May 1, 2023 | Artifact - WW I
The use of two imprinted metal identification discs was first introduced in large quantities during World War I as a means to identify dead and incapacitated soldiers on the battlefield. Prior to the use of metal tags, soldiers wrote their names and hometowns on...
May 1, 2023 | Artifact - WW II
During the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, this French-made oil lamp illuminated the operating table at an over-run aid station. Despite his own wounds, Chaplain Merle M. Grove (1912-1971) with the 357th Infantry...
Apr 28, 2023 | Artifact - Vietnam War
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas E. Collins, III, of Utica, Mississippi, served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. While flying a combat mission on October 18, 1965, his F-4C Phantom II fighter-bomber was hit by ground fire over North Vietnam. Forced to eject at low...
Apr 28, 2023 | Artifact - Vietnam War
This flight helmet belonged to Lieutenant Joseph B. “Joe” Gatewood (1939-2016) of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and is typical of those worn by naval aviators during the Vietnam War. Each flight helmet was painted with the squadron’s unique design and the...
Apr 28, 2023 | Artifact - WW I
Henry Jetton Tudury (1885-1952), of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, served in the 12th Machinegun Battalion, 59th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, during World War I. Throughout his service in France, Tudury served as a runner, carrying messages to and from the trenches,...
