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Courant.com
Memories, Memorabilia: Middletown Community Celebrates Flag Day
By MELISSA PIONZIO, mpionzio@courant.com
9:26 AM EDT, June 12, 2010
MIDDLETOWN — Nine decades have passed, but Ann Zacks can still recall the day World War I ended.
"I was in first grade and our teacher Miss Higgins kept ringing the bell. That bell was our lifeline, so we knew when it was rung that something important was happening," said the 97-year-old Branford native. "I can't remember what day of the week it was, or the date, but I do remember the sun was shining and we were all let out of school early."
That vivid memory, along with the recollection of collecting peach pits in her backyard to make charcoal for gas mask filters used during the war, came rushing back the first time Zacks saw "Echoes from the Past," a military memorabilia exhibit at the Luther Ridge residential community, where she lives. To commemorate Flag Day, Luther Ridge will host an opening reception for the exhibit on Monday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"I thought it was awesome because there was so much of it," said Zacks of the exhibit, which includes a gas mask that she personally checked for signs of peach pits. "They covered all the wars and all the branches of service," she said. "It is very thoroughly done."
The exhibit is the brainchild of Luther Ridge's marketing manager Heather Bale and housing manager Amy Raccagni. Bale, who had been ruminating on how she could create an exhibit to honor Luther Ridge's veteran residents, found an answer through the Greater Middletown Military Museum committee, which collects memorabilia from local veterans and their families. Eventually, these items will be housed and displayed in a museum to be built at the city's Veterans Memorial Park.
"Our donated items are from all over — Florida, Texas, Arizona and families of local residents," said Ron Organek, president of the Middletown Military Museum. "We don't always know about their history, but we do try to ask for a little background when we receive them, or they can be donated in someone's name."
To help raise awareness and perhaps donations for the museum project, Bale offered to showcase some of its collections in the exhibit and called on Bill Moore, owner of Military Specialties Inc. in Newington, to provide information on the history and use of the items.
"I was able to identify them all right on the spot," said Moore, who also loaned items from his own collection. "Small things I thought people could relate to, especially the residents who were in the military, things that would be familiar to them."
Personal items such as a vintage body powder issued by the government, belts and canteens an infantry man would have worn, sturdy WWI uniforms and battered helmets are just a few of the pieces included. A showcase titled "The Home Front" includes ration coupons, war buttons, a vintage American flag set and a Western Union telegram that informed a Middletown mother of her son's death.
When Luther Ridge resident Jim McNaughton saw the exhibit, it reminded him of the men he met during his service with the Navy during World War II. The 83-year-old, who was at the invasion of Okinawa, says his experiences are always with him, and he often wonders what became of the brave men he once knew.
"Memories, memories, memories," said McNaughton, an Ohio native who fibbed about his age so he could join the Navy at 16. "We had such dedicated people during WWII. We all knew we were there till the end. We had no R&R, no coming home until the job was finished."
"Echoes from the Past," on display until July 16, also features items from the Quonset Surplus Store in Portland and Vermont's Norwich University. Monday's reception will feature a cantina and an outdoor exhibit of military vehicles provided by Connecticut Military Vehicles Collectors. Luther Ridge is at 628 Congdon St. Call 860-347-7144 for information.