Cecil’s Soldiers” Exhibition Opens November 11th

The initial phase of the Historical Society’s Cecil County Veterans Oral History Project will culminate this fall with an exhibition entitled, “Cecil’s Soldiers: Stories of the World War II Generation.” The exhibit will explore the experiences of the men and women of Cecil County who served as soldiers, airmen, sailors, medical personnel and munitions workers during the Second World War.

A free gallery guide will be offered as a companion piece to the exhibit, along with a low-cost booklet that will explore in more detail the stories and themes featured in the exhibit. An oral history workshop and education guide based on the content and methodology used to create the exhibit will be offered to the public and students in U.S. History and Advanced Placement classes in Cecil County Public Schools in 2005-6.

“This project gives the Historical Society the opportunity to reach new audiences, and to share with the public the important information being gathered through our ongoing oral history program,” says Project Director Jenifer Dolde. “The exhibit will incorporate the voices and faces of those we interviewed to tell their story, and to show how their experiences were both unique and similar to those of other soldiers.” Interactive components in the exhibit will invite visitors to share their thoughts and memories, and to listen to the voices of those featured in the exhibit.

The background for these stories is the historical events before, during and after the war that shaped the lives of service people. The Great Depression made these men and women hard working and tough, survivors. Pearl Harbor changed the Company E men’s year of service into service for the duration. Men who had never traveled much outside of Cecil County saw Africa, innumerable Pacific Islands, England, France, Belgium, and Hitler’s Germany.

On the home front, Bainbridge Naval Training Center in Port Deposit opened to train thousands of young men for service, providing jobs to many local people. When Elkton’s Triumph Industries was converted to produce munitions, Cecil County became home to thousands of new workers and residents. Life had changed, forever.

“Cecil’s Soldiers: Stories of the World War II Generation” will run November 11, 2005, Veterans Day, through May 8, 2006, the 61st Anniversary of V-E Day. The project has been made possible through the support of local veterans and service organizations, Wal-Mart, and through a grant from the Maryland Humanities Council.

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