The Military Committee of the Wayne County Historical Society is presenting a new exhibit commemorating the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II, featuring artifacts of local veterans of that war, along with a brief biography of each individual’s service including rank, decorations, and military occupational specialty. Among the items on display are uniforms, medals, photographs, and contemporary newspaper articles.
Individuals featured in the exhibit include:
- Dale Hartsel, Tech. Sergeant, 325th Glider Infantry, Silver Star recipient
- Edward C. Seib, Captain, P-51 Mustang pilot, Distinguished Flying Cross recipient
- Wido P. Gallo, Boatswains Mate 1st Class, USS Pecos, Pacific Theater
- Katherine Hauenstein, Corporal, Aerographer, U. S. Marine Corps
Hartsel was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in Normandy in June 1944, when he spent 30 hours in an observation post exposed to enemy sniper and machine gun fire in order to direct U.S. mortar fire.
Seib’s Distinguished Flying Cross citation reads, in part, “While participating in a fighter sweep over Poland from a Russian base on…Captain Seib observed 50 enemy dive bombers en route to attack Russian ground forces… In the aerial battle that followed, Captain Seib destroyed two of the enemy aircraft and damaged two others.”
In all, 30 of Wayne County’s World War II veterans are included in the exhibit. There are more represented in the Historical Society’s collection, but display space is limited. This exhibit will be on display for the rest of this season, and all of the 2022 season.
The Historical Society is open for tours on Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., with the last tour leaving at 3 p.m.
