Marshfield: A Remarkable New Museum You Need To See
We always say that you never know what you’ll encounter in small towns. You may know Marshfield, Wisconsin, for the Marshfield Clinic, but there’s a new museum you should know about. Its exhibits tell behind-the-scene stories from all corners of the world. With a walkable downtown and excellent local shops, this is another reason to visit Marshfield. I had an opportunity to take an early tour of this brand new museum in Marshfield.
The War Room Museum & World History is right up my alley. As a middle and high school student, I read every book over and over that I could find in libraries about World War 2. Initially, the museum was from nearby Portage County, but Tyler Smazal bought the museum and recently moved it to S. Central Avenue in downtown Marshfield. Tyler personally gives tours of the museum, and his knowledge about each piece will amaze you.
People Make The Difference
Please hear me out. It wasn’t about the nasty dark side of war that fascinated me but the aircraft, machines, strategy, and different cultures from countries worldwide. I learned a lot about geography, food, and customs of people that weren’t like me.
But maybe they were. Different countries might have other ways to do things, but people are the same no matter where you’re at in the world. We all have the exact needs, wants, and aspirations but sometimes different ways to accomplish them. Simply, people are people. We don’t need the same language to understand a smile or a specific look in someone’s eyes.
Maybe, this is where my desire to travel and see the world originated?
Discovering The War Room Museum & World History
As each person carried out their duties for their country, some were recognized above others as being brave leaders. Nevertheless, many others carried out similar duties without being or needing recognition.
One example of bravery happened eighty years ago, on April 18th, 1942. First, Japan drew us into World War 2 when they surprisingly attacked our naval fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. This massive surprise attack resulted in 2,403 Americans killed and 1,178 wounded.
In turn, top-secret orders to strike Tokyo would instill fear into Japan’s military. This would show that America possessed the capabilities to reach the Japanese mainland. This extraordinary mission involved 16 B-25B Mitchell medium-sized bombers taking off from the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet on a suicide mission into the teeth of the Japanese homeland. Their objective was to reach, then, bomb Tokyo undetected, striking fear into the Japanese military by showing them that they were vulnerable to US attacks. They accomplished their mission but had to abandon their planes since they couldn’t land on the aircraft carrier.
A few reasons why this was an extraordinary mission was because no fighter planes would offer protection or escort the bombers to their targets. Plus, aircraft carriers were not built for bombers to take off and land since heavier bombers needed more runway length than lighter fighter planes. For this mission, the aircraft carrier turned into the wind creating more updraft to aid in a quicker lift-off. This operation could have easily failed with less wind than anticipated resulting in the bombers crashing into the ocean before they could climb.
Photo Credit: Scott Guyette for Fagen Fighters World War II Museum
You’ll love this World War 2 aircraft museum, where all of its planes fly regularly. Check it out!
A Museum With First-Hand Stories From Veterans
As history buffs, we often talk and read about the raid. Despite that, keep in mind the people that carried out the mission too. Those who sacrificed in Doolittle’s one-way bombing raid on Japan loved their families, dogs, and going to the movies as much as we do.
Most of the books that I was fascinated with were about the pilots and crew of World War 2 aircraft, so this is particularly interesting. Learn more about Doolittle’s raid at the museum.
“Most of the museum’s pieces come with first-hand stories from Veterans. Stories of valor, honor, and sacrifice from war-torn lands to our homelands.”
Tyler Smazal
On other battlefronts worldwide, sometimes soldiers from opposing countries met face to face while fighting in a country neither were from. So close that they could see the whites in each other’s eyes. They weren’t just soldiers following orders in a war, but people with emotions, loved ones, and jobs back home. Sometimes the inevitable happened when they met. They looked into the whites of the enemy’s eyes and realized each other was human. The kind of look that doesn’t need words, simply connecting because they both want to go home to see their kids or mothers. Without words, they part ways and act like their encounter never happened.
At this museum, personal stories are remembered. Many of the people that owned the artifacts donated them to the museum. In the same way, families and friends donated items to preserve history, keeping the stories alive.
Why You Should Visit The War Room Museum & World History
This museum is different. Different in the way that you’ll get to hear the personal stories that go with each piece during a tour. It is a difference that you can connect with the humanness of history instead of reading about it on plaques. Different because it’s in a small town and you’ll be treated like family because that’s how small towns are.
Unique Items Found In The Museum
A few unique items found in the museum are:
- Finnish Lahti L-39 20mm anti-tank rifle was made from the late 1930s to about 1941. This massive rifle sits in the front display window.
- Nuremberg Trial items like patches, pins, and a last volume of transcripts.
- Original black and white Pearl Harbor photos. Tyler showed me one that amazed me. A one-of-a-kind photo of history captured in action. I have never seen a photo from Pearl Harbor like this before.
- D-Day items.
- Rare holocaust items.
- A young girl’s first communion dress made out of her father’s parachute.
- Flags used during wars from countries around the world.
- Helmets are scattered throughout the museum from America, Germany (S.S. and Afrika Korps Panzer tank division, to name a few), Great Britain, Japan, France, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Italy, and Portugal. I noticed helmets from World War 1, World War 2, and up to Vietnam.
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Final Thoughts
Since The War Room Museum & World History is packed with artifacts, photos, personal letters, and newspaper articles, you can spend as much time as you would like here. Whether a few minutes or hours, you’ll undoubtedly find something that interests you. Most importantly, it’s not about things but appreciating people and what they have endured to give us a better life.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Photo Credit: Fagen Fighters World War II Museum
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