BOALSBURG — Memorial Day weekend is a great time to visit the Pennsylvania Military Museum. The museum is open for visitors Friday through Monday, with special events and exhibits every day, as part of the community-wide celebration.
Located in the heart of Boalsburg, the museum is a community gathering place welcoming audiences of all abilities and backgrounds to gather and explore the story of the Commonwealth’s men and women serving in the Armed Forces, civilian activities on the home front, and Pennsylvania’s contributions to military innovation.
The museum is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and actively supported by the Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum, which is a nonprofit, community-based organization.
Below are some of events happening over Memorial Day weekend:
LIFE AT THE FRONT: WORLD WAR TWO MAY 28-29 10 A.M. TO 4 P.M.
Immerse yourself in life on the Western Front during the second World War. Explore an army camp and talk to living historians about life on the front lines; spend your weekend with us and learn how the pivotal Battle of Hurtgen Forest changed the course of the war and the lives of the soldiers who fought in it.
Donations are requested.
UNCLE DICK: THE BRAVEST MAN I NEVER MET MAY 28 2 TO 3 P.M.
In a roundtable presentation, museum volunteer Mike Siggins will tell the story of his uncle, Lewistown native U.S. Army PFC Richard C. Van Dyke, who was killed in action during General Patton’s Third Army Moselle River crossings in September 1944.
Battle maps, after action reports and the personal belongings of PFC Van Dyke and his family will bring you face to face with the realities of one man’s sacrifices and give you a deeper appreciation of the meaning of Memorial Day.
Donation appreciated.
FIERCE VALOR: THE TRUE STORY OF RONALD SPEIRS AND HIS BAND OF BROTHERS MAY 29 2 TO 3 P.M.
His comrades called him “Killer.” Of the elite paratroopers who served in the venerated “Band of Brothers” during the Second World War, none were more enigmatic than Ronald Speirs.
Rumored to have gunned down enemy prisoners and even one of his own disobedient sergeants, Speirs became a foxhole legend among his troops. But who was the real Lieutenant Speirs?
Packed with groundbreaking research, Fierce Valor unveils a compelling portrait of an officer defined by boldness on the battlefield and the inherent costs of war. His story serves as a telling reminder that few soldiers escape the power of their own pasts.
Donation appreciated.
ALLEGHENY MOUNTAIN REGION A.A.C.A. CAR SHOW MAY 30 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M.
Regional Antique Automobile Club of America Chapter’s annual summer season kickoff event featuring many prewar through modern classics on display throughout the grounds of the 28th Division Shrine Complex/PA Military Museum; $5 for on-site parking. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
TAPS ACROSS AMERICA MAY 30 3 TO 3:15 P.M.
Join staff and volunteers at the Pennsylvania Military Museum for a moment of remembrance and tribute through the playing of Taps at the 28th Division Shrine. A lone bugler will be positioned at one of the parapets of the Shrine for this solemn melody.
Taps Across America is a National Moment of Remembrance held annually, for Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day, to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the United States.
Museum, Page 16 from page 12
The time 3 p.m. was chosen because it is the time when most Americans are enjoying time off from work for the national holiday.
The Moment was first proclaimed in May 2000 for Memorial Day that year and was put in law by the United States Congress in December 2000. This year, the Rev. Dr. Nancy Jill Hale will be the bugler for the Pennsylvania Military Museum.
Hale is a United Methodist pastor serving two churches near Bellefonte.
As a Civil War chaplain reenactor, she has offered authentic Sunday Divine Services at churches and on the battlefield at Gettysburg, and she has sounded Taps for various memorial events and for the 100 Nights of Taps program at the National Cemetery at Gettysburg.
