Definition of Project
This project examined the mobilization of the 203rd Coast Artillery Battalion (Anti-Aircraft)[1], a Southwest Missouri National Guard Unit from the small Missouri towns of Carthage, Joplin, Lamar, Springfield, Pierce City, Webb City, Neosho, Sarcoxie, Monett, Aurora, and Anderson, through local newspaper articles written by the men of the unit and of the local townspeople during World War II, and interviews with some of the men, as well as letters written by the men years after serving in World War II.
The 203rd Coast Artillery Battalion traveled to Joplin, Missouri, then to Camp Hulen, Texas. From Camp Hulen, the 203rd Coast Artillery Battalion (AA) traveled to Los Angeles, California, and after a brief time in Los Angeles, the men were sent to the Aleutian Islands, in Alaska. While at Camp Hulen, Texas, the 203rd Coast Artillery Battalion (AA) trained in the Texas and Louisiana Maneuvers. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the men of the 203rd CAB (AA) moved to a new duty station on the West Coast to deal with the impending Japanese threat.
Some of the soldiers wrote home to family and friends and to the local newspapers about the Louisiana Maneuvers. The local newspapers followed the 203rd CAB (AA) men’s service during World War II. The paper will examine the story of the 203rd CAB (AA) because of their specific experiences in American history. The story of the 203rd CAB (AA) showed the direct link between soldier and hometown, and this paper will bring life to the story of the 203rd CAB (AA). The paper will demonstrate the strong connection of war and the home front.
In collaboration with the Museum of Missouri Military History in Jefferson City, Missouri, this paper will provide the research for an exhibit on the history of the 203rd Coast Artillery Battalion (Anti-Aircraft) from Southwest Missouri (Carthage, Joplin, Lamar, Springfield, Pierce City, Webb City, Neosho, Sarcoxie, Monett, Aurora, and Anderson, Missouri) during World War II. The Museum of Missouri Military History houses an entire collection of objects, photographs, and oral histories on the 203rd CAB (AA). The exhibit shows how Southwest Missouri towns provided men, and the citizens took an interest the men’s actions during World War II through the showing of newspaper articles and objects the men brought back from the time of service. The Museum of Missouri Military History is providing the space and the objects for the exhibit, and this research provides content for labels and narrative for both the physical exhibit and the online exhibit. The Museum of Missouri Military History focuses on Missouri in the Military, and that is what the focus of this paper and the joint exhibits will provide. The Museum of Missouri Military History in Jefferson City, Missouri, has agreed to work with Haley Heil on this project, because she is a former intern who has known experience in curating previous exhibits for the museum when she interned for the Museum of Missouri Military History as an undergraduate student.
Some artifacts, such as newspaper articles, World War II uniforms, photographs, World War II memorabilia, and oral histories will provide the narrative and substance of the exhibit. The exhibit will follow the service of the men of the 203rd CAB (AA) during World War II as closely as the artifacts specific to the 203rd CAB (AA)’s collection at the Museum of Missouri Military History will allow, including, but not limited to articles the men wrote to the local hometown newspapers. This exhibit offers a window into the past showing Missouri provided service members for World War II and showing Missouri pride through newspaper correspondence. The physical exhibit will be housed in the National Guard Headquarters exhibit case at the Museum of Missouri Military History March-April 2020, and the online exhibit will be open for viewing beginning in April 2020. The physical exhibit is open to any tourists who visit the Museum of Missouri Military History in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Currently, very little history exists covering the service of the 203rd CAB (AA). Given the lack of historical narrative, the goal of the research for the paper is to show where the men of the 203rd CAB (AA) served and their service experiences during World War II. The goal of the exhibit is to bring life to the story of Missouri farm boys who went to war during global conflict and how the men were connected to the hometowns by writing local newspapers (the Carthage Evening Press, Carthage; the Joplin Globe, Joplin; and the Lamar Democrat, Lamar). The exhibit will help showcase how the National Guard mobilized for active service during World War II to protect the American home front.
[1]The 203rd Coast Artillery (Anti-Aircraft) will also be referred to as the Houn’ Dawg regiment or the 203rd CAB (AA).
Comments