Fighting in a war abroad is usually a lonely and traumatic experience for a soldier and often the coming home can be even harder. An upcoming exhibit hopes to tell these challenging homecoming stories and public contributions are being sought. Reporter Heather Clisby has the details …
Coming home from war is mostly a cause for celebration. But once the initial elation has passed, soldiers can be left feeling unsettled in a place once familiar. An exhibit entitled “War Comes Home: The Legacy,” is currently being developed for a run later this year at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum running September 11 through December 23.
Featuring private correspondence from major conflicts in US history, the exhibit will offer a highly personal view into the emotions of veterans and their families upon their homecoming. The exhibit aims to explore such themes as wartime separation, perception v. reality, the costs of war, and re-adjusting to life at home.
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum is seeking historic, contemporary, and original submissions from private individuals in the form of letters, emails, oral histories, photos, military uniforms, or artifacts relating to any American war. Submissions should be sent by email to [email protected]. For more info, call 760-369-7212.
The exhibit is possible through the Museums’ partnership with California Humanities and the California State Library and Exhibit Envoy, and is a part of its’ War Comes Home Initiative which strives to foster a deeper understanding wars’ impact on communities.
