Doug Hartman of Hartman Historical Services of Omaha checks out the mannequins at the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward. The mannequins were made by Dorfman Museum Figures Inc., of Baltimore, Maryland. The ultra-realistic mannequins with World War II uniforms from the museum collection and replica weapons are the centerpiece of the new hedgerow exhibit.
The countdown to the Fourth of July begins-one month from today! Until then, here are some news items and events as you start the day:
Pieces and parts are coming together in the next few weeks to build the new Cornrow to Hedgerow 4D Experience exhibit at the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward.
The $236,000 addition is being built by Hartman Historical Services out of Omaha. The Museum Society, under the leadership of Seward NENG veteran Chuck Matzke, has raised considerable funds over the past two years to complete the project. The exhibit is set to be dedicated on Thursday, July 4, at 9 a.m. at the museum.
The exhibit is a huge leap forward in design for the museum. The art of 4D is to immerse the patron in a display. So the exhibit is broken down into three boxes to help tell the story.
The first box is the 134th Regimental Command Post on July 14, 1944, outside of St. Lo, France, in World War II.
The patron will be given the actual five paragraph operations order that Col. Charles Miltonberger issued to the soldiers on that day in 1944. The voice of the colonel is Mike Meyer, the voice of Concordia sports, who also is featured in the movie in the Jones Bank Theater at the museum. On completion of the brief, the patrons enter the second box – the hedgerow.
The hedgerow box is the 4D depiction of the famous National Guard Heritage Print “From Cornrow to Hedgerow – The Story of the 134th Infantry at St. Lo” by Keith Rocco. Patrons will enter from the back of the painting on a trail in France and see 12 Nebraska soldiers and a jeep in the positions they are in the artwork. For more of this story, check out the May 29 issue of SCI.
A Star Wars party will take place today at the Seward Memorial Library to kick off their summer reading program. The theme for this year is "A Universe of Stories." Children of all ages are welcome to participate, although those not yet in school are asked to be accompanied by an adult. The event begins at 1:30 p.m. and includes prizes, games, crafts and snacks.
The Seward Fourth of July annual kick-off party will be held tomorrow night at the Civic Center beginning at 7 p.m. Seward Rotary will crown Miss Independence and Mr. Firecracker along with the runner-ups. The grand marshal will be introduced and the recipient of the Seward County Community Service Award will be announced. The Kitones will also perform.
Give Blood in Waco The Waco Fire Department will hold a blood drive this coming Thursday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the fire department building.
The fourth annual Run to St. Lo will be held this weekend, on June 8, beginning at 7 a.m. Check-in begins at 6 a.m. The 5K and one-mile runs honor 52 Nebraska National Guard soldiers killed in battle. To register for the event, go to getmeregistered.com or for more information, call (402) 309-8763.
Have a great day!
