Pride & Patriotism – Stamford’s Role in WWII

Pride and Patriotism: Stamford’s Role in WWII is still on view at society headquarters through June 30, 2007.

Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 4:00 pm.

This major exhibit  takes visitors to the frontlines and to the home front of WWII.  it includes exclusive, first-person accounts from veterans.  The society’s executive director and president, Dr. Thomas Zoubek, conducted interviews with 40 veterans who are Stamford residents.  “€œWe were able to find representatives from all branches of the services as well as women’€™s divisions: the WACS and the WAVES,” notes Dr. Zoubek. “€œStamford veterans were found in all the theaters of the war … the individual experiences give the viewer of the exhibit a more personal and intimate experience and appreciation of how the war affected people’€™s lives directly.“€  The stories are augmented by photographs, uniforms, and other artifacts, many of them graciously lent by the veterans, including Mr. Mort Walker.

Loaned and society-owned items and objects trace the central role that local companies played in war efforts and reflect daily home-front life.  A poster gallery, drawn from the society’s World War II-era collection, offers visitors a snapshot of the U.S. Government efforts to attract and encourage public support for the money, material resources, labor, and day-to-day sacrifices needed for a successful war effort.

Online Version of the Exhibit

Mort Walker, Honorary Chairman  (with Dr. Thomas Zoubek, Executive Director)    

The creator of  Beetle  Bailey and other popular comic strips was the keynote speaker on opening-day, May 21, 2006.   

A Stamford resident, Mr.Walker joined other veterans with an oral history interview and loaned the society artifacts, including his scrapbook of sketches, cartoons, and photos from his 1945/46 tour of duty in Italy.