Treasures of Our Military Past opens May 15 at Cincinnati Museum Center
CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Museum Center is celebrating the region’s rich military past and the contributions of so many over two centuries of military conflicts. Treasures of Our Military Past tells the stories of the men, women and local organizations, institutions and businesses that contributed to the many military campaigns fought for independence, the security of citizens around the world and the liberty of those oppressed by tyrants and terrorists. Treasures of Our Military Past opens May 15, 2015.
Treasures of Our Military Past is the fourth installment of Cincinnati Museum Center’s Treasures series which offers a look inside our vast collections. Through uniforms, weaponry, medical instruments, supplies, photographs and documents, Treasures of Our Military Past provides insight into the depth of this region’s contributions to military action from the late 18th century to the modern War on Terror. The exhibit honors the courage and sacrifice of men and women who served during military campaigns from Fort Washington, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, Civil War, both World Wars and post-World War II military action in Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War and the modern era.
“Cincinnati has been the home of men, women and organizations that have turned the tides of war and battled injustice around the globe over two centuries,” says Elizabeth Pierce, interim CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “We’re honored to have such a vast collection of artifacts which allows us to tell the stories of brave patriots who gave so much, including many who made the ultimate sacrifice, so that others could live freely.”
Treasures of Our Military Past includes artifacts from military conflicts spanning 220 years. A hand-drawn plan of Fort Washington from 1793 and a directive from General “Mad” Anthony Wayne from 1794 help tell the story of battles fought in the Cincinnati region, America’s early frontier, at the end of the 18th century. The flag of the 10th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the “Irish Regiment,” with the names of battles the regiment fought in during the Civil War, has survived the bullets of Confederate soldiers and the ravages of time. One of those names stitched into the green silk is Chickamauga, the battle where General William H. Lytle, whose uniform and personal items are also included in the exhibit, lost his life. Artifacts recognizing Cincinnati’s contributions to two world wars, including a poster announcing a War Exposition at Music Hall in 1918 and the World War II army nurse’s uniform of Bobbi Sterne, former mayor of Cincinnati, are fascinating glimpses at a region geared up for the war effort. Civil defense survival kits and radiation detectors show a city on edge as the threat of nuclear war was a constant concern for civilians and military personnel alike.
Jeffrey P. Hinebaugh, a partner at Dinsmore & Shohl and the chair of the Treasures Committee, has a personal connection to the exhibit.
“My father worked at the Newark Air Force base in Ohio his whole life, so I spent a lot of time there growing up, admiring the men and women who served on the base,” says Hinebaugh. “I’m honored to have an opportunity to be a part of this exhibit that reflects the incredible depth of our region’s military history and shares the stories of men and women like the ones I looked up to as a child.”
Honor a veteran on the Tribute Wall
To recognize the men and women from the region who served in the military and to honor their sacrifice, Treasures of Our Military Past will also include a Veteran Tribute Wall that will display the names of veterans through the duration of the exhibit. For a suggested minimum contribution of $10, people are invited to add the names “in honor of” or “in memory of” the veterans in their family. All proceeds from the Veteran Tribute Wall will support the Cincinnati Museums Foundation endowment fund for the preservation and conservation of military collections
Treasures of Our Military Past opens May 15 at Cincinnati Museum Center. For more information, please visit www.cincymuseum.org