Indiana Military Museum to apply for tourism grant

VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) - A military museum in Vincennes has received a $100,000 donation that museum officials hope will go toward a tourism grant used to transform the building.

The Indiana Military Museum is applying for a $250,000 matching grant from the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, The Vincennes Sun-Commercial (http://bit.ly/2epfddU) reported.

"We've got something really exciting going on here," said Museum curator and founder Jim Osborne. "Much bigger than the tank and various other things."

Illinois-based Jay E. Hayden Foundation donated $100,000 to be used for the grant. Osborne and other supporters are working to raise the remaining $150,000 by the time the grant application is due Dec. 2.

"We probably wouldn't need the cash in hand until next year, but we'd have to have the letters now," Osborne said. "We're contacting individuals, we've made contact with several corporations and organizations who we're hoping will give this a serious look in the next few weeks and help us out."

If the museum were to obtain the grant, it could end up securing $500,000. The money would be used to renovate the massive, jam-packed museum warehouse and storage facility into a large exhibit space.

The space would include a spot for radio equipment displays, wartime vehicles and a corner set display of a bullet-ridden cathedral that came from Hollywood, which some have speculated is from the film "Saving Private Ryan."

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Information from: Vincennes Sun-Commercial, http://www.vincennes.com