WWII WAC Purple Heart group

[Mr.Jerry]

This one really had some highs and lows for me. A lady I worked with knew of my interest in WW2, and invited me over to see some things here dad bought back from the war, pretty typical German stuff, but her dad was a Medic and had 3 awesome scrapbooks of his service time with lots of great medic helmet pics, then she gets to her Moms stuff who was a WAAC then a WAC, and was wounded in a bombing in London and she had not one, but TWO purple hearts ( I would think the Govt just made darn sure she got one) engraved to her. I was blown away. She was one of only 16 WACs that were wounded in WW2.

 

Then she told me that she was going to donate it all to the Wisconsin Veterans museum...

 

But regardless of my own collection loss, at least their story is preserved.

 

[doyler]

Great uniform and Story Jerry

 

Thanks for posting

[tarbridge]

Well almost...Nice to see...

[gomorgan]

Quite story there, great items..

[doyler]

Jerry

 

Maybe you could advise her to place the items on loan to the museum with the ability of her or her family to be able to retrieve them in the future if desired.

 

To many times when things are donated they end up disappearing or never to be seen or displayed.

 

I recently helped a veteran do this.He wasnt intrested in selling and his family didnt have an intrest at this time but that can change.I explained to him the museum may even sell the the items(as they will do if they need to fund the operations of the building) and get something down in writing about displaying the items and also the return of if they were not going to use them or be intrested.The museum did honor his wishes and stipulations.I

[tarbridge]

Jerry

 

Maybe you could advise her to place the items on loan to the museum with the ability of her or her family to be able to retrieve them in the future if desired.

 

To many times when things are donated they end up disappearing or never to be seen or displayed.

 

I recently helped a veteran do this.He wasnt intrested in selling and his family didnt have an intrest at this time but that can change.I explained to him the museum may even sell the the items(as they will do if they need to fund the operations of the building) and get something down in writing about displaying the items and also the return of if they were not going to use them or be intrested.The museum did honor his wishes and stipulations.I

 

Good advice...

[WWII Legacy Girl]

Make sure she knows exactly who it's going to at the museum. I have heard way too many stories of where a veteran donates their uniform and the museum just turns around and trades it with another museum or sells it. If she really wants it to go somewhere where women's items are uniquely displayed and used, I know of a lady on the West Coast who does AMAZING displays and presentations with women's service. Hundreds of women's uniforms have been entrusted to her from WWI to recent. She's not a collector - she is a living museum.

[stealthytyler]

Fingers crossed that it actually gets displayed. Sometimes your better off selling it to collectors, though, I do find museums to be special places to see really great items. I just assume that there are more items not displayed than displayed.

[huntssurplus]

I would hate to see such a great piece of history end up in a museum basement or sold. I agree with making sure she donates it to the right museum.

 

Hunt

[Dave]

Did you get a photo of the engraving?

I've spent many hours in the basement of the Wisconsin Veteran's Museum working on my book. I can say a couple of things: 1. They have some amazing stuff in the basement. 2. Their curator is very knowledgeable and really invests herself in the preservation of the material. 3. The stuff in the basement that's not on display is unfathomably well preserved...I had to give her a hard time about the amount of preservation on some of the post-war overcoats...seriously? 4. They very rarely deaccession anything, just the items that have no names and no attribution. We talked about this at length (I'll admit they had some really nice stuff she was going to deaccession and I was hinting that I might be able to provide a good home for it...but she has a protocol she follows where it's first offered to a list of museums, and then on down the line...sigh...)

 

Of all the museums I've been to, I'll honestly and confidently say that the Wisconsin Veteran's Museum is one of the best run that I've ever encountered.

 

Hopefully that's a small silver lining!!!

[Bodes]

Must be her wac service ribbon next to the good conduct and below the purple heart....Don't know what recourse there would be if something got sold/traded off, than the family decided they wanted the stuff back..Would think most reputable museums would give things backs provided that becomes the wish of the family...I imagine quite a few "donations" have gotten sticky when money gets thrown into the mix....Upside is potentially more people can have the opportunity to see and enjoy something in a museum....However, museums do close their doors or as stated sell or trade off some of their items....Another positive is future family members having a place to go and see artifacts from their ancestors...After all collectors sell off their stuff too eventually, and things can easily get lost in the shuffle...There are overseas collectors too and money talks...I know dealers here stateside who have ebayed things only to see them wind up in another country...Some real rare stuff too....No easy solutions any more I'm afraid....Bodes

[Mr.Jerry]

Thanks, while I am not too fond of museum practices in general, at least it is a great museum, sadly she donated it this past spring, I just found out now. I am getting some scans of the photo albums. The museums that I have donated things to now make me sign a "we can do whatever we want with this" agreement. I was hoping to be the caretaker of at least one of them, but at least it is not lost to a landfill.

[cutiger83]

Jerry,

 

Amazing uniform. Thanks for posting.

 

I was wondering where you got the number that only 16 WACs received the purple heart in WWII. Since the Army Nurse Corps was a separate group, they certainly would have a higher number of purple hearts awarded. However, over 400 military women were killed in WWII. It seems there would have been more than 16 women in the WACs who received the purple heart. The records for women in the military were not kept very well so it is hard to know exact numbers.

 

Thanks, Kat

[Mr.Jerry]

I believe my numbers were for wounded WACs, sorry for the confusion.

It has been a while since I did my original research, but if I come across it again I will let you know.

But from a women's military collector standpoint, an incredibly rare and historic medal.

[Mr.Jerry]

Found it-

 

"Sixteen women received the Purple Heart, awarded during World War II to soldiers injured due to enemy action. The majority of the WACs received their injuries from exploding V-l bombs while stationed in London."

 

-https://history.army.mil/brochures/WAC/WAC.HTM

[bobgee]

Super group & story! Nice to see details of an unsung hero. Her items should look great on display in the Wisconsin Veteran's Museum. Bobgee

[Dorothy]

Thank you for share!

[SemperParatus]

A late response, however from my perspective worth a mention. Having been involved with museums and subsequent donations I would say this. Take the time to check out the museum's policy toward donated material that is not ever likely to be put on display. For example no one in the family wants Uncle Jacks, uniforms and medals and you want the items preserved. The grouping consists of one "tailor made" Navy jumper and bell bottoms, a Navy Good Conduct Medal (not engraved) A National Defense Service Medal and a WW II Victory Medal. Obviously the museum will want to display Admiral so and so's grouping but when it comes to Uncle Jacks stuff, well there is nothing to make it stand out from all the other Uncle Jack's donations. In this situation I would prefer to get the material to a private collector, who will preserve it along with Uncle Jack's memory. I have always taken the extra step to get something in writing that clearly stipulates in the event that the museum closes down or my material is no longer needed that I will be notified so arrangements may be made to return the donated material to the family. I know that many museums require a donor to sign away the donated material thus giving the museum the option to trade or sell the items often in the name of raising funds or displays or building projects. I have found some museums who will accept items "On Long Loan" and returned when no longer needed..

Take the time to do your homework. Certainly there are pros and cons for museums and private collectors, which one will preserve Uncle Jacks memory best, well that is up to you.

[srossio]

Glad I found this thread and what a fantastic grouping! I work within the museum and archival field and I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to museum's collections/retention/disposal policies. Recently two substantial museums in my area have decided to not accept any military items into their collection unless the items are extremely rare. I have no problem with this policy as I fully understand the lack of storage and display space that many institutions suffer from. However...I learned from their various collections teams that any donor with unwanted militaria is being directed to donate their items to Good Will. I inquired as to why and their Registrars informed me that it was the easiest solution. Both stated that most museums are not taking militaria so they have no where to direct the donors and that both museums do not want to be involved with "collectors."

Along this same line...I was approached by a woman who wanted to divest herself of her Dad's military items from WWII. I went and looked at them and during the 2 hour process she informed me that she had since decided that she wanted to donate everything to the historical society from the town he was from. I was a bit put out but understood. I was there when she met with the Registrar from the historical society and boy they wanted everything and they wanted it now. They had no idea what most of the items were so I helped identify things, etc. The Registrar stated they would pick up the items (two footlockers sitting in the den) by the end of the week. Alas, I received a call from the woman this week and the footlockers are still sitting there some ten months and several calls later. She is rather confused and saddened by the situation.