Posted on 12/08/2004 2:51:04 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
Mayor Loyd Neal also unveils special marker on portion of U.S. 181
Sixty-three years ago Tuesday, Dan Wentrcek thought his duty aboard the USS Nevada in Pearl Harbor would be a pretty good gig. Free housing, food and sunny skies in Hawaii. A snapshot taken at the time shows his 19-year-old face beaming with excitement.
Today, that photo hangs in a special exhibit aboard the Lexington Museum on the Bay as a reminder of how the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor changed the direction of Wentrcek's life and the lives of all those who served in World War II. His is one of about a dozen photos of local Pearl Harbor survivors, part of the new exhibit, "Course of Valor."
The exhibit opened Tuesday, the 63rd anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, which drew the United States into World War II. The day also was recognized with Mayor Loyd Neal unveiling a special marker designating a portion of U.S. Highway 181 as Remember Pearl Harbor Memorial Parkway.
Also on Tuesday, the Texas Historical Commission announced a new program to collect oral histories of World War II survivors and document the history of places in Texas that played a role in the war.
There were nearly 200 major military installations in Texas that contributed to the war effort through manufacturing or training and 70 prisoner of war camps. Navy aviators were trained in Corpus Christi.
Texas Historical Commission Executive Director Lawerence Oaks said the program will spend roughly $1 million during the next year to document the contribution Texas made to the war effort.
The Pearl Harbor survivors were visibly proud as they toured the new permanent exhibit aboard the Lexington. Along with the photos of local survivors, the exhibit includes a map of Pearl Harbor, a video that recounts the events on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the names of those who died aboard the USS Arizona, uniforms and other mementos.
"It's great. It's beautiful," Pearl Harbor Survivors Association President Leo Vrana said.
Wentrcek's daughter, Vicki Overpeck, said the association worked tirelessly to get the exhibit in place before any more survivors died. Many of them are in their 80s, and some were unable to attend the ceremony because of their age.
"I think they were just glad to make it happen while they are still living," she said. "It's something they can see happen in their lifetime."
The process to build the museum began four years ago with an idea to bring some Pearl Harbor artifacts to Corpus Christi. Some of the men made return visits to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona museum to learn how to put an exhibit together. They also received $45,000 from Dallas billionaire Ross Perot. The entire exhibit cost about $150,000, museum officials said.
Bob Vatterson, who was manning a receiving station at Pearl Harbor on the morning of the attacks, said he hopes the new exhibit will expand the educational programs at the museum.
"By having something like this, it will enhance their ability to educate people," he said. "It's just a part of the overall program."
Contact Neal Falgoust at 886-4334 or falgoustn@caller.com
Pearl Harbor veteran James Sierman and his wife, Elenmay, walk in front of a list of names of sailors who died on the USS Arizona, one of the most heavily damaged ships in the Pearl Harbor attack.
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