Veterans museum to hold open house Saturday

WELLSBURG -- It may surprise many local residents that the home of the largest collection of items related to Allied Forces that defended the Philippine Islands during World War II can be found within the Brooke County Public Library.

But the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor Museum and Education Center has become not only a repository for hundreds of items related to the experiences of those service members, but a source of information for many individuals and groups researching that aspect of the war, said Jim Brockman, its executive director.

Everyone is invited to visit the museum, which will hold a special open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and a Veterans Day service at noon.

Richard Lizza, president of the museum's board and a retired West Liberty University history professor, is among those slated to speak.

Following the service, lunch will be provided by the Wellsburg Elks Lodge.

Located at 945 Main St., the library underwent a 4,000-square-foot expansion in 2017 to accommodate the growing collection and the library's own expanded services.

"We're doing a lot of research for individuals and organizations," explained Brockman, who said recent calls to the museum have included two authors working on separate books about World War II and a representative of the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, Wyo., which houses many retired tanks.

He added it's not unusual to hear from family members of deceased veterans inquiring about military documents and other items that had belonged to them.

"You'd be surprised how many veterans didn't tell their families what they did in the service," said Brockman.

"If they don't know what they have, they can call us and we'll sort it out," he said, adding he doesn't want to see items that may be of historic interest thrown out.

Since it was established in 2002, the museum has strived to educate the public about the experiences of 120,000 U.S. and Filipino troops who fought against Japanese invaders of the Phillipine Islands of Bataan and Corregidor in 1941.

Outnumbered and poorly equipped, the Allied troops were defeated after five months in battle.

About 70,000 Americans and Filipinos were captured by the Japanese and forced to walk the Bataan Death March, a 65-mile trek in which many died, succumbing to disease, starvation and extreme heat, or because they had been killed by their captors.

Survivors reached the ultimate destination of prisoner of war camps, where they were forced to work under similar conditions.

The museum was launched by the late Ed Jackfert of Wellsburg, past commander of the national ADBC group from which it takes its name, and his wife, Henrietta.

The two compiled maps, photos and written accounts from POWs for the museum's first display, which was housed in a cherry wood cabinet provided by the Friends of the Brooke County Library.

With support from the library board and former director Mary Kay Wallace, the ADBC welcomed letters, photos and other materials from veterans throughout the U.S. who had served on the islands and their families.

Through the years, the museum has become home to many items from veterans who served in other areas during World War II.

Many come through area veterans or their families, while some have been discovered by Brockman or others linked to the museum.

More recent donations have included a photo of Wilma Jean Boynes, a relative of Janet Wellman of Wellsburg who served in the Women's Army Corps at various hospitals in the South Pacific that treated troops injured in Japan, and dress uniforms belonging to Judith Sanders of Wheeling, a retired Air Force flight nurse who was involved in transporting severely wounded troops from Vietnam to the Philippines.

The museum also has received uniforms worn by cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., that were donated by John Durbin of Wellsburg and Sean Rine, a professor at West Liberty University.

"The design (for the uniform) hasn't changed in more than 100 years," said Brockman, noting the academy's respect for tradition.

Brockman said he and his wife recently found, at an indoor flea market held by a church in Western Pennsylvania, three 1945 issues of newspapers reporting the bombing of Hiroshima and the Japanese surrender.

He noted those unable to attend Saturday are welcome to visit the museum during its regular hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visits on Saturday can be arranged by calling (304) 737-7295.