C.V. Museum to Host Traveling Exhibits Honoring Wisconsin Veterans
exhibits remind viewers war is ‘not just about the numbers, it is about the people’
The Chippewa Valley Museum will be getting two traveling exhibits honoring Wisconsin veterans this spring. From Feb. 25 through April 5, community members will be able to experience “WWI Beyond the Trenches” and “Wisconsin Remembers,” both of which were created by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
“WWI Beyond the Trenches: Stories from the Front Lines” is a banner exhibit. Each of the 12 banners discusses an individual from Wisconsin who served on the front lines. These will tell the stories of their lives and the sacrifices they made while serving our country.
“Wisconsin Remembers: A Face for Every Name” represents the 1,164 individuals from Wisconsin listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. There will be a photo for every individual, from Wisconsin, who went missing or died in Vietnam, “finally together all in one place,” said Carrie Ronnander, the executive director of the Chippewa Valley Museum.
Ronnander noted the importance of state history and its ability to connect residents to the rest of the nation. “We are a part of the big picture,” she said. “I think that it’s a good reminder we are all in this together.”
The casualties of war are often summed up as numbers and statistics, but these exhibits remind us of the people behind the statistics. Each number is a life, and the impact of those losses should yet be remembered.
These two exhibits reflect one of the goals of the Chippewa Valley Museum, which is to place Chippewa Valley and Wisconsin history into the larger story of the nation. “These exhibits remind us it is not just about the numbers, it is about the people,” Ronnander said. They show the stories of the people who gave everything for the service of our country.
Visit these exhibits from Feb. 25-April 5 at the Chippewa Valley Museum (1204 E. Half Moon Drive, Eau Claire) • Admission fees are: Adults - $12; Seniors - $10 (62+); Students - $5 (with valid school ID); Ages 5-17 - $5; Under 5 - free • Learn more at cvmuseum.com.
