 0:29:12 0:29:12 22 Gerald Schaben 5K M 76 553 9:37 0:29:54 0:29:54 23 Richard Couch 5K M 65 517 9:58 0:30:59 0:30:59 24 Russell Bartholow 5K M 51 509 10:36 0:32:57 0:32:57 25 Cotter Yant 5K M 12 565 10:37 0:33:01 0:33:01 26 Shane Martin 5K M 48 538 11:11 0:34:47 0:34:47 27 Dave Dermann 5K M 56 519 12:00 0:37:18 0:37:18 28 Wayne Mollhoff 5K M 74 545 12:00 0:37:18 0:37:18 29 Richard Burch 5K M 62 516 12:25 0:38:36 0:38:36

Beautiful street banners courtesy of 1 Keegan Beisel 5K F 13 511 6:14 0:19:22 0:19:22 2 Susan Latshaw 5K F 58 537 6:41 Retiree Council 0:20:48 0:20:48 3 Frances Schmid 5K F 64 554 6:52 0:21:20 0:21:20 4 Sarah Meyers 5K F 35 543 6:52 0:21:20 0:21:20 5 Marcia Wales 5K F 66 563 6:52 0:21:20 0:21:20 6 Abigail Baack 5K F 13 506 7:13 0:22:27 0:22:27 7 Ashleigh Baker 5K F 18 508 7:43 0:23:59 0:23:59 8 Terri Acton 5K F 42 502 8:05 0:25:09 0:25:09 9 Lynda Hughes 5K F 53 528 8:12 0:25:30 0:25:30 10 Jen Good 5K F 35 522 8:32 0:26:30 0:26:30 11 Elaine Zoucha 5K F 50 579 8:51 0:27:30 0:27:30 12 Phyllis Kool 5K F 67 535 8:53 0:27:38 0:27:38 13 Shannon Schultz 5K F 40 557 8:54 0:27:40 0:27:40 14 Anne Newton 5K F 35 547 9:12 0:28:37 0:28:37 15 Tracy Howell 5K F 43 526 9:33 0:29:41 0:29:41 16 Bellamy Yant 5K F 9 566 9:47 0:30:26 0:30:26 17 Janece Mollhoff 5K F 63 544 9:51 0:30:39 0:30:39 18 Leah Terrano 5K F 43 558 9:52 0:30:41 0:30:41 19 Rebekah Jurchen 5K F 30 581 9:55 0:30:48 0:30:48 20 Jenna Potratz 5K F 13 550 10:02 0:31:12 0:31:12 21 Kelly Yant 5K F 41 564 10:38 0:33:02 0:33:02 22 Ashley Martin 5K F 12 539 11:11 0:34:47 0:34:47 23 Sandra Burch 5K F 61 515 1

Beautiful street banners courtesy of Seward County Visitors Com- mitttee The race shirts designed by Sports Express in Seward

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th Members the Nebraska National Guard 134 Infantry Regiment Where are they from in Nebraska? Killed during the Battle for St. Lo (13-27 July 1944) – World War II Alvo (1) Beatrice (6) Allison D. Babb – Falls City – Normandy American Cemetery Beaver Crossing (1) Vernon L. Barnard – Cortland – Normandy American Cemetery Bennington (1) Ivan Q. Brown – Hastings – Normandy American Cemetery Big Springs (1) Raymond J. Brzonkowski – Omaha – Normandy American Cemetery Blue Springs (1) Donald E. Christensen – Omaha – Washington Cemetery, NE Clarkson (1) Wayne A. Coxon – Grand Island – Fort McPherson National Cemetery, NE Columbus (1) Lewis E. Dailey – Hastings – Normandy American Cemetery Cortland (1) Emil Fendrick – Clarkson – Schuyler Cemetery, NE Dannebrog (1) William W. Frahm – Sunol – Greenwood Cemetery, Sidney, NE Duncan (1) Robert W. Fulton – Beatrice – Beatrice Cemetery, NE Falls City (1) Marvin J. Geiken – Gothenburg – Normandy American Cemetery Filley (1) Charles P. Gentile – Omaha – Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Omaha, NE Gothenburg (1) Lloyd R. Harvey – Ogallala – Normandy American Cemetery Grand Island (1) Floyd W. Hawkins, Jr. – Beatrice – Fort McPherson National Cemetery, NE Hastings (2) Dale B. Horne – North Platte – Fort McPherson National Cemetery, NE Lincoln (6) Norris L. Ivey – Raymond – Oak Creek Cemetery, Raymond, NE Nebraska City (2) Jacob Jacoby – Lincoln – Normandy American Cemetery North Platte (2) Howard H. Johnson – Alvo – Alvo Cemetery, NE Ogallala (1) Harvey B. Langley – Beatrice – Pleasant View Cemetery, Pickrell, NE Omaha (12) Lyle E. Lovelady – Omaha – Normandy American Cemetery Peru (1) Louis A. Marino – Omaha – Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Omaha, NE Pickrell (1) William A. McGinnis – Nebraska City – Normandy American Cemetery Raymond (1) Harold G. McKay – North Platte – Fort McPherson National Cemetery, NE Strang (1) Ralph D. McManaman – Omaha – Brittany American Cemetery Sunol (1) John H. Meints – Pickrell – Normandy American Cemetery Taylor (1) Harold A. Meurrens – Omaha – Brittany American Cemetery Robert R. Miller – Lincoln – Wyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, NE William A. Nydegger – Beatrice – Normandy American Cemetery Where are they buried? Walter F. Placek – Columbus – Normandy American Cemetery Normandy American Cemetery (France) (20) Vyregel H. Putnam – Lincoln – Normandy American Cemetery Brittany American Cemetery (France) (3) Virgil D. Reimers – Dannebrog – Grand Island Cemetery, NE Fort McPherson National Cemetery (Nebraska) (5) Harry P. Saali – Peru – Normandy American Cemetery Nebraska (23) H.W.J. Schiebinger – Lincoln – Normandy American Cemetery California (1) Frank Schelbitzki – Strang – Ohiowa Cemetery, NE Jerome G. Sokol – Duncan – Duncan Cemetery, NE Freddie A. Sorenson – Filley – Crab Orchard Cemetery, NE Charles P. Stevens – Beatrice – Evergreen Home Cemetery, NE Joseph G. Swendroski – Omaha – Normandy American Cemetery William E. Tombrink – Omaha – Omaha Cemetery, NE Horace E. Van Houten – Taylor – Brittany American Cemetery Richard H. Wieser - Beaver Crossing – Normandy American Cemetery James W. Wilber – Big Springs – Normandy American Cemetery Leslie G. Wilson – Omaha – Normandy American Cemetery Floyd E. Whittaker – Blue Springs – Blue Springs Cemetery, NE Wesley Stahlhut – Nebraska City – Wyuka Cemetery, NE James W. Nichols – Omaha – Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park, NE Orvan R. Anderson – Omaha – Fort McPherson National Cemetery, NE Vard D. Kuebler – Lincoln – Golden Gate National Cemetery, CA Robert H. Putnam – Omaha – Forest Lawn Memorial Park, NE Herman Spreier – Lincoln – Wyuka Cemetery, NE George Tiedje – Bennington – German Cemetery Washington Co., NE Clarence M. Otto – Beatrice – Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery, NE

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG P A G E 5 Bob Hope Show 1944 Another successful Bob Hope Show! Thank you to Colonel Craig Strong (Bob) and the gang for a great kick off for the week of July 4th. Thank you to director Mary Meyer for bring- ing the show to life. To all the acts in the show….Thank You! We would also like to give a shout out to Mike Meyer (MC) and our sound guy (Jay). Next years’ show is scheduled for July 3, Top: Bob Hope monologue 2020! Bottom: Kiwanis Ki-Tones Welcome Seward Kiwanis Ki-Tones (Director Paul Beck) Grand Old Flag “American Heroes” (stand for your service song) Presentation of Award: Major General Bohac Invocation – Pastor John Meyer National Anthem – Jon Sronce Introduction of the Bob Hope Show 1944 Seward Municipal Band – “Thanks for the Memories” Monologue – Bob Hope ACT I – 1942 “Cesky Sestry” (Czech Sisters – Joanne Hawley, Dawn Mundt and Sue Placek) The Beer Barrel Polka Just Because Seward Municipal Band – “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” Vocal Music – “Goodnight Soldier” – Meghan Meyer Commercial – The Windsor Hotel – Clark Kolterman Video – “Der Fuehrer’s Face” ACT II – 1943 Comedy Routine – Bob Hope Seward Municipal Band “Blast from the Past” Top: Pastor John Meyer “Big Band Hits: Leap Frog, Stomp’n at the Savoy, Woodchoppers Ball” Below: Jon Sronce Vocal Music – “White Cliffs of Dover” – Jon Sronce “Street Singers” – Veronica Gabel and Barbara Ingwersen “Pistol Pack’n Mama” “This Land is Your Land” Commercial – Hughes Brothers Ammo Boxes – Nick Tuma and JJ Metschke ACT III – 1944 Commercial Video – “Buy Buy Buy a Bond” Vocal Music – “Dream a Little Dream of Me” – Meghan Meyer Seward Municipal Band – “Big Bands in Concert: A Sting of Pearls, Satin Doll, Intermission Riff, Sophisticated Lady, Opus One and In the Mood” Lincolnaires/”Sweet Adelines” – Director Karen Randall “It’s a Wonderful World” “Zippety Doo Dah” Benediction – Pastor John Meyer Vocal Music – “Thanks for the Memories” Bob Hope and Meghan Meyer Thank You’s Seward Municipal Band/cast/crew/audience: “God Bless America” Conclusion – Have a Great July 4th!

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG P A G E 6 Bob Hope Returns to Seward

Bob Hope (aka Colonel Craig Strong—NENG) put on a show for the ages at the Seward High School Auditorium on Sunday, June 30th. The Seward Munici- pal Band provided the swing music to put the crowd in the mood. Acts from around the state made for a great evening of fun and entertainment. Meghan and “Bob Hope” (Craig Strong)

Cesky Sestry—Joanne, Dawn and Sue Street Singers—Veronica and Barbara

JJ and Nick writing letters home Seward Municipal Band playing the favorites

Lincolnaires/Sweet Adelines Everyone on state for the encore—God Bless America

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Floors are prepped and ready to go. The walls break up the exhibit into three boxes: Command Post Tent, Hedgerow and Victory Rooms. The “Cornrow to Hedgerow 4D Experience” Exhibit is under con- struction at the Museum. CFMO is the lead on getting the room pre- pared for the exhibit (floors, walls, and lighting). Hartman Historical Services of Omaha is the lead on the exhibit. Doug and his son Luke have been to the Museum putting in the tent, hedgerow, and Victory rooms to get the exhibit ready for dedication on July 4th at 9:00am. The Museum would like to thank the fundraising committee The middle of the exhibit is the Hedgerow Room and con- for their outstanding work on rais- tains the 12 soldiers and Jeep. Thank you to CSMS sol- ing the $232,000 to complete the diers for coming over to modify the Jeep and take out the room. Come by and check it out! fluids for display. Hartman invested heavily in life like mannequins (over $30,000 spent). Check it out!

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG Anniversaries P A G E 8

 April 1, 1951—The P-51 Mustang returns to the Nebraska Air National Guard.

 April 7, 1862—Nebraskans participate in the Battle of Shiloh during the Civil War.

 April 21-30, 1991—The 24th MED starts to return to Nebraska after Desert Storm.

 May 6, 1975—The Omaha Tornado and the call of the NENG to assist.

 May 12, 1944—The 134th Infantry Regiment sets sail for Europe during World War II.

 May 24, 1991—The 1267th MED returns to Nebras- ka after Desert Storm.

 June 14, 1898—The First Nebraskans board the SS Senator enroute to the Philippines.

 June 15, 1935—The Omaha Street Car Riots and the call up of the NENG. Omaha World Herald war correspondent Lawrence  June 21, 1905—The war correspondent Lawrence Youngman was born on June 21, 1905. His World War II Youngman was born. pictures of our soldiers from Nebraska help the Museum to tell the story of courage and sacrifice in war. His uniforms  June 29, 1957—First OCS class at Camp Ashland. and camera’s are on display also across from the Concor- dia University Learning Center.

The Seward 4th of July Committee and Museum The 4th of July week is looking to break records at the Museum. We’ve got the Bob Hope Show 1944 coming to town! Craig Strong will be knocking them out as the legendary comedian. Society Lots of great Members talent will be showcased at the Seward High School Auditorium. The week before will feature nationally re- nowned actors playing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. We look forward to a leadership seminar with them and soldiers and airmen of the Military Department of Nebraska. We’ve got them putting on a Fireside Chat in the Jones Bank Theater live on FM 104.9 MAX Country. A movie at the Rivoli featuring a documentary on FDR. The goal for July 4th is to break the attendance record set in 2017. Our goal is 10,000. The dedication of the “Cornrow to Hedgerow 4D Experience” Exhibit is set for 9:00am on July 4th. The Museum will feature author Ted Neill and his book “Finding St. Lo”. The VA will be in the house stamping out dog tags and help- ing veterans. The 1776 soldiers will have an encampment and be marching in the parade. The Museum is the hub of the community….we have the best in- door restrooms…..plenty of bottled water (free)….and air conditioning. Make plans to be in Seward “Nebraska’s Fourth of July City” and swing over to the Museum to enjoy the exhibits and help us set a new attendance record.

FRIEND US ON FACEBOOK: NEBRASKA NATIONAL GUARD MUSEUM P A G E 9 St. John’s Summer Horizons Program Students learn about World War I and II

St. John’s Summer Horizons Program is a week long class on topics related to World War I and II. The students had a chance to study aviation, types of conflict, heroes of the wars, and living history related to the Nebraska National Guard. The class was lucky to have Museum volunteer Dr. Van Vahle that taught them some histori- cal and modern ways of treating soldiers in combat. Thank you Liz and the group at Sew- ard St. Johns for such great students!

FRIEND US ON FACEBOOK: NEBRASKA NATIONAL GUARD MUSEUM P A G E 10 Chuck and Jan Matzke Receive Award

Chuck Matzke served in the Nebraska National Guard in the early 1960’s as a member of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Second Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment as an in- fantry officer. After his service in the Nebraska National Guard he went on to become presi- dent of Jones National Bank and Trust Company in Seward. He was a leader on many commu- nity projects to include the new Seward Public Library. His talents and knowledge of the mili- tary made him a perfect candidate along with his wife, Jan, in leading the fundraising efforts for the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward.

Chuck and Jan were a team from the start of their time with the Nebraska National Guard Mu- seum. Chuck would remember a name from the past and Jan would assist him in making the contact to have them come and visit the Museum to solicit funds. He even involved his brother in securing a meeting with a company that resulted in a $100,000 donation to create the interac- tive “I Am the Guard” Room. The room is the only one like it in the National Guard museum system. Another room he secured funding for was the “Jones National Bank and Trust Compa- ny Theater”, a seventy seat state of the art presentation center at the Museum.

They both secured funding from a national company for marketing dollars to promote the fu- ture of the Museum. Chuck, with the help of his wife, wrote and starred in the commercial to ask the people of Nebraska for contributions to help the Museum. The commercial brought in needed donations to help fund the future World War II exhibit called the “Cornrow to Hedge- row 4D Experience” to be dedicated in 2019. The commercial has been seen around the state and on social media and has resonated well with people that want to honor the “Greatest Gener- ation”.

Chuck and Jan are a team when it comes to fundraising for the Museum. He actively searches for prospects and Jan develops the packets and information to send to the future contributors. Since 2014, they have both been responsible for over $550,000 in donations to the Museum. The money helps to build out displays and promote the future of the facility. The Nebraska Na- tional Guard Museum is a one of the best in the system be- cause of the hard work and drive of Chuck and Jan Matzke.

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Tim Dworak is putting the finishing touches on the new NENG Museum Gift Shop in June. The Society would like to thank his crew and the state crew (James) for the great work on the Gift Shop. The volunteers (Mary, Sha- ron, Suzanne and Roxie) have tagged and entered the inventory into the sys- tem. The shop offers great Nebraska National Guard and local/state items for sale. The gift shop is also selling books from Chapters Book Store and prints from Roger Richters. The inven- tory also includes: Shirts (Airborne, Museum, Run to St. Lo, etc), Hats (Army, Air Force, NENG), pins, books, 4th of July items. The Gift Shop is scheduled to open the week before July 4th. Come on out and shop!

Chapters Books Featured in Shop

The Museum would like to thank Carla Ketner of Chap- ters Book Store in Seward for partnering with the Gift Shop to sell military, local and state history and chil- drens books. We have quite a selection to choose from. A percentage of the sale of books goes back to the Mu- seum. Stop on by and check out the selection. Thank you Carla for helping out the Museum! Roger Richters Prints for Sale at Gift Shop The Museum Gift Shop has prints from renowned photogra- pher, Roger Richters, on display and for sale. Roger is a lo- cal farmer who has made a name for himself in landscape prints. He was commissioned by the Museum Gift Shop to take prints of the facility and surrounding points of interest. He has exceeded the standard with a wonderful selection of prints to choose from. He is currently working with Museum volunteers to do a 2020 calendar of his prints related to the Museum and Seward County. He has received top honors for his prints around the state. Come by and check out his selec- tions for sale.

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG P A G E 12 75th Anniversary of D-Day and Nebraska National Guard Connection...

As we look back 75 years to D-Day, we need to be reminded of the role a Columbus, Nebraska native would play on the world stage during World War II. Hitler referred to Andrew Jackson Higgins as the “new Noah” for his production of his famed land- ing craft. But in the middle of the war, a story is told of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander for , and his concern for . The book Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Boats That Won World War II, author Jerry Strahan relates this story in the introduction:

“Captain Harry Butcher, General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s personal aide, wrote in his memoirs that during March, 1943, as the invasions of Sicily and Italy were being planned, the general was confronted with a massive shortage of landing craft. Butcher recalled Eisenhower saying that when he was “buried his coffin should be in the shape of a landing craft, as they are practically killing him with worry.”

Andrew Jackson Higgins was born in Columbus, Nebraska and later moved to Omaha when he was seven. He joined the Millard Rifles (Nebraska National Guard) when he was twenty. His assignments in the unit included bridging exercises over the Platte River near Ashland. Following his time in Nebraska he moved south to pursue a lumber business. The locals wouldn’t sell him prime timber areas but were open to his purchase of swamp lands. He designed shallow draft boats to go in and extract and bring the lumber out….the same technology that would be used at D-Day in 1944.

Higgins would go onto fame in World War II as the leader of Higgins Industries in , Louisiana. During the war his company would build 20,094 boats for the armed forces. Most of them would be his famous Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) more commonly called a “Higgins Boat”. The 36 foot wooden boat with a 10 foot steel ramp would be used in every major amphibious operation during World War II. Soldiers would be delivered close to shore by assault transports and the force would dis-embark down rope ladders to the landing craft. The “Higgins Boat” was a strategic weapon that allowed our invasion forces to assault anywhere the Navy could take the transports. The Allies wouldn’t have to assault heavily armed ports. His designed craft would play a major part in D-Day.

The Americans and French would honor Mr. Higgins with a memorial on Utah Beach in Normandy, France. The Higgins Boat Memorial is located on the draw leading off Utah Beach close to where General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. landed in 1944 and he said to his subordinates “we’ll start the war right here”. The memorial is part of reproduction of the Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial in his hometown. They both feature his “Higgins Boat” waterline steel replica, statues of soldiers assaulting the beach, and Mr. Higgins statue overlooking the memorial. The Utah Beach Museum has an original “Higgins Boat” on dis- play. Visitors can walk into the outside memorial boat and get a feel for what it was like to assault the beach on June 6, 1944.

Mr. Higgins was honored in June, 2000, with the opening of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. It would later be- come the National World War II Museum. The reason the museum is in the city is that is where Higgins had 9 plants and hired over 20,000 workers to build craft for the allies. His workforce was diverse and he paid them by their skill levels. His workers responded by shattering production records during the war. He was a household name during the war years for his production genius. One of the first macro-artifacts patrons see at the National World War II Museum is a “Higgins Boat” on display and the story of how the city of New Orleans was the site of the facility.

In 2019, the Nebraska Delegation visited Normandy as part of its Liberation Tour to follow in the footsteps of the 134th Infantry Regiment across Europe. They stopped at the Higgins Boat Memorial to pay homage to the vision and drive of Columbus native Andrew Jackson Higgins. The site of an international memorial to a Nebraska native was impressive on such hallowed grounds. Mr. Higgins passed away in 1952 and never got the recognition that he deserved for his part in the war. A new generation of scholars is researching on how important his role was in supplying the Allies with landing craft during the war. He is the only Nebraskan to have a national memorial in his hometown, a national museum in the place where he worked, and an international memorial on a foreign shore.

Andrew Jackson Higgins (1886-1952) Member of the Millard Rifles (NENG) World War II Industrialist in New Orle- ans.

Higgins Memorial Print by Roger Richters

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG P A G E 13

A Discovery Day for Kids was a big hit at the Museum on Saturday, April 27, 2019. Hosted by the NENG Museum and the Nebraska Society Daughters of the Ameri- can Revolution. The DAR chapter brought in musicians and had plenty of games for the kids to play with. The Mu- seum had tours and equipment that the kids could get some hands on learning. The kids enjoyed getting into the Mini- Phantom jet on the main floor. They got a behind the scenes look at the new Hedge- row exhibit coming in July. April is the Month of the Military Child.

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG P A G E 14

News from the Museum…...

Major General Edwin C. Binder was born August 11, 1923, to Clarence and Myree Binder. He graduated from Omaha Central High School in 1941 and attended Kemper Military School in Booneville, Mo., graduating in 1943. General Binder began his military service when he enlisted in the US Army at Ft. Crook in June 1943. He served in the Infantry branch in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. He returned to Nebraska in 1946 where he met and married Roma Chilcott. This marriage was blessed with two children, Gary and Nancy. He was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Colorado Army National Guard in 1948 and later served in the New Mexico National Guard. Ed and Roma returned to Nebraska where Ed then served in the Nebraska National Guard. By the time he retired in 1983, he had more than 40 years of service and retired as the adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard. General Binder passed away on January 7, 2019. His family designated memorials to the NENG Museum in his honor and memory.

William Jennings Bryan Statue to Museum!

Colonel William Jennings Bryan is coming to the NENG Museum in September. His bronze statue has been at the US Capitol in Washington, DC since 1937. This year he will be replaced by Chief Standing Bear in an official cere- mony on September 18, 2019. The Bryan statue will be transported back to Seward and installed in the Early Guard (1854-1900) section of the Museum. The Museum would like to thank the following for assistance on getting the stat- ue to Seward: State Senator Mark Kolterman, Clark “Mr. Fourth of July” Kolterman, State Senator Tom Brewer, Scott Schafer. The Society has plans to create an exhibit around the permanent display. The Museum would like to thank Colonel Shane Martin and the CFMO staff for prep- ping the floor for the arrival of the statue. Colonel Bryan organized a regiment of NENG for the Span- ish-American War and was stationed in Cuba.

CHECK OUT THE WEBSIT E: WWW.NENGM.ORG P A G E 15

Antique Auto Club at Museum

The Museum hosted a large collection of cars and drivers of the Antique Automobile Club of America on Sunday, June 2, 2019. The Museum would like to thank Myron Smith and the drivers for coming to the Mu- seum for a meal and tour of the facility. The club staged in Seward and toured around the county and state over the week. So nice to see so many at the meal on the main floor of the Museum. The club sent a nice donation to the Museum after the event. Thank you to all that participated.

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More Pictures…...

Rotary fundraiser gives back to the Museum! Andy Hove, AM General, visits the Museum

D-Day Presentation in Fort Scott, KS Student visits to the Museum

Practicing at Museum for Bob Hope Show Nick, Luke and Doug working on Hedgerow

Luke and Doug in the Hedgerows Suzanne and Mary working in Gift Shop

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