Terry the Quilting Husband (TTQH) is a military history buff and yesterday we went to see the exhibit “WWII: The High Desert Home Front” at the High Desert Museum.
This is exhibit, with many items donated by Oregon WWII veterans or their families, according the the exhibit’s page, “reveals the wartime activities that took place in the High Desert, including some of the most celebrated and tragic chapters in our country’s history”.
This exhibit honors those who served, those who gave the “ultimate sacrifice”, women workers during WWII, efforts by various ethic groups, the dark times of Japanese internment camps, and the development of and decision to drop the atomic bomb.
I took a zillion photos of this excellent exhibit and I thought I would share some of my favorites. (TTQH was in his element quietly wandering around this exhibit reading and looking at everything in awe and respect).
The Vehicles
WWII Harley Davidson and Army Jeep
The Uniforms
Of course being a nurse I had to include the Red Cross Volunteer uniform!
Women and WWII
I do not want World War to be a reason but I think more of us need our own “Victory Gardens” growing our own vegetables:
Contributions by Specific Ethnic Groups
Native American, African American, and Mexican American (keep in mind this was the 1940s a much different America than we are now…)
Japanese American Internment
A dark time in American history, hopefully we never forget.
(and finally) The Beginning of the Atomic Age
Postscript
After viewing the WWII: The High Desert Homefront, we needed something lighter before leaving the museum. So went wandered the rest of the museum and enjoyed some lighter “visual fare”:
Prehistoric Buzz Saw Sharks (Helicoprion)
Hysterical T-Shirt in the Gift Shop
Our Beloved High Desert Raptors
I enjoyed visiting with the museum volunteer holding the raptor in falconry style. We discussed Helen Macdonald’s book – H is for Hawk and the beautiful story of how falconry with a goshawk helps a woman deal with the loss of her beloved father. I listened to the audiobook and I thought it I was listening to beautiful poetry.
Looking through the Raptor exhibit made me think back to a weekend afternoon early last Fall. On a beautiful Central Oregon day with endless blue sky and a few fluffy cloud meandering across the sky, I took a “mini-vacation” in my backyard lying on a lounger and staring meditatively at the sky.
Suddenly my view appeared partially obscured by a large flying reptilian object and I thought for a moment I was in a scene from the movie Jurassic Park. No, it was not a Pterodactyl, it was one of our Central Oregon raptors, flying very low (likely it had spotted something tasty in a backyard…). As I had been intensively and hypnotically staring at the sky the object appeared larger than actual!
The whole moment took my breath away for a second. I guess if you are going to be eaten by a Pterodactyl at least have it happen after a relaxing afternoon…
So there were so many more photos but I had to stop somewhere with my photo sharing. Thanks for virtually joining me at the High Desert Museum!
tierneycreates 
Tierney, thanks for posting these High Desert Museum photos. I just watched The Pianist movie last night again and was touched by the depiction of tragedies of war in Warsaw–conditions that we cannot truly fathom. There is an excellent World War II Museum in New Orleans that should be seen (like your HDMuseum) to help us face what happened and cause us to be vigilant that such atrocities never happen again.
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The Pianist, wow, I could never watch that movie again, it was a one time viewing for me like Schindler’s List, Sophie’s Choice and Life is Beautiful. Movies worth watching but rough on the tear ducts (and heavy on the soul)). Yes I do not think we can even put our minds around what the victims of the Nazi regime endured or what the solders that fought in the war endured. I cannot imagine the bravery it took to storm Omaha, Utah, etc beaches during Normandy/D-Day. Next time we are in New Orleans (have not been there in 15 years!) I will make sure Terry gets to go there, thanks!
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That WW2 exhibit is fascinating.
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It was!
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I love the High Dessert Museum–been there only twice. The WWII exhibit sounds quite moving. When I was in Indianapolis, the historical museum had an exhibit of war posters from both WWI and WWII. They too showed the one about saving fat. I think I remember a fat can on the stove from my childhood. I definitely remember that my mother volunteered to hand out rationing coupons periodically.
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Thanks for your comments and I remember just for thrifty purposes my mother saving bacon grease in a can at the stove. Of course nowadays that sounds gross, ha! That is cool your mother helped out in the effort!
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Looks like you had a very educational experience!
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I did 🙂
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Thank you for sharing your museum experience with us! This is something we will add to our travel list as my husband is an WW II history buff as well. I did get a chuckle over the “Return of the Sockeye”! Very clever!
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Oh make sure to let me know if you are ever headed this way, I will take you on a quilt shop hop and we can have tea 🙂
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I would really like that! I will be sure to let you know!
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This would be a great resource for anyone working on a WWII historical novel. I loved seeing the clothes and uniforms. I’ll tell the writers in the Historical Novel Society to take a look at your blog post.
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Thanks so much for your comments and I agree there is a lot of inspiration for a historical novel!
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