The words carved into the front desk of the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis, Wash., aren’t just words, but a promise: They shall not be forgotten.

That is the mission of the Lewis County museum. That is the driving force behind everything the museum does, as far as director Chip Duncan is concerned.

“It’s important to collect the artifacts and equally important to collect the stories as well, so we can tell them over and over,” he said.

Anyone interested in military history should make the journey to Lewis County (about a

3 1/2 hour drive from Whidbey Island) to see the Veterans Memorial Museum, which is visible from Interstate 5. Founded in 1997, the museum opened its current facility in 2005, which features a 9,000-square-foot gallery with 85 display cases, hundreds of displays and hundreds of thousands, more likely millions, of artifacts.

There is also a military reference library, a gift shop and a “USO” where visitors are welcome to enjoy a cup of coffee and conversation with local veterans. The museum also has an event center for special occasions and hosts ceremonies throughout the year in honor of veterans of all eras. Most recently, the museum sponsored a Civil War reenactment hosted by the Washington Civil War Association to mark the sesquicentennial of the war. More than 500 reenactors from Washington and Oregon converged on the small town of Chehalis, where they played out the Battle of Antietam, the first major battle of the war to take place on Union soil.

Cannons blasted, guns fired, troops advanced and fell back, the reenactors keeping the battle as realistic as possible.

An encampment nearby featured men and women dressed in period costumes, playing out scenes as they would have occurred in the 1860s, with historically accurate tents and props. Hundreds of spectators flocked to the side of the battlefield to watch Confederate and Union soldiers act out the combat scene.

“We do it to help bring history to life,” Duncan said. “It helps us see the real men and women who fought and gave their lives for the preservation of our country.”

Each has a story

According to Duncan, the museum’s artifacts have been donated by people from all over the country. Sometimes the museum gets them because people have no idea what else to do with the items, or they don’t know their history.

“When that happens, they just become objects,” he said. “It’s not that they don’t respect them, they just don’t know what to do with them. The history is lost.

“Every artifact has a uniqueness to it,” Duncan continued. “We always ask, do you have the story? Sometimes it’s like an onion, you’re peeling back the layers and it become more interesting and more interesting.”

Those stories are carefully collected and retold by Duncan and by the 30-plus volunteers who lead tours and man the museum. Visitors are also welcome to stroll through the displays at their own pace if they prefer. When they do, they begin with displays dating back from the Revolutionary war, moving slowly through our nation’s military history conflict by conflict, up through the present.

Tour guides tell visitors about Vivian hazel Havens Hudson, for instance. She was the first woman to go over Stevens Pass. She was determined to serve her country, enlisting in the Navy in 1918. She marched in the victory parade in Washington, D.C. when  World War I ended before she was sent to Bremerton and transferred to the Reserves. Her uniform is on display, a rare find for the museum.

“Women don’t keep their uniforms,” Duncan said. “Finding one in such good condition is exceptionally rare.”

There’s also a painting of Sgt. Joseph Berg, who was born in Belgium and immigrated to the U.S. at the turn of the century. He settled in Mount Vernon, working as a baggage handler at the Mount Vernon Train Depot. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the start of World War I, serving with the 42nd “Rainbow” Infantry Division and earning the Distinguished Service Cross. A memorial to Sgt. Berg is located at Pine Square in Mount Vernon, but you’ll have to go to the Veterans Memorial Museum to see his Distinguished Service Cross, which is still nestled in its original case.

Honoring service

There are other pieces of history as well, such as a piece from the U. S. Pentagon, damaged in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A 40-by-60-foot battle flag from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) dominates one end of the museum, rustling ever so slightly as the building’s ventilation systems stir the air. It is the flag that was on the Lincoln when President George W. Bush visited the carrier in 2003. It is the same flag upon which at least one veteran has wiped his tears during a visit to the museum.

“It’s a healing place as well for veterans. It touches them,” Duncan said.

“So many people are amazed we honor all branches of the military, from cooks to the generals,” he continued. “Our viewpoint is that everyone who served in one capacity or another played their part in something greater than themselves. So whether it’s peace time or war time, we honor their service.”

The Veterans Memorial Museum is a nonprofit organization that relies on support from various donors. About a quarter of its budget comes from membership donations. Last year more than 14,000 people visited the facility. Most of the collection is on permanent display, while about 25 percent of the displays are rotated regularly to keep the displays fresh and interesting.

Veterans Memorial Museum

100 SW Veterans Way
Chehalis, WA
360-740-8875

Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sundays (June through Labor Day) 1 to 5 p.m.

Admission:
$6 Adults
$5 Veterans and Seniors
$3 Students/children ages 6 to 18
Active Duty and museum members – Free

Driving Directions: From Seattle travel south on Interstate 5 and take exit 77. Turn right on Highway 6. Immediately, at the next intersection, Riverside Drive, turn left. The museum is on the left approximately 1/4 mile from Highway 6.

But it always comes back to the stories waiting to be told to those who are willing to listen.

“If we can tell the story, then people will learn something more about the sacrifice, duty and honor of veterans,” Duncan said.