National Guard Museum holds dedication on the Fourth of July

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The Nebraska National Guard Museum dedication was attended by more than 500 people and the open house saw 7,815 people come through the building on July 4.

The new total shattered the old record set last year of 3,873. The museum was celebrating a grand opening dedication of rooms and displays after a year of work since the building dedication on July 4, 2015.

As the crowd prepared for the dedication, a lone UH-60 Blackhawk, piloted by local pilot Zac Hartmann, flew in from Lincoln to land in the west lot of the museum. Hartmann and his crew entertained young and old alike on the modern transport and MEDEVAC helicopter of the Nebraska National Guard.

The 9 a.m. flyover was canceled due to low cloud ceiling and the dedication started with opening remarks from Darin Krueger, president of the Nebraska National Guard Museum Historical Society and Master of Ceremonies for the event. The official party for the event was the Adjutant General of Nebraska, Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, State Sen. Mark Kolterman, Mayor Josh Eickmeier and Chaplain Steve Thomlison.

The National Anthem was sung by Kit Matzke of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The mayor led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. The opening invocation was led by Thomlison, a chaplain in the Nebraska National Guard.

The first official act of the dedication was a wreath laying ceremony at “Prairie Trails” in front of the museum. The ceremony was in honor of the 17 aviators killed in the line of duty since 1915. The wreath laying honor guard was Capt. Maragaret Ingerslew, United States Air Force and Concordia graduate, and Col. Eric Teegerstrom, Nebraska National Guard and Concordia graduate. They escorted Ramona (Knott) Muntz and her family forward to lay the wreath.

Muntz is the sister of Kenneth Knott, Nebraska Air National Guard pilot, who was killed in August 1966 flying the RF-84 on a mission over Lake Michigan (he is still classified as missing). Starting with Ralph McMillen (1916) and up to Patrick Hamburger (2011), the names were announced and a bell rung by Josh Fields. After the last name, Meghan Meyer and Vilynn Decker played Taps (with echo).

Bohac was the speaker for the dedication. He spoke on the importance of telling our history and celebrating our heritage in a modern museum that all Nebraskans can be proud of. He was also the “Nebraska’s Friend” Award winner and Grand Marshal for the Seward Fourth of July Parade.

The dedication of the “Century of Nebraska National Guard Aviation” 1915-2015 – The Curtiss Pusher featured Ryne Seaman and Dave Claussen unveiling an enlarged version of the sign mounted in the museum.

Seaman, president of the Cattle National Bank and Trust Company, represented all the donor/sponsors for the display and talked about how important it was to have the Curtiss Pusher above the museum exhibit areas to remind everyone of our ties to early aviation in the state.

Claussen, the chief designer and builder of the Curtiss Pusher, told how impressed he was with the people of Seward and the state for their support of the project. He and Seaman got everyone laughing telling about Virginia Cattle being the only person to sit in the cockpit and check the controls. Claussen drove back to Seward after installing the plane two weeks ago because he was so impressed with the people of the town and how friendly they all were.

Both men thanked the donors/sponsors: Virginia Cattle and family, The Cattle National Bank and Trust Co., the Smiley family–JoAnn Smiley Jones, Don Smiley and Marilyn Smiley Schulz, Daws Trucking (Jim and driver Chuck), Geis Steel Tech (Dave Geis and his scorpion crane and expertise), Dale and JoAnn Wallman, Cody Cade, Mark and Will Forster, Mike Carpenter (crew from Durango, Colorado), Ken Meyer and his grandson Nathan, Van Vahle (for pitching in on the scaffolding) and many others who gave money and time and worked behind the scenes to bring the plane to life. The Curtiss Pusher now resides above the John W. Cattle, Sr. Exhibit Area as a testament to our early aviation pioneers led by Capt. Ralph McMillen, Nebraska National Guard Aviation Corps pilot.

The next presentation was the name of the new exhibit area. The “John W. Cattle, Sr. Exhibit Area” is the home of the Curtiss Pusher and the museum’s special exhibits collections. The room features an area to showcase special exhibits and is surrounded by shrouds covered with images of the past from the Nebraska National Guard. The large shroud overlooking the plane features a handbill from Wisconsin promoting the “World’s Greatest Aviator – Ralph McMillen” and shows him in his 1913 Curtiss Pusher (exactly like the one above the area).

On another shroud is Gen. Butler Miltonberger of North Platte who led the Nebraskans in World War II and was the first chief, National Guard Bureau following the war. Another shroud shows the First Nebraskans and the quote that gave us the “All Hell Can’t Stop Us” motto that is used today.

The final, colored shroud is the façade of the 1913 State Arsenal, which is supposed to evoke the feeling of walking from the past (our old museum home) to the present.

The current display in the area is on aviation artifacts and features a collection of aviation artifacts and pictures about Erle Smiley (first commander of Company M in Seward in 1921 and renowned barn-stormer).

Seaman, president of The Cattle National Bank and Trust Co., spoke on behalf of the Cattle family and the bank. He spoke about what it meant to have worked for John and the family and how honored he and the family were to have such a facility to share his story with so many people. Four generations of the Cattle family were on hand to unveil the sign at the dedication. Virginia Cattle did the honors of lifting the covering. The John W. Cattle, Sr. Exhibit Area is in memory of Virginia’s husband, John, who was a World War II hero and prominent citizen of Seward.

The new theater in the museum is now the “Jones National Bank and Trust Co. Theater.” Max Wake, president of Jones National Bank and Trust Co., spoke about the need for the vision of the museum and the wonderful community support that made the day possible. The new theater features a state-of-the-art projection and sound system, seating for 60 patrons (chairs are embroidered with “Jones National Bank and Trust Company”), podium and separate sound system and the walls are wrapped in images of the Nebraska National Guard since 1854. The theater features a seven minute video on the museum and short history of the Nebraska National Guard done by local talent, Denise Mommens (Nebraska National Guard).

The theater can be reconfigured to allow visitors to have meetings and displays related to the National Guard. The video also features Max Wake welcoming you to the theater and the Nebraska National Guard Museum and offering ground and aerial images of the museum and Seward. He is followed by a welcome from Bohac. A short history of how the museum ended up in Seward is narrated by Brig. Gen. Wendy Johnson. The final scenes tell about the history and the things you will see in the museum narrated by Mommens. The theater has received rave reviews for the level of detail put into the design and comfort. Wake and his father, Steve, and family were on hand to unveil the sign for the theater. The Jones National Bank and Trust Co. Theater was possible from a generous sponsorship of the Jones National Bank and Trust Co. and the Wake Charitable Foundation.

The Concordia University Learning Center was a combined effort between The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod Ministry to the Armed Forces and Concordia University. The Concordia University Learning Center is the museum’s state-of-the-art classroom to promote the heritage of the Nebraska National Guard and educational standards of Nebraska. The learning center is in honor of the military chaplains and the value placed on education.

The center is set up to allow for teaching to validate Nebraska State Education standards for grades four, eight and 11. It is a fully functioning classroom with state-of-the-art projection systems. It also features several displays looking down from above and to the side.

The “When You Needed Us....We Were There” Domestic Operations Display features two soldiers fighting fires and floods and was donated by Union Bank and Trust Company – Seward Branch.

In the classroom is a display to Lawrence Youngman, World War II Omaha World Herald reporter who covered the 134th Infantry (Nebraska National Guard) during the war and was sponsored by his daughter Judy Wigton and Judge Kenneth Stephan. The future “Airborne!” display is scheduled for a future unveiling and was sponsored by Berry Law Firm and the family of Charles Nitz (Korean War Airborne Soldier).

Dr. Brian Friedrich, president of Concordia University, spoke of the importance of education and being part of the community of Seward and the state of Nebraska. He was followed by Navy Chaplain Craig Muehler who represented the Luthern Church – Missouri Synod Ministry to the Armed Forces who spoke on the collective Christian community of chaplains in the military and what it means to be part of that group and how future chaplain exhibits will part of the museum.

Other exhibits were also highlighted at the ceremony: “Seward’s Citizen Soldier’s” made possible by the family of Willis Heyen and from the Seward County Tourism (Brick and Mortar) Grant, future “1854 Proclamation – Birth of the Nebraska National Guard” Alcove, future “Cornrow to Hedgerows” Room featuring an interactive display in honor of the 134th Infantry Regiment in France during World War II (expected completion on the 75th anniversary of the battle for St. Lo in 2019), future “Women in the Nebraska National Guard” Alcove, future “Lost Battalion” Alcove about the battalion of the 134th Infantry Regiment that went to the Aleutians during World War II, “The Modern Nebraska National Guard 1946-present” a tribute to our Adjutant General leadership since World War II, a library (yet to be named), a conference room (yet to be named) and weapons display room (yet to be named).

After the conclusion of the ceremony, people were allowed to see the rooms and exhibits for the first time. They were also treated to two Nebraska authors: Diane Bartels and Charlotte Endorf. The authors were part of the Nebraska Humanities program. Bartels spoke on Eveyln Sharp and Endorf talked about the North Platte Canteen. Both authors were well received and will be invited back in the future. By 11:30 a.m. the single day record was surpassed (3,873) and the final tally at the end of the day was 7,815. The final tally far surpassed the number projected from Clark “Mr. Fourth of July” Kolterman who predicted 6,000.

“We were extremely pleased with the record attendance,” said Darin Krueger, president of the Nebraska National Guard Museum Historical Society.

The theme for next year is the 100th Anniversary of World War I and will feature artifacts from the Nebraska National Guard experience in the war. This will be in conjunction with the Chautauqua 2017 theme of World War I.

The museum and Seward Fourth of July Committee are planning a World War I era (1917) Vaudeville show on July 2, 2017, and events related to the war for the museum on July 4, 2017. If you can assist with this effort, please contact the museum at (402) 309-8763.