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Largo military museum has special plans for Memorial Day

 
A half-size replica of Chuck Yeager’s Bell X1 jet is one of eight new exhibits at the Armed Forces History Museum.
A half-size replica of Chuck Yeager’s Bell X1 jet is one of eight new exhibits at the Armed Forces History Museum.
Published May 21, 2015

LARGO

Monday's seventh annual Memorial Day Family Funfest at the Armed Forces History Museum is billed as "bigger, badder and bolder than ever."

With new exhibits, reduced admission prices, croc wrestling shows, a reptilian photo booth, a petting zoo, military vehicle rides, homing pigeon demos, bungee jumping, rock climbing, World War II re-enactors, Bomber Girls and more, it lives up to its billing.

The holiday event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum, 2050 34th Way N. Tickets are discounted to $10 for adults and $5 for youths 4 to 12. Children 3 and younger get in free.

"Memorial Day has come to be a kickoff to summer," said Cindy Bosselmann, assistant executive director. "Let's not forget the real meaning, which is to honor our military men and women who sacrificed so much for our freedom. Come out, pay tribute and have a lot of fun all at the same time."

For the uninitiated, the 50,000-square-foot museum hunkered down in an industrial park provides plenty of shock and awe for its guests, telling war's heroic and tragic stories through the use of Disney-like dioramas and intriguing exhibits. From the smoke-filled World War I trenches to a walk down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the museum serves to educate, entertain and honor.

Eight exhibits were recently installed.

One of the newest showpieces is Chuck Yeager's Bell X1 jet made by Creative Arts. Built to half-scale and hanging from the ceiling, the model replicates the aircraft that broke the sound barrier in 1947.

Also, collector Benny Haimovitz has donated an impressive display of USO memorabilia including vintage posters, banners and tour jackets worn by celebrities. Viewers will see items autographed by stars such as Bob Hope and Phyllis Diller.

There is also a Merchant Marine exhibit, a Women's Army Corps case and a display featuring African-American heroes and stories. A Patriot Guard's 1994 Harley-Davidson motorcycle is showcased as well.

The museum recently unveiled its Holocaust exhibit, complete with wrought iron gates that bear a German sign reading, "Arbeit Macht Frei," a deceptive phrase meaning "Work makes you free." Mannequins don German soldier and POW uniforms, and items such as gas canisters, handcuffs and whips from this very dark period in history are on display.

The exhibit brought back painful memories for Maj. Norm Belson, who was only 19 when he visited Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany. The year was 1962 and the young soldier was traumatized by what he saw.

"It blew my mind. I had never been to a place as truly evil as Dachau, and never wished to visit it again," said Belson, 72, a resident of Clearwater.

The horrors of the concentration camp spurred Belson's 20-year career in the U.S. Army. Now he is one of 16 distinguished veterans whose black and white portraits have been recently hung in the Officer's Club Quonset Hut inside the museum. The Veterans Portrait Wall is part of a photography project commissioned by U.S. Rep. David Jolly.

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Though the threat of Nazi Germany has long passed, Belson still worries about the future.

"We have extremists today who want to destroy our way of life and if we don't protect it, it will go away," Belson said.

Reach Terri Bryce Reeves at treeves@tampabay.rr.com.