Military Room
Logan County has a long history with the military from the Indian wars through the present. This room features Logan County’s contribution to our country’s war effort through the local men and women who have served in the armed forces. This room contains military artifacts from the early pioneer days to the War on Terror.
Helpful hints:
The exhibit is in chronological order.
Canteen exhibit is a good example of how the home front can help the war effort.
Feel free to use your own experiences as a service person or your experiences during a war on the home front.
Items of interest:
· Tree stump from the Battle of Shiloh, Civil War, 1862, in Tennessee. Rounds embedded in the wood were determined to be inactive.
· Gun collection – includes military and hunting
· Uniforms from all armed services including West Point Cadet uniform worn by Fred Reynolds of Bellefontaine and Air Force Academy uniform worn by Nathan Bratka of West Liberty
· Veterans’ organizations exhibit
· Cold War exhibit including the 664th A.C. &W. Radar Detection Base that was located at Campbell Hill (Ohio’s highest point) in Bellefontaine
· Various Vietnam artifacts on loan, including POW shackles.
· Military helmet/hat collection, including helmet from a German officer taken by decorated soldier and movie star Audie Murphy. The helmet was donated by Bellefontaine native Clayton Benton V who was friends with Murphy.
· The Bellefontaine Canteen exhibit includes photographs, text and letters about the canteen that the wives of the railroad workers and other ladies operated during WWII. The ladies provided soldiers coming through the county on trains with free food, hot coffee or a cold glass of milk, magazines or even allow them to make a phone call home.
· Special exhibit on the three local men who have been killed in the War on Terror: Jeremy Hodge (Rushsylvania), David Spicer (Zanesfield) and Dennis Hansen (Indian Lake).