Wright Museum Preview 2016

12016 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES

The Wright TimesThe Wright Times

The Wright Museum • 77 Center Street, Wolfeboro, NH • 603-569-1212 Open May 1st-Oct. 31st • Mon-Sat 10am-4pm • Sunday Noon-4pm • To Become A Member Or Make A Donation Visit www.wrightmuseum.org

Wright MuseuM Marks 75th anniversary Of Pearl harbOr With sPecial exhibit

“December 7, 1941 – a day which will live in infamy.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Infamy: December 7, 1941” (Exhibit will be open August 20-October 24) Honors the 75th anniversary of the Japanese sur-

prise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor. The assault was a seminal event in American history that helped lead to the country’s emergence as a world power.

Intent on conquering Malaya and the Dutch East In-dies, the Japanese launched the attack to cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet, hoping to stop America from interfer-ing with their plans. The attack was just one of a series of almost-simultaneous strikes on the American-held territories of Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippines as well as on British-held territories.

The attack shocked Americans everywhere and resulted in some of the country’s darkest days. The attack also pulled the country together and launched America into World War II, putting it on the track to assume leadership of the Free World.

“Infamy: December 7, 1941” displays 66 powerful and gripping photographs of the attack. You can wit-ness first-hand the shock, devastation, and horror that gripped the victims. You can experience the courage and bravery they displayed as well.

This exhibit is made possible with additional support from John Warner and contributions from O Bistro at Inn on Main; and Northeast Delta Dental, Bartlett Tree Experts, and Weirs Publishing Company.

“Infamy: December 7, 1941” was developed by the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. USS West Virginia burning, immediately after the Japanese attack.

The son of a World W a r I I v e t e r a n , founder David Wright served as a U.S. Ma-rine during the Kore-an War. Since he was too young to serve, he experienced WWII on the home front grow-ing up near Worces-ter, Mass. David was

an avid collector of WWII vintage vehicles for many years. He eventually owned and restored over 50 ve-hicles, all fully operational. By 1983, he established

the E. Stanley Wright Museum Foundation, Inc. in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.

Originally, the Museum was a mobile exhibition that David made available to communities around the Northeast for parades and military functions at venues such as the Roosevelt Museum and West Point.

While his vehicle collection was - and continues to be - impressive, David believed that it was impera-tive to tell the whole story of Americans’ contribu-tion to the war effort. As he began to develop plans for a permanent museum, he felt it necessary to document the great achievements of Americans on the home front, since their commitment played such

a crucial role in the Allied victory.In 1992 David Wright purchased an 8-acre parcel

adjacent to Wolfeboro’s Smith River, the former site of the Diamond National sawmill. On July 16, 1994 the doors opened to the museum’s first visitors.

Since then, nearly 300,000 people have visited the Wright Museum. Some visit out of curiosity after having seen the M3A1 Stuart tank protruding from the building’s facade. What they find inside conjures memories for visitors of a certain age. For families visiting the Wright Museum, the exhibits often spur conversations across generations, allowing parents, grandparents, and children to contemplate the achievements of the Greatest Generation.

What Is The Wright Museum?

2 2016 WRIGHT MUSEUM NEWS - A SPECIAL FEATURE TO THE WEIRS TIMES & COCHECO TIMES

We’ve been talking about it – but now we’re doing it! This spring we’re expanding our Victory Garden to plant more produce and to make the garden more authentic. Because of the larger garden, the Museum also can contribute more fresh produce to Wolfeboro L.I.F.E. Ministries Food Pantry to distribute to their clients in Wolfe-boro, Ossipee, and Tuftonboro.

In April, Master gardener Christin Kaiser will start the expansion. The garden will have a special area dedicated to growing vegetables that the Japanese Americans raised in the internment camps. Raised beds will demonstrate how wheelchair-bound Americans were able to raise food and contribute to the war effort along with everyone else. The rest of the vegetables will be planted at ground level.

A new interpretative sign will talk about how the production of ammonium nitrate for explosives and DDT during World War II led to the rise of high production agri-culture after the war, along with its environmental consequences and the current refocus on sustainable farming.

These changes were made possible thanks to our much-appreciated partnership with Hannaford Supermarkets and generous support from Gary Skoloff in honor of his daughter, Karen Merrill-Skoloff.

And our special thanks goes to Christin for all the work she does in planting the Victory Garden and to our volunteers for their work in maintaining it.

Last year, we opened the season with a special exhibit of 83 paintings by Charles J. Miller. The scenes depicted the every-day life of the common G.I. who served in the South Pacific Theater during World War II. The exhibit, which we developed in-house, was a big hit with the public. The exhibit also received a tremen-dous amount of publicity from the media, includ-ing the Boston Globe and WMUR television’s New Hampshire Chronicle.

This year, we are proud to announce that we are opening the 2016 season with a second Miller exhibit, “Private Charles J. Miller: New Paintings from the South Pacific.” The exhibit which runs May 1-June 10, features 40 more paintings that have never been seen before by the general public.

Born and raised in Nashua, NH, Miller bucked his family’s opposition to his be-coming an artist by secretly teaching himself the artist’s skills from books he took out from the library. He quit school after the sixth grade to work in the cotton mills in Nashua to help support his family. Drafted during the war, Miller served in the Pacific Theater, where he created 700 paintings and drawings. He called his scenes “descriptive,” saying “You see what I saw.” And he never sold a painting. He gave them away.

Miller’s paintings are important primary sources for anyone interested in the everyday life of the average G.I. who served in the South Pacific Theater. What makes Miller’s paintings unique is the descriptions he wrote on them, which told you what you were seeing.

This exhibit is made possible with additional support from The Art Place; and con-tributions from Shaun and Ellen Berry and from Two International Group, LLC; and NFP Insurance.

revisit the sOuth Pacific theater With charles J. Miller

May 1st - June 10th

2016 SPECIAL EXHIBITDID YOU KNOW

ABOUT THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR?

Some Of The Battleships Sunk That Day Were Resurrected

Of the 8 battleships that were targeted during the at-tacks, all but 2 were eventually repaired and returned to the U.S. Navy’s fleet. The USS West Virginia and the USS California had both sunk completely, but the Navy raised them, repaired them, and reused them.

Furthermore, bullet holes and damage from the attacks can be seen to this day at many of the active military in-stallations on Oahu, including Schofield Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield and Hickam Army Air Field. Rather than repair or cover up the damage, the bullet holes serve as a reminder of the lives lost that day and as motivation for our military to stand strong.

Veterans Of The Attack Can Be Laid To Rest At Pearl Harbor

Survivors of the attack have the option to join their lost comrades and make Pearl Harbor their final resting place. Crewmembers who served on board the USS Arizona, which experienced the most devastating damage when the attack occurred, may choose to have their ashes deposited by divers beneath one of the sunken Arizona’s gun turrets. Roughly 30 Arizona survivors have chosen this option and less than a dozen of the 355 survivors are known to still be alive.

Twenty-Three Sets of Brothers Died Aboard the USS Arizona

There were 37 confirmed pairs or trios of brothers as-signed to USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. Of these 77 men, 62 were killed, and 23 sets of brothers died. Only one full set of brothers, Kenneth and Russell Warriner, survived the attack; Kenneth was away at flight school in San Diego on that day and Russell was badly wounded but recovered. Both members of the ship’s only father-and-son pair, Thomas Augusta Free and his son William Thomas Free, were killed in action.

Though family members often served on the same ship before World War II, U.S. officials attempted to discour-age the practice after Pearl Harbor. However, no official regulations were established, and by the end of the war hundreds of brothers had fought—and died—together. The five Sullivan brothers of Waterloo, Iowa, for instance, jointly enlisted after learning that a friend, Bill Ball, had died aboard USS Arizona; Their only condition upon enlistment was that they be assigned to the same ship. In November 1942, all five siblings were killed in action when their light cruiser, USS Juneau, was sunk during the Battle of Gua-dalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

The USS Arizona Still Leaks FuelThe day before the attack, the USS Arizona took on a

full load of fuel - nearly 1.5 million gallons. Much of that fuel helped ignite the explosion and subsequent fires that destroyed the ship, but amazingly, some of that fuel contin-ues to seep out of the wreckage. According to the History Channel, the Arizona “continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day“ and visitors often say it is as if the ship were still bleeding.

Continued on Next Page

SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY

Our victOry garden is still grOWing


The Wright Museum’s vision statement is what guides us. We truly believe in our goal:

To be the preeminent history museum that preserves and promotes a comprehensive understanding and apprecia-tion of the enduring contributions made by World War II-era Americans.

We believe this approach is the best way to focus our work be-cause WWII affected the lives of all Americans and con-tributions made during that era continue to shape our world today. We work to tell the stories of WW II – both the ordinary and the extraordinary – in order to illuminate the relationship be-tween the past and present, and learn from it.

Over the past few years we have grown our offerings, add-ed new experiences, and created new content for the field. In 2015, your generosity clearly indicated that you share our aspirations and approve of our work. Your annual fund do-nations nearly doubled in 2015 from 2014, our membership program grew dramatically, and we had record attendance, with over 16,500 visitors. For all your generosity and support, we simply can’t thank you enough.

Your Annual Fund donations are especially important be-cause they allow us to realize our dreams. Annual Funds provide operating capital that we can invest in programs, upgrades to exhibits, and our collection.

Recurring gifts go a step further by giving us the invaluable ability to plan ahead. Recurring gifts’ predictability is the key to our sustainability. And with sustainability we can be even more ambitious.

As you think about your 2016 gift, perhaps the most im-portant thing we will ask of you is to consider becoming a sustaining donor.

Thank you, Mike Culver

directOr’s Message

During World War II, Norman Rockwell put a human face on daily life in home front America with iconic paintings that ap-peared on the covers of The Saturday Eve-ning Post. The images reflected the social and political climate in the United States during that time.

The Wright’s second exhibit of the 2016 season,, “Norman Rockwell in the 1940s: A View of the American Home Front” (June 19-August 21), features 44 of his original art works for The Saturday Evening Post covers that feature home-front themes. Covers include “Rosie the Riveter,” “The Home-coming,” “Home on Leave,” and “Back to Civies.” The exhibit also displays the “Willie Gillis” series of covers, which fol-low a fictional everyman through the war. The series was so realistic that some people thought Willie was an actual person.

A highlight of the exhibit is Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms,” which appeared during four consecutive weeks on The Saturday Evening Post covers in 1943. Each paint-ing reflects one of the freedoms President Franklin Roosevelt identified in the “Four Freedoms State of the Union” address that he delivered in January, 1941.

Rockwell’s wartime paintings fostered patriotism and encouraged support for the war effort. In 1943, a traveling exhibit featuring “Four Freedoms” helped raise $132 million for war bonds.

This exhibit is made possible with additional support from Wolfe’s Tavern at The Wolfeboro Inn; and contributions from Pratt & Whitney; and Sugar Hill Retirement Community; and Yankee Pedlar Realtors.

“Norman Rockwell in the 1940s: A View of the American Home Front” was orga-nized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Freedom from Want , Norman Rockwell

NormaN rockwell museum collectioNs ©1943 sePs: liceNsed by curtis liceNsiNg,

iNdiaNaPolis, iN all rights reserved. www.curtisliceNsiNg.com

exPerience nOrMan rOckWell’s WartiMe aMerica

June 19th -August 21st

2016 SPECIAL EXHIBITA Memorial was built at the USS Arizona Site, Thanks in Part to Elvis Presley

After the Arizona sank, its superstructure and main armament were salvaged and reused to support the war effort, leaving its hull, two gun turrets and the remains of more than 1,000 crewmen submerged in less than 40 feet of water. In 1949 a Commission was established to create a permanent tribute to those who had died at Pearl Harbor, but it wasn’t until 1958 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to create a national memo-rial. The funds to build it came from both the public sec-tor and private donors, including one unlikely source. In March 1961, entertainer Elvis Presley, who had recently finished a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, performed a benefit concert at Pearl Harbor’s Block Arena that raised over $50,000—more than 10 percent of the USS Arizona Memorial’s final cost. The monument was officially dedi-cated on May 30, 1962, and attracts more than 1 million visitors each year.

Service Members Stationed in Hawaii took Care of the Memorial during the 2013 Government Shutdown

Service members stationed in Hawaii treat Pearl Harbor as a living memorial and rally around it when times are tough. In October, 2013, for instance, when the U.S. gov-ernment shut down for more than two weeks, no one was around to take care of the memorial site. A spontaneous group of service members and their families gathered to tend to the seemingly abandoned site, raking, weeding and mowing the overgrown grass. Their message, they said, was to all veterans: “We haven’t forgotten about you. We will not forget about you.”


Your membership dollars are an important source of funds to support our exhibits and programs.

By joining the Wright, you become an actual partner in helping us carry out our mission of providing “a vivid perspective on the profound and enduring impact of the World War II experience on American society.” In return, you receive specific benefits that depend on your membership level.

Benefits can include: • Free admission to the museum • Invitations to members-only previews of spe-

cial exhibits such as “Norman Rockwell in the 1940s: A View of the American Home Front”

• 10% discounts from the museum store • Subscription to the museum’s newsletter,

Wright Times A new, special benefit is the Wright’s Member

Shopping Days. Every Thursday in June and in Sep-tember, you will receive 20% off everything you buy at the Museum Store.

Why MeMbershiP is iMPOrtant tO the Wright MuseuM


The Ron Goodgame and Donna Canney 2016 Education Program Schedule - May 10 - October 4

Tuesday, May 10

froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M. Three New Hampshire

Treasures: the New Hamp-shire Boat Museum, the New Hampshire Farm Mu-seum, and the Aviation Museum of New Hamp-shire

New Hampshire‘s cultural wealth can be measured by the rich variety of museums within its borders. Tonight representatives from three of those museums introduce you to their institutions and explain what makes them unique. Speakers are Lisa Simpson Lutts, Executive Director of the New Hamp-shire Boat Museum; Wen-dell Berthelsen, Director of Opera-tions for the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, and a representative from the New Hampshire Farm Museum.

Tuesday, May 17 froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M.

Dead But Not Forgot-ten: Memorializing New Hampshire Serviceman Buried in the American Cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands

Students from Mount Prospect High School in Al-ton, NH, speak about their research into the lives of New Hampshire servicemen killed during World War II and buried in the Nether-lands American Cemetery in Margraten. Mount Pros-pect history teacher Mike Folan and author Aimee Fogg talk about the project and the research procedure. And Netherlands resident Ben Savelkoul discusses the Grave Adoption Program that provides perpetual care for the graves of fallen Amer-ican servicemen. Ben has adopted two fallen Ameri-cans.


America’s Pistol: the Model 1911 -- 105 Years Young

Lecture by George R. Gu-rick, Jr.

The Model 1911 pistol, the finest and longest lasting military sidearm in U.S. his-tory, is John Moses Brown-ing’s crowning achievement as a firearms inventor.

Admission is $8.00 per person for non-members and free for Wright Museum members, unless otherwise noted. Because

of limited seating, we strongly encourage you to make reservations by calling 603-569-1212.

All programs begin at 7:00 p.m., unless noted otherwise The museum’s doors open one hour before the program begins.

Please check our website, www.wrightmuseum.org, for cancellations because of unforeseen circumstances.

George R. Gurick Jr. dis-cusses the high points of the Model 1911 as well as the War Department’s search for a service firearm before it adopted “America’s Pistol.”

George R. Gurick Jr. is a former U.S. Air Force staff sergeant. He also was a competitive shooter, attain-ing the classification of NRA Expert in open competition and enjoys shooting U.S. military small arms.


The Miracles of Design and Production in the US During World War II

Lecture by Stephen Keith

In 1939, the United States was unprepared to fight World War II. The U.S. Army was ranked 39th for size in the world, making it smaller than the armies of Greece or Portugal. The 1st US Army medium tank wasn’t produced by Chrysler until July, 1941 – just five months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Stephen Keith explains how the U.S. used design and production to overcome its grievous unpreparedness, allowing us to win the war and become a super power. America’s use of design and production is a fascinating story of what can be ac-complished when everyone pulls in the same direction for a common cause. Keith is a life-long amateur World War II historian whose pur-chase thirty-six years ago of a 1943 GMC-created troop carrier sparked his inter-est in American production during the war. Soon he was researching World War II production of other ve-hicles, ships, aircraft, and so on. Over the years, Keith has shared his extensive research with veteran’s groups, historical societies, and museums.

Tuesday, June 14 froM 7:00- 8:00 p.M.

Margaret Bourke-White, Courageous Photographer

Presented by Sally Mat-son*

Sally Matson portrays the extraordinary American photographer and photo-journalist Margaret Bourke-White. During World War II,

Bourke-White was the first female war correspondent or photographer allowed to work in war zones. (General Patton told her to hide his jowls in the photos she took of him.) She also was the first foreign photographer allowed to take photographs inside Soviet factories. (She had to make Stalin laugh to get his picture.) Matson uses letters and tender WWII-era V-mails found at Syracuse University to form the basis for her portrayal of this re-markable woman.

Sally Matson, a graduate of Northwestern University, has been acting and direct-ing for forty years. She per-formed for the Department of Defense in the Pacific, wrote and hosted for Con-necticut Cable TV, and has been performing as Susan B. Anthony since 2002. Mrs. Matson combines her love of research, writing, and acting to bring fearless, histori-cal women to life. Margaret Bourke-White is her latest portrayal.

*Program funded by the New Hampshire Humani-ties Council -- no charge.

Tuesday, June 21 froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M.

Tale of Two Subs Lecture by John Frank USS Squalus and USS

Sculpin were both built at the Portsmouth Naval yard. In 1939, Squalus sank off Portsmouth, NH, during a test dive. Sculpin aided in rescuing Squalus, which was recommissioned as USS Sailfish. The “Tale of Two Subs” follows the inter-twined fates of these subma-rines from the rescue into World War II when the Japa-nese carrier Chuyo sank the Sculpin. The Chuyo took the Sculpin’s survivors onboard as prisoners and was subse-quently sunk by the Sailfish. The Japanese carrier went down with the American prisoners onboard.

John Frank is a retired Su-perintendent of Schools. He is an educator, the author of two books, and a long-time member of the Wright Museum Board of Directors. Frank holds graduate de-grees from the University of Connecticut, and was a Na-tional Danforth and National School Executive Fellow.

Tuesday, June 28 froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M.

Rockin Daddios perform Golden Oldies

Rock to the music of the 1950s and 1960s with the popular four-man singing group, The Rockin Daddios. Starring Angelo Gentile,

Bo Guyer, Jim Rogato and Drew Seneca, the Daddios have performed their Golden Oldies “feel good music” throughout the Lakes Re-gion to wide acclaim. The group’s songs conjure up many special memories for baby boomers as well as for younger people who love the great music of the rock ‘n’ roll era. The Rockin Dad-dios’ music is from a bygone period – tunes that take us back to a more innocent time. You’ll hear songs like “Book of Love,” “Blue Moon,” “Teenager in Love,” and “Lit-tle Star.” The songs are fam-ily friendly and guaranteed to warm your heart.”

Tuesday, July 5 froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M.

29 Let’s Go! A Soldier’s Story About D-Day

Presented by Morley L. Piper

Hear the story and shake hands with the man who landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day, 1944! Morley Piper is back for an encore presentation. As a nineteen-year-old lieutenant, he led his platoon ashore under galling fire at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Piper gives a fas-cinating personal account of his service with the 29th Infantry Division and his engagement through France and Germany until the war in Europe ended.


The Greatest War Sto-ries Never Told

Lecture and book sign-ing by author Rick Beyer

If you search the annals of military history, you will discover no end of quirky characters and surprising true stories. The tales range from the three cigars that changed the course of the Civil War to the elderly pig whose death triggered an in-ternational crisis. And don’t forget the drunken redcoats who inspired the Star Span-gled Banner! Rick Beyer, author of The Greatest War Stories Never Told, shares a host of little-known tales from the last 2000 years of military history.

Rick Beyer is an award-winning documentary film-maker, best-selling author, and long-time history en-thusiast. He wrote the popu-lar Greatest Stories Never Told series, published by Harper Collins, and co-au-thored (with Liz Sayles) The Ghost Army of World War II. He produced the award-winning PBS documentary The Ghost Army, and also

made documentaries for television channels such as The History Channel and National Geographic. Beyer has shared his unique per-spective on history with au-diences around the country and appeared on CBS News, Fox News, NPR, CNN, and other programs.


Norman Rockwell in the 1940s

Lecture by Tom Daly Norman Rockwell was –

and continues to be – one of America’s most popular artists. During World War II, Rockwell put a human face on daily life in home front America with iconic paintings that appeared on the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. The images reflected the social and po-litical climate in the United States during that time. Rockwell’s home front Post paintings fostered patriotism and encouraged citizens to support the war effort. Tom Daly will speak about Rock-well’s life and his art of the 1940s – including the famous “Four Freedoms,” “Rosie the Riveter,” “The Homecoming,” “Home on Leave,” and “Back to Civies.”

Thomas Daly is the Cu-rator of Education for The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. The mu-seum is located in the Mas-sachusetts town in which Norman Rockwell lived for the last twenty-five years of his life. During his eighteen-plus years with the Norman Rockwell Museum, Daly has taken on a number of roles, all of them adding to his knowledge of Ameri-ca’s favorite illustrator. The programs he created have served tens of thousands of visitors. He also he has traveled to many parts of the country to lecture about Mr. Rockwell’s work.

Tuesday, July 26 froM 7:00 - 8:00 p.M.

Author’s lecture and book signing for the 2015 trilogy Wilber’s War

In Wilber’s War, author Hale Bradt tells the story of his parents, Wilber and Norma Brandt, two ordinary Americans during World War II. Wilber fought as a soldier on the war front in the Pacific Theater while Norma fought to keep her family together on the home front. Wilber’s War is an epic tale of duty, heroism, love and human frailty told by a son seeking to unravel the tangled threads of his fam-


ily’s legacy. Hale Bradt is Professor of

Physics, Emeritus at MIT. He and his wife Dorothy live in Salem, MA.

Tuesday, augusT 9 froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M.

Wartime Basketball: The Emergence of a Na-tional Sport during World War II

Lecture and book sign-ing by author Douglas Stark

Wartime Basketball tells the story of basketball’s sur-vival and development during World War II and how those years profoundly affected the game’s growth after the war. Before World War II, basketball – professional and collegiate – was largely a regional game, with differ-ent styles played throughout the country. Among its many impacts on home-front life, the war forced pro and ama-teur leagues to contract and combine rosters to stay competitive. At the same time, the U.S. military cre-ated base teams made up of top players who found them-selves in uniform. The war created the opportunity for players from different parts of the country to play with and against each other. As a result, a more consistent form of basketball began to take shape. Weaving stories from the court into wartime and home-front culture like a finely threaded bounce pass, Wartime Basketball sheds light on important developments in the sport’s history that has been largely overlooked.

Douglas Stark is the mu-seum director at the Interna-tional Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. He is the author of The SPHAS: The Life and Times of Bas-ketball’s Greatest Jewish Team

Monday, augusT 15 froM 10:00 a.M. To 4:00 p.M.

Wright Museum of World War II 3rd Annual Film Festival**

This year’s film festival honors the 75th anniversary of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by showing two extraordinary documentaries. Wright Mu-seum Director Mike Culver introduces each film.

Pearl Harbor – The Real Story

This 2001 documentary includes the stories of sixty men and women who sur-vived the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film includes footage that hasn’t been seen until now. As a bonus, the film takes the viewer on a tour of Pearl Harbor today, showing historic buildings and the sunken USS Ari-zona. 180 minutes

The History Channel Presents – Pearl Harbor:

The Definitive Documen-tary

This History Channel pro-duction provides an in-depth look at the Japanese attack on the American Pacific fleet in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The 2001 documen-tary traces the roots of the conflict in the Pacific which resulted in the Japanese at-tack. 150 minutes

**Admission to the Film Festival is free to Museum Members and with paid Museum Admission


Fighting “Jane Crow”: African-American Women in World War II

Lecture by Dr. Sarah Batterson

During World War II, African-Americans helped fight fascism and racism in Europe as factory work-ers, soldiers, sailors, air-men, and nurses while at the same time they were being continually subject-ed to segregation, violence, and prejudice at home. For African-American women, the wartime experience pro-vided unprecedented job opportunities and improved financial stability, which essentially ended at the close of the war. By explor-ing individual biographies and organizational histories, Sarah Batterson investigates the impact of World War II on African-American women and assess how the war both expanded opportunities for women and exposed gender and racial prejudices, which set the ground-work for the Civil Rights Movements of the 1950s and 1960s.

Professor Sarah Batterson holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of New Hampshire and a joint-M.A. in Anthropology and Wom-en’s Studies. She currently teaches courses in African-American history and Gen-der history at the University of New Hampshire. An avid history enthusiast since the age of eight, in her spare time Batterson can be found reading about the past or exploring historical sites around New England.


Holocaust to Healing, The Story of a 5-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor

Lecture and book sign-ing by author Kati Pres-ton

Join seventy-five-year-old Kati Preston, a child sur-vivor of the holocaust who was hidden in an attic by a heroic peasant woman. Preston will discuss how her whole Jewish family was exterminated and how the Hungarian Nazis hunted her with bayonets in the hayloft where she was hidden when

she was five years old. Pres-ton’s talk is not about being a victim, which she is not. She is a survivor. Preston has a message of survival, love, and hope for a better future.

Kati Preston speaks at many venues – schools, col-leges, churches, and pretty much anywhere where peo-ple are willing to listen. She feels that her presentations make a difference, however small.

Tuesday, sepTeMber 6 froM 7:00 – 8:00pM

Internment of Japanese-Americans: A Father’s Voice and a Young Boy’s Remembrances

A presentation by David Sakura

NH resident David Sakura is a third generation Jap-anese-American (Sansei). Prior to WW II, David’s fam-ily and relatives lived in Eatonville WA. Shortly after the outbreak of WW II, Da-vid’s family was transported along with several hundred friends and neighbors to the Minidoka Relocation Center, in Idaho. While interned, David’s father and three uncles enlisted into the US Army and served with the all Japanese-American 442 Regimental Combat Team, one of the most decorated units in U.S. military his-tory. By using excerpts from his father’s letters from the Minidoka Relocation Center and 8 mm film from his pre-WW II childhood, David will offer a highly personal ac-count of his family’s intern-ment experiences. Sakura holds a Ph.D in Biochemis-try and a MPH from the Har-vard Chan School of Public Health.

Tuesday, sepTeMber 13 froM 6:30 – 8:30 p.M. (noTe early sTarT.)

On the Wing Movie and discussion

with film producer Brad Branch

In the midst of winter, 1944, a two-minute air bat-tle took place in the skies above Ehrwald, Austria. The fight involved American and German aircraft. The losses totaled sixteen aircraft, eight on each side, and the lives of more than thirty men. On the Wing is an emotional look at the 15th Air Force, sixty years after that fight, which was one of the shortest and most intensive air battles to occur over central European air space during World War II. This 90-minute documen-tary film, was conceived and developed by Brad Branch, who also served as executive producer.

Tuesday, sepTeMber 20, froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M.

De-coding Espionage in World War II

Lecture by Dr. Douglas Wheeler

Douglas Wheeler’s intrigu-ing slide-and-lecture presen-tation features four pivotal World War II espionage and intelligence cases, presented within their historical con-text. The cases are Britain’s “Double XX system”(MI-5); the “Ultra secret”; the Pearl Harbor surprise attack; and the course and consequenc-es of Soviet espionage on the American A-bomb project, the Manhattan Project.

Wheeler has been a mem-ber of the History faculty at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, since 1965. He also lectures for New Hampshire Humanities Council and has authored many articles and chapters and nine books. Wheeler served in U.S. Army Intel-ligence (1963-65) and has published historical studies in The Intelligencer, which is the journal of the Associa-tion of Former Intelligence Officers.

Tuesday, sepTeMber 27, froM 7:00 - 8:00pM

An Examination of the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Lecture by Dr. Douglas Wheeler

Douglas Wheeler opens his lecture with the following question: “As of December 6, 1941, the U.S. govern-

ment was secretly reading Japan’s highest level diplo-matic codes (MAGIC), so why were we so badly surprised on Dec. 7, 1941?” During the course of his lecture, Wheeler discusses the his-toric context of the attack, which propelled the US into a Pacific and an Atlantic war. He also talks about how the US intelligence system functioned at the time of the attack, presents theories on this still hotly debated topic, and examines the events of Dec. 7, 1941 and their con-sequences in World War II and global history.

Tuesday, ocTober 4, froM 7:00 – 8:00 p.M.

A Musical Concert by Quint-Essential Winds

Quint-Essential Winds debuted in 2008, bring-ing together five musicians with more than 150 years of collective study and perfor-mance spanning three conti-nents. The quintet performs throughout New England performing a variety of mu-sical styles, from classical to popular to seasonal. This evening’s performance in-cludes the works of Mozart, Persichetti, Copland, Beach, Ewazen, D’Rivera, Milhaud, Grainger and Gershwin.

The 2016 Educa-tion Programs are made possible by the generous spon-sorship of Ron Good-game and Donna Canney.


Does spending a few hours each week in a great history museum talking to people from all over America and the world sound like fun? If your answer is “Yes,” then the Wright Museum has just the opportunity for you as a docent. Our distinguished Docent Program is seeking additional volunteers.

What do docents do? They act as tour guides who educate our visitors about the Museum, its mission, and our extraordinary permanent collection. You do not have to be a World War II “expert” -- just someone who enjoys people and would find pleasure in making each visitor’s time at the Museum a memorable event.

Since 1994, the Wright Museum’s goal has been to educate, entertain and inspire visitors by sharing the story of the WWII-era Americans who forever changed our nation.

If you consider sharing their legacy as important as we do, and want to help, please contact Mike Culver or Donna Hamill at 603-569-1212 or e-mail Mike at [email protected]

becOMe a Wright dOcent

“The further back we look, the farther forward we can see”

– Winston Churchill One of the hardest, and most impor-

tant, things we do here at the Wright is to make history relevant to today’s young people. It is vitally important to demonstrate to them that the fu-ture is connected with the past.

Nearly two years ago, Wright Museum director Mike Culver saw a documentary film that showed five American D-Day veterans re-turning to Normandy for the 65th anniversary of that invasion. He was surprised by the recep-

Making WWii relevant tO students

Doris “Dorie” Miller, a stew-ard on the USS West Virginia, distinguished himself by cou-rageous conduct and devotion to duty during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was the first African American awarded the Navy Cross, the service’s highest award, for his actions during the attack.

Miller was born into a share-cropper family in 1919 in Waco, Texas. He helped his father work their cotton farm through

early adulthood. Miller eventually enlisted for a six-year tour of duty in the Navy as a Mess Attendant, Third Class, in 1939, the only classification permitted to African Americans at that time.

On December 7, 1941, Miller was serving aboard the West Virginia, anchored in Peal Harbor, Hawaii. When the Japanese attacked the U.S. fleet that day Miller was collecting laundry on deck when the general quarters alarm sounded. Within minutes the entire U.S. fleet was engulfed in a massive offensive by Japanese torpedo planes, bombers, and kamikaze fighters.

In response, Miller went directly to his assigned battle station, the anti-aircraft battery magazine located amid-ships. However, the battery magazine had already been destroyed by Japanese torpedoes. Miller then went on deck, where amid smoke, fire, and explosions, and be-cause of his physical size and strength, he was ordered to help carry wounded sailors to safer locations on the ship. Soon after, he was dispatched to the bridge by an officer to assist the ship’s Captain, Mervyn Bennion, who had been badly wounded. Miller helped carry Bennion off the bridge to safety, then manned two 50-caliber Brown-ing anti-aircraft machine guns on deck. Despite his lack of training, he drew on his early experience shooting rifles on the family farm, and by his own account, it came naturally: “It wasn’t hard. I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine.” Witnesses say his marksmanship was outstanding. He is generally credited with shooting down three Japanese planes, and some accounts estimate as many as six. But Miller’s heroic actions were brought to a halt by two armor-piercing bombs exploding on deck and five 18-inch torpedoes blasting into the West Virginia’s port side. He and the rest of the crew were or-dered to abandon ship, which flooded below decks and sank in the harbor’s shallow water. In the course of the attack, 130 men died and 52 were wounded of the West Virginia’s 1,541 crew members.

Miller was commended by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox for bravery in the Pearl Harbor attack in 1942, and then received the Navy’s highest award for valor, the Navy Cross, from the Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet, Chester W. Nimitz. He received a hero’s welcome in Waco and Dallas on shore leave. Over the course of this part of his career, Miller was advanced to Mess At-tendant, Second Class, and then First Class, and was promoted to Ship’s Cook, Third Class.

On November 24, 1943, during the Battle of Makin Is-land, Miller’s ship, the Liscome Bay, was sunk by a Japa-nese submarine. Along with two-thirds of the Liscome Bay crew, Miller was listed as “presumed dead.” On December 7, 1943 his parents were informed that their twenty-four year old son was “missing in action.”

1943 U.S. Navy Recruiting Poster Featuring Doris Miller

Poster artist, David Stone Martin


tion the Veterans received from the Normandy school children who treated them like movie stars. The children kissed and hugged the old men, and asked for autographs. The young people’s reaction made Culver wonder why American school children didn’t show the same respect to American WW II veterans. By the end of this film, he began to under-stand the reason.

To the children of Normandy, D-Day was not ancient history. It happened in the children’s own hometowns, often on their own streets and in their backyards; something the children lived with every day of their lives. It didn’t matter that these Americans were killed 65 or 165 years ago. The lives that were lost and the cause of their deaths were relevant to the children.

Culver also learned that the graves of the Americans buried in American cemeter-ies in Europe have been adopted by European families. In fact there is a waiting list for adoptees! Often the care of the adopted servicemen’s graves has been passed down in families from the 1940s to today. The European families often have photos of the Americans in their homes and know the servicemen’s families. These service-men are real people – not just white crosses on a green field.

Not long after this, Culver met author Aimee Fogg and learned of the research for her book The Granite Men of Henri Chapelle. Her research about her uncle and the other New Hampshire servicemen buried at Belgium’s Henri Chapelle Cemetery brought the war and these men to life, becoming relevant to her life.

Later, Culver learned that European students do similar research about their own country’s servicemen. And so, he thought, Why can’t we do that here in New Hampshire? Why can’t students here sense the real connection between the past and the present? Culver contacted Mike Folan, a history teacher at Mount Prospect High School in Alton, and suggested re-searching the lives of the servicemen buried in one of the American Cemeteries as a project for his history students. Then he introduced Mike to Aimee, and the “ball was rolling.”

On May 17, from 7:00-8:00 p.m., students from Mount Prospect will present their research on New Hampshire servicemen buried in the Netherland’s Margreten Cemetery in a program at the Wright Museum.

Join us to hear the students make both history and the lives of these servicemen come alive.


The Wright Museum’s annual Family Day will take place on Sunday, July 10, from 11am to 3pm If you have been to it before, you know that this is one of our most popular events for both young and old alike.

As usual, Family Day offers plenty of fun activities for everyone. You can ride around Wolfeboro in our World War II-era vehicles. Children of all ages can have their faces painted; play games and win prizes; watch magic shows; have “Mo” the balloon artist twist bal-

loons into all sorts of shapes for them; have an artist sketch caricatures of them; listen to live music by the New England Country Boys; and watch two live animal shows presented by staff from the Squam Lake Natural Science Center.

You can talk to military and civilian World War II re-enactors about their roles on the warfront and on the home front. And you can tour the Museum and learn how American men, women, and children lived during the war years and what they did to support the war effort.

Off-site parking is available in the Wolfeboro Municipal Parking Lot, just a short walk down the Bridge Fall Path. Or if you want to ride in a World War II military vehicle, you can park at the Nick and be ferried to and from the museum in our vehicles.

Adults $12; children 5-17 $10; Museum members $9. Food will be available to purchase.

Family Day is made possible in part by contributions from Black’s Paper Store and from People’s United Bank; Wolfeboro Trolley Company.

have fun at faMily day Sunday, July 10th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Tim Sample stands out as probably the best-known Maine humorist among a field of many. For decades, Sample has been delivering jokes about downeast living to enthralled audiences all over New England, and he shows no signs of stopping.

This season, Sample is putting on a benefit performance for the Wright Museum, “An Eve-ning of Maine Humor with Tim Sample.” The fundraiser takes place on July 30th from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in Anderson Hall, located at 205 South Main Street on the Brewster Academy campus. (Limited parking is available. Addi-tional parking is within walking distance.)

A Maine native himself, Sample is known for both his delivery and his downeast accent. He bases his humor on the en-counters between two cultures -- laconic, self-sufficient, seemingly simple-minded Mainiacs and truly clueless vacationers and day trippers.

Sample is known nationally for his “Postcards from Maine” segment for Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt on CBS. Over eleven years, he produced 100 “post-cards,” introducing downeast living to country-wide and international audiences.

Tickets for the benefit fundraiser are $15 and can be purchased at the museum or online at www.TimSampleDowneastHumor.eventbrite.com. Seating is limited, so get your tickets early.

For more information, check our web site at www.wrightmuseum.org. The Tim Sample show is made possible in part with contributions by Missing Link

Equipment; Wolfeboro Oil Company.

laugh tO the Maine huMOr Of tiM saMPle

Saturday, July 30th from 7-9pm in Anderson Hall

2016 SPECIAL EVENT

2016 SPECIAL CONCERT

Partial Transcription of a two-sided December 10, 1941 letter from Virginia Goodgame to her parents

who lived in Los Angeles. Wright Museum Permanent Collection 2012.038.001

Gift of Ron Goodgame

Dec 10 [1941]Dear Mother, Father and Auntie, I hardly know how to begin, so much has happened

these past few days. Know you have heard and read all about the bombing of Oahu. [Naval Officer Robert E. Goodgame, his wife Virginia and son Ron arrived in Hawaii in 1940. Virginia and Ron would leave the is-land in mid-December 1941 when military families were evacuated and sent to San Diego. Young Ron Goodgame caught the measles and the transport ship was quaran-tined for a day or two on arrival in San Diego. In 1944, Robert Goodgame was promoted to Commander. In early 1945, his plane disappeared near the Admiralty Islands and he was declared lost on January 27, 1945.]

I have been staying at the Donnelly’s since Thursday because the Minnie has been at sea. Went out two days before the attacks. [This refers to the heavy cruiser Min-neapolis which was out on maneuvers with the aircraft carriers and thus escaped being in Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack.]

Sunday morning [referring to Dec. 7] we heard a lot of firing and thought it was rather unusual being the Sab-bath. We went out on the porch to see where the firing was coming from. Mrs. Donnelly’s place is in Monoa Valley on the side of a hill so we had a good view. [on Oahu and about 3 miles east and inland from Honolulu and was mostly agricultural up until the 1940’s] Thought it was just our planes practicing bombing, when the woman next door yelled over to be careful about standing out in the open. “Those are honest to goodness bombs being dropped by the Japs,” she said. We thought she was fooling and laughed at her. “Go turn on your radio,” she said. Just as we turned on the radio the announcer was telling everyone to get off the streets as we were being attacked. We nearly passed out.

Planes [Japanese] were flying overhead about that time. Didn’t know where to go. Whether to stay in the house or go out. Just as we stepped out on the porch again we heard a terrible screech and knew a bomb was coming. We ran inside as fast as our legs could carry us. It hit about thirty feet from our house – made a hole about twelve feet in diameter, went into the ground about four feet then out of sight under a cement floor of a garage. Fortunately it didn’t go off. Four Army men dug it up this morning but we didn’t see it. [Later, the bomb removal men told the Goodgames that they were very lucky that the bomb didn’t explode]

Another bomb dropped on a house a block away and made splinter wood out of half of it. I was in favor of mov-ing to my place at Waikiki but everyone said it was more dangerous there. [When Robert Goodgame was “home”, the family lived on Waikiki Beach near what is now Ft. Derussy] About eleven AM the firing stopped but plenty of damage was done. We have been having blackouts ev-ery night and believe me the nights are long. We put the children to bed then sit and listen to programs broadcast from the mainland [continental U.S.]. Things are surely in a mess.



Step into the time machine, return to the 1950s, and spend an evening listen-ing to the sound of New Hampshire’s pre-mier doo-wop group, the award-winning Bel Airs. The group is putting on a spe-cial benefit performance for the Wright Museum, “An Evening with The Bel Airs,” on August 23rd, from 7-9pm.

The benefit fundraiser will be held in Anderson Hall, located at 205 South Main Street on the Brewster Academy campus. (Limited parking is available. Additional parking is within walking distance.)

What is doo-wop? The music has a unique vocal harmony. The tenor usually sings the melody, backed up by the other members singing background harmony. Nonsense phrases, such as “doo-wop” and “sh-boom sh-boom,” are an impor-tant part of the song.

Popular songs of the doo-wop era include such all-time greats as “At the Hop,” by Danny and the Juniors; “16 Candles,” by The Crests; “Crying in the Chapel,” by The Orioles; and “The Great Pretender,” by The Platters.

For older folks, the unique doo-wop sound will bring back memories of car hops, DA (ducks ass) haircuts, drive-in theaters, poodle skirts, bobby socks, and sock hops. Younger folks will thrill to a vocal style that defined the 1950s and early ‘60s, and continues to influence us today.

The Bel Airs have played all over New England. They won New Hampshire Maga-zine’s Best Doo-Wop Group Award (2012) and the Readers Choice Award (2013).

Tickets for the benefit fundraiser are $15 and can be purchased at the museum or online at www.thebelairs.eventbrite.com. Seating is limited, so get your tickets early.

For more information, go to http://www.wrightmuseum.org. The Bel Airs concert is made possible in part by a contribution from Pam McKinley.

This year, our 4th annual “Cruise-in to the Wright Antique Automobile and Motorcycle Show” will be held on Saturday, August 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (rain or shine).

The show will feature live music, from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m., performed by the Rockin Daddios. Food will be available to purchase from Mac-Daddy’s Rollin’ Smoke BBQ.

Remember, only the first 100 vehicles will be allowed into the show. This year you can easily register your vehicle online at www.wrightmu-seum.org. You also can contact us by e-mailing Donna Hamill at [email protected] or by calling her at 603-569-1212. There is a non-refundable $10 registration fee

for each vehicle. Autos and motorcycles must be at least 25 years old and be in authentic condition. Sorry – no hot rods and customized vehicles are allowed.

Regular museum admission admits you to both the Car Show and to the Wright Museum. (We are part of the Blue Star pro-gram which gives free admission to all active duty military when they show their ID between Memorial Day and Labor Day.)

The antique auto show is made possible in part with contributions from Sunday Paving & Sealing; Calico Graphics.

cruise in tO the 4th annual antique autO shOW Saturday, August 20th from 10am-2pm

an evening With the bel airsTuesday, August 23rd, 7-9pm

2016 SPECIAL CONCERT

2016 SPECIAL EVENTFree Outdoor Concert by 39th U.S. Army Band

Once again the Wright Museum is participating in the Smithsonian Museum Day Live! program in Sep-tember of 2016. On that day we will be one of 1400 museums around the country that give free admis-sion to visitors who have Museum Day Live! tickets. To learn more about Museum Day Live!, including the date, and to see a list of participating museums, visit www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday.

The Wright Museum invites you to celebrate July 4th at our “Almost July 4th Band Concert” on July 2nd from 1:00-2:00 p.m. The free outdoor concert is our early July 4th gift to the community

So enjoy the “official start of the summer” and bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and non-alcoholic refresh-ments. Then relax and enjoy the stirring sounds of the full 39th U.S. Army band play a variety of music.

Wright Museum Participates in Blue Star Program

To honor our active-duty military personnel, the Wright Museum is participating again in the 7th an-nual Blue Star Museums Program, which offers free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families. The program runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day (Monday, May 30 through Mon-day, September 5), 2016.

Free Admission with Museum Day Live! Ticket

We’re Proud to Announce that Yankee Magazine Picked

The Wright Museum As... “the Best 20th Century

History Museum” in New England!

2016

Documents

Wright Museum Preview 2016