Museum Photo Album
The 44th Engineer (Broken Heart) Battalion Association fund-raiser auction was held in the Tuscola Community Building in September 1998. The group raised nearly $3,000 for the building fund of the national museum.
Veterans gathered in Tuscola in September 1998 for a reunion of Korean War veterans and friends.
Two museum trustees (left) Clyde Fruth, our national marketing director, and (right) Morey Zimmerman of Monroe, WI.
"Arirang" is the folk song so many veterans remember the children singing in Korea. This group of ladies was swaying to the music at the reunion in Tuscola in September 1998.
Talk about the most unlikely husband and wife of all, here are board members (left) Walter Ade and (right) Jae Won Lee posing as a happy couple in traditional Korean costume. They do have something in common, however--they are both 5th RCT veterans (Jae was a translator for the 5th RCT during the Korean War)!
Sandwiched between two handsome guys is Leona Steven of Tuscola. Mrs. Steven is the landowner who agreed to sell 22 acres of her land to the trustees of the Korean War Veterans National Museum & Library. Both of the men in the picture (left) Merle Zimmerman and (right) his brother, Morey Zimmerman, purchased a convention center tile. Proceeds from the tile sales are helping to purchase the remaining 11 acre tract.
Korean War Museum board president Bob Kenney receives a cash contribution of nearly $3,000 for the museum from Bernie Resnick, reunion coordinator for the 44th Engineer Battalion Association 1998 reunion chairman.
Local children in Tuscola thought that riding in an Army truck was lots of fun during the 44th Engineer Battalion Association parade. They threw candy to their classmates and other children to add to the fun.
Members of the Illinois Korean Bowling Association staged a bowling tournament at Classic Bowl in Morton Grove, Illinois to raise funds for the national museum. A Korean television station crew videotaped the event and discussed the Korean War while bowlers were scoring strikes and spares.
Joe Matthews (left) shares some laughter with John Settle (right), a director of the Korean War Veterans Association. John, who lives in Indiana, is the KWVA liaison to the Korean War Museum.
Museum board president (far right) Bob Kenney meets with 44th Engineer Battalion Association reunion planners in Tuscola in 1998.
This picture was taken in Oglesby, IL. The parade was in appreciation for Korean War Veterans. Korean War Museum members and trustees were represented in the parade.
Major General John Phipps (second right) wrote a book about his military memoirs, donating some of them to the Korean War Veterans National Museum & Library to sell. All profits from the book sales went to the museum. Pictured at the Mattoon mall on May 23, 1998 are: (left to right) - Richard Teike (museum trustee and current state president, Illinois KWVA), Joe Matthews (museum trustee), Mike Witwicki (Coles County mall manager), Major General Phipps (book author), and Bill Britt (museum member).
During the original 1996 Douglas County Museum exhibit, "The Korean War: Cold, Bloody, and Forgotten," Korean War veteran and ex-Korean War POW Harley Coon of Beavercreek, Ohio was a guest speaker in Tuscola, Illinois. Coon is now the national president of the Korean War Veterans Association.
Two regulars at Korean War Museum functions are Korean War veteran Dick Wysocke and friend, Marcia Smith, both of Stickney, Illinois. Dick is especially determined to see a national museum built which will feature a Gold Star Gallery. One of his closest and dearest friends, Paul Daniel Strohmeyer of Chicago, was killed in action during the Korean War. Most have now forgotten Paul, but Dick never will.
Opening ceremonies at the Nebraska Korean War Veterans Reunion in August of 1998 included an impressive display of American flags. Museum trustee Yang Ho Song of Chicago, president of the Midwest Chapter of the Korean Veterans Association, was guest speaker. Also attending the reunion were museum board president Bob Kenney and wife, of Decatur, IL; trustee Warren Thomas and wife Betty of Linton, IN; and guest speaker, Lynnita Sommer, Tuscola, IL.
At the February meeting of the Korean War Museum, guests donated artifacts and educational materials to the museum. Left to Right - Lee Parks of Decatur; President Bob Kenney of Decatur; Norbert Bentele of Quincy; Dick Moldroski of Charleston; and Neil Hurley of Hollister, MO.
President Bob Kenney received a framed sketch of the Gold Star Gallery from Doug Fargo of Charles Town, West Virginia at the February 1999 board meeting. Fargo and Stan Hadden of Harper's Ferry, WVA, designed the concept, which will be incorporated into the museum interior floor plans by professional exhibit designers. The concept includes a large relief map of Korea.
When the 44th (Broken Heart) Engineer Battalion Association came to Tuscola in 1998, the Illini Statesmen Barbershoppers serenaded the audience in the Tuscola Community Building. At the end of the performance, they donated their fee to the Korean War Veterans National Museum & Library.
Left - Joy Jones Rentz and right - Glen Stumeier, both of Tuscola. Joy, who served in the Marine Corps in 1960-62 at Camp Lejeune, has offered to be a volunteer in the Korean War Museum. Glen is the museum's farm manager, keeping a watchful eye over our land (it is cash-rented for the 1999 growing season) at no expense to us.
POW-MIA table at dinner
Col John O'Conner played taps at the Dinner. He also played many well known tunes with the keyboardist.
Sharon Corum, Ex. Secretary (center) awarded plaques to Glenna Weith for her work as board attorney (pro bono) and Kevin Zimmerman our first web-master. Accepting the award for Kevin was his father Merle Zimmerman.
Wilma Kegley, Volunteer Coordinator is working to set up youth and adult volunteers program. Matt Short, pictured here, is our first youth volunteer. These volunteers hours will be included on their school records.
Volunteers recognized for all their hard work. Standing left to right: Bill Brett, Mae Britt, Lorraine Kenney, Jack Corum, Zach Waters, Dorthy McCumber, and Devon McCumber. Seated left to right: Naomi Warters, Rosie Mathews, Violet P. Newcome, Nichole Corum and Volunteer Chairman, Wilma Kegely.
Joe Matthews, Chairman of the Community Affairs Committee served as Master of Ceremonies for the dinner. From left to right: Robert Kenney (Board President), Lorraine Kenney, Rosie Matthews, Joe Matthews, Vincent Krepps (Speaker), Sharon Corum (Ex. Secretary), and Jack Corum.
Martha Crane of Tuscola, Illinois, provided a very nice selection of music for our social hour and dinner.
Trustees, diginitaries and staff breaking ground for the Korean War Veteran's National Museum and Library.
Dignitaries present for the groundbreaking.
Veterans and guests present for the groundbreaking.
Around 250 to 300 people attended the ground breaking ceremonies on June 3, 2000. The tents were furnished by the Illinois National Guard Unit in Springfield, Illinois.
KWVA National President, Harley Coon, presents Bob Kenney, President of KWVNM&L a check for $2500.00
Ambassador Byun Jong-Kyou who is the Consul General in the Chicago area.
Representative Tim Johnson saying a few words at the
groundbreaking.
Congressman Tom Ewing addressing the crowd at the ground breaking.
Rev. Chong W. Lee, and his wife Rev. Soon B. Lee attended the ground breaking. Rev. Chong W. Lee gave the invocation.
Mattoon High School Jr. ROTC, as honor guard for our June 3rd ground breaking.
Gary Rollings and daughter Alex Rollings of Mattoon, IL play the bagpipes and snare drum to escort the color guard.
Trenching tools used for the ground breaking. We later sold to individuals with certificates.
Veteran Ernest Bartholomew and his wife Beth of Arthur, IL looking over the program before groundbreaking.
For one day State Route 36 was Korean War Veterans Drive from through Tuscola to the museum and library site.
Gathering of veterans who attended the Annual Meeting in front of the Community Building.
Volunteers left to right: Jack Corum, Joe Mathews, Mr. Brown, Richard Willoughby, and Warren Thomas just finished setting up the tents at the land site.
Taking time for lunch. Some of the trustees and volunteers, who worked on Friday, preparing for June 3rd festivities. Left to right: Billy Gray, Warren Thomas, Betty Thomas, Mrs. Brown, Lorrain Kenny, and Bob Kenny.
Illinois Museum Association sponsored a Museum Day at the Illinois Capital Building in Springfield, Illinois. Pictured at their display table is left to right: Bob Kenney (Board President), Representative Dale Righter and Sharon Corum (Ex. Secretary).
Yang Ho Song, Jae Won Lee, Yong-Weon Yu, reporter from Korea, and Bob Kenny. Yong-Weon Yu was on a tour of the U.S. interviewing Korean War veterans for a special article for the 50 year anniversary. He stopped in Tuscola to interview Bob Kenney and Sharon Corum.
Copyright © 1998 Korean War Veterans National Museum and Library