The Grundy County Museum will commemorate VJ Day with a special veterans program at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 12 at the main museum building.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
VJ Day, the date Japan surrendered in 1945, is officially celebrated Aug. 14, however, this local veterans program will be Aug. 12 to coincide with the museum’s seasonal hours.
The Grundy County Museum program will highlight the experiences of local veterans who served in the Pacific Theater of operations during World War II. Local veterans who will display souvenirs and speak about their WW-II Pacific experiences are:
Terry Dolan – Terry will present the combat experiences of Jack Dolan, a highly decorated sniper. Jack Dolan’s wartime experiences are described in a book, “A Handsome Guy,” written by Phillip R. Dolan.
John and Doris Carter – Doris will describe her experiences serving with the stateside USO and John will use a WWII map to trace his combat route from North Africa to Italy to France to the Netherlands to Germany and finally Czechoslovakia.
Rex Gray – Rex will relate his South Pacific combat experiences with his three brothers who all served in WWII in both the European and Pacific theaters. Rex will have photos of wartime destruction in the Philippines and Japan.
Justin Griffin – Justin will display Japanese rifles, swords and photos as he talks about his experiences in the 33rd Infantry Division.
Russell Joiner – Russell will bring his silk (edible) map of the Pacific Ocean and describe his Air Force experiences and flights over Tokyo in a B-29 bomber.
Terry Whitnell – Terry will present the combat record of Gerald Renfro, a highly decorated veteran of both the Normandy Beach and the Battle of the Bulge. Gerald’s U.S. and foreign medals will also be on display.