World War II exhibit, program to be held at Hoard Museum

The year 2021 marks the 80^th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

In recognition of the attack that spurred the United States’ involvement in World War II, the historical societies and museums of Jefferson County have announced they are creating a shared exhibit that explores what life was like in Jefferson County prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.  

“Before the Storm: Jefferson County Prior to WWII,” will be displayed at the Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson. It will open on Saturday, Dec, 11, and remain through the end of the year. 

According to information recently released: There will be special programs the day the exhibit opens.  

At 10:30 a.m., “Pearl Harbor: Into the Arizona,” will be shown. The documentary explores a recent underwater exploration into the Arizona, complete with Pearl Harbor veterans providing their personal stories regarding Dec. 7, 1941.

At 1 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the museum, Jennifer Van Haaften, assistant director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, will speak on the origins of World War II and the attack on Pearl Harbor, plus share the oral histories of soldiers from Jefferson County and Wisconsin.

At 2 p.m., a commemoration ceremony will recognize Jefferson County World War II service personnel. All veterans and service personnel are welcome to attend. 

The Hoard Historical Museum is asking that any World War II veterans planning to attend please RSVP to the Hoard Historical Museum prior to Friday, Dec. 10, to ensure reserved seating. Contact the museum at 920-563-7769 or info@hoardmuseum.org to respond.

Directly after the commemoration ceremony, there will be a dramatic vignette including President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s address to a Joint Session of Congress on Dec. 8, 1941, one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During this address, Roosevelt asked for a declaration of war against Japan.

The exhibit will be open to the public during the museum’s open hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

The participating historical societies and museums are: Bark River Woods Historical Society, Concord Historical Society, Hoard Historical Museum and Fort Atkinson Historical Society, Jefferson Historical Society, Johnson Creek Historical Society, Lake Mills/Aztalan Historical Society and Palmyra Historical Society. 

Each society will be contributing artifacts, images and creativity to the exhibit on the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

“In Jefferson County, we don’t have an official county historical society,” Merrilee Lee, director of the Hoard Historical Museum, said within the release. “However, we are very fortunate to have multiple strong local historical societies and museums spread throughout our county. When our individual historical societies tell the story of our communities, we also tell the story of our county,” she added.

On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, the empire of Japan bombed the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, located on the island of Oahu. The bombing lasted for more than 90 minutes. In total, more than 2,400 Americans were killed and more than 1,100 were wounded.

Of the more than 100 Navy ships based at Pearl Harbor, 21 ships were damaged. Eventually all but three were repaired and returned to service. The attack on Pearl Harbor forced the United States into the burgeoning war between Japan and other Pacific countries, plus into the European conflict with Germany and Italy. 

During the next four years, the historical societies and museums of Jefferson County will be creating a series of events to commemorate World War II and all those who were involved, both in the military and as part of the homefront.

The Hoard Historical Museum and National Dairy Shrine Museum are located at 401 Whitewater Ave. in Fort Atkinson, and are free to visit. The museums are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call the museum at 920-563-7769, visit its website at www.hoardmuseum.org, and like its Facebook page.