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Media-Based Pennsylvania Veterans Museum
Is Historic Treasure
By Grace Wiltbank
Contributing Writer
One of the historic treasures of the Delaware Valley is the little known but quite remarkable Pennsylvania Veterans Museum in Media, PA.
Located at 12 East State St. in the ground-level basement of the former National Guard Armory, the museum is small in size but huge in patriotic spirit and the number of authentic artifacts on display. They number in the thousands and include everything from a World War I French Chauchat light machine gun to a reproduction of the Instrument of Surrender signed by Japanese officials on the U.S.S. Battleship Missouri ending World War II.
The museum has separate exhibits dedicated to World War I, World War II and the Korean War and is planning a Vietnam War exhibit as soon as the needed funds can be raised and sufficient artifacts collected.
In addition to the French machine gun, the extensive World War I exhibit includes a helmet worn by Private William C. Scott of Media, a “bandage tin,” German army binoculars, a gas mask and a copy of the famous poster proclaiming “Remembrance Day, November 11, Wear A Red Poppy.”
(Use of the poppy as a war remembrance symbol was inspired by the famous poem by Lt. Col. John McCrae which contains the lines “in Flanders Field the poppies blow, between the crosses row on row.”)
The museum’s more extensive World War II exhibit features scores of American weapons, uniforms and medals and a jarring but fascinating collection of German memorabilia, including a Swastika flag, a Nazi Party armband and SS armband, a Hitler Youth badge and an Iron Cross Second Class medal.
The World War II exhibit also includes a special section devoted to the Battle of the Bulge plus kiosks which contain gripping film footage like that showing the actual D-Day invasion of France and kamikaze attacks on the U.S.S. Missouri.
On one wall hangs a poster proclaiming “Gee!! I Wish I Were A Man, I’d Join The Navy. Be A Man, And Do It!” The poster features a pretty girl in a sailor suit. The museum also has posters urging women to join the WAVES and other women’s service units.
The highlight of the Korean War Exhibit is a diorama showing an American soldier manning a machine gun in the deep snow of a Korean winter.
One of the special treasures of the museum is a small but completely accurate model of the Missouri. Standing next to the case containing the model is a white uniformed mannequin portraying Carl Reisman, Lieutenant Commander on the ship.
Carl Reisman was the commanding officer of Ed Buffman of Media, a co-founder of the Veterans Museum and now chairman emeritus. Mr. Buffman, a highly decorated Navy veteran, served on the Missouri when two kamikazes attacked it and when Japanese officials came aboard the ship to sign the Instrument of Surrender.
The other two co-founders are Media veterans Bud Hendrick and Arthur Burn, the museum’s current chairman.
For years, the three men had dreamed of creating a local museum that would preserve the legacy of all U.S. military veterans from Pennsylvania by presenting a living history of their service experience.
The first step into turning the dream into reality was taken in November 2001 when Ed, Bud and Arthur created a veterans’ memorabilia display at the Media Theatre, where the show at the time was “South Pacific.” The display prompted Media Mayor Bob McMahon to urge the three vets to gather 500+ signatures requesting state funding for the conversion of the Media armory into a Pennsylvania veterans museum. Following their success at the Media Theatre, the three men set up a similar display at the Franklin Mint near Media that same year. That brought in the first donation. The gift was $2,000. Ultimately, the state donated $1.3 million for the museum project and Delaware County (where Media is located) donated $200,000. The Museum had its grand opening on Veterans Day in 2005.
A non-profit enterprise, the Museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Admission is free but contributions are gladly accepted. Veterans make up most of the volunteer staff but non-veterans are welcome to join them. Ed Buffman pleaded: “We need volunteers and donations!”
You can reach the Pennsylvania Veterans Museum at 610-566-0788 or on-line at www.PaVeteransMuseum.org.
Is Historic Treasure
By Grace Wiltbank
Contributing Writer
One of the historic treasures of the Delaware Valley is the little known but quite remarkable Pennsylvania Veterans Museum in Media, PA.
Located at 12 East State St. in the ground-level basement of the former National Guard Armory, the museum is small in size but huge in patriotic spirit and the number of authentic artifacts on display. They number in the thousands and include everything from a World War I French Chauchat light machine gun to a reproduction of the Instrument of Surrender signed by Japanese officials on the U.S.S. Battleship Missouri ending World War II.
The museum has separate exhibits dedicated to World War I, World War II and the Korean War and is planning a Vietnam War exhibit as soon as the needed funds can be raised and sufficient artifacts collected.
In addition to the French machine gun, the extensive World War I exhibit includes a helmet worn by Private William C. Scott of Media, a “bandage tin,” German army binoculars, a gas mask and a copy of the famous poster proclaiming “Remembrance Day, November 11, Wear A Red Poppy.”
(Use of the poppy as a war remembrance symbol was inspired by the famous poem by Lt. Col. John McCrae which contains the lines “in Flanders Field the poppies blow, between the crosses row on row.”)
The museum’s more extensive World War II exhibit features scores of American weapons, uniforms and medals and a jarring but fascinating collection of German memorabilia, including a Swastika flag, a Nazi Party armband and SS armband, a Hitler Youth badge and an Iron Cross Second Class medal.
The World War II exhibit also includes a special section devoted to the Battle of the Bulge plus kiosks which contain gripping film footage like that showing the actual D-Day invasion of France and kamikaze attacks on the U.S.S. Missouri.
On one wall hangs a poster proclaiming “Gee!! I Wish I Were A Man, I’d Join The Navy. Be A Man, And Do It!” The poster features a pretty girl in a sailor suit. The museum also has posters urging women to join the WAVES and other women’s service units.
The highlight of the Korean War Exhibit is a diorama showing an American soldier manning a machine gun in the deep snow of a Korean winter.
One of the special treasures of the museum is a small but completely accurate model of the Missouri. Standing next to the case containing the model is a white uniformed mannequin portraying Carl Reisman, Lieutenant Commander on the ship.
Carl Reisman was the commanding officer of Ed Buffman of Media, a co-founder of the Veterans Museum and now chairman emeritus. Mr. Buffman, a highly decorated Navy veteran, served on the Missouri when two kamikazes attacked it and when Japanese officials came aboard the ship to sign the Instrument of Surrender.
The other two co-founders are Media veterans Bud Hendrick and Arthur Burn, the museum’s current chairman.
For years, the three men had dreamed of creating a local museum that would preserve the legacy of all U.S. military veterans from Pennsylvania by presenting a living history of their service experience.
The first step into turning the dream into reality was taken in November 2001 when Ed, Bud and Arthur created a veterans’ memorabilia display at the Media Theatre, where the show at the time was “South Pacific.” The display prompted Media Mayor Bob McMahon to urge the three vets to gather 500+ signatures requesting state funding for the conversion of the Media armory into a Pennsylvania veterans museum. Following their success at the Media Theatre, the three men set up a similar display at the Franklin Mint near Media that same year. That brought in the first donation. The gift was $2,000. Ultimately, the state donated $1.3 million for the museum project and Delaware County (where Media is located) donated $200,000. The Museum had its grand opening on Veterans Day in 2005.
A non-profit enterprise, the Museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Admission is free but contributions are gladly accepted. Veterans make up most of the volunteer staff but non-veterans are welcome to join them. Ed Buffman pleaded: “We need volunteers and donations!”
You can reach the Pennsylvania Veterans Museum at 610-566-0788 or on-line at www.PaVeteransMuseum.org.