Wheaton history center hosts vets' lunch

After history had been recorded in books and celebrated in Hollywood films, there still are details that can get lost forever if people aren't careful.

That's why the Center for History in Wheaton is focusing on the smaller things as its staff embarks on the Dignity, Service and Valor project, which documents the memories of local war veterans. Just in time for Veterans Day, the museum invited veterans living in Wheaton to a luncheon last week, where they shared their memories on film and displayed treasured letters and memorabilia for the project.

The event focused on the details of military life off the battlefield, seeking to learn about the veterans' relationships with their comrades, memories of boot camp and other day-to-day experiences.

"Every day wasn't a battle," said George Webber, volunteer and vice president of center's museum. "Big museums can do big things, but this (project) is going to be much more personal."

About 50 local veterans dusted off newspaper clippings from World War II and Vietnam, displayed foreign currency they collected while stationed in countries like Egypt and Japan, and chilling war spoils like Nazi belt buckles with sayings like "Gott Mit Uns" (God with us).

When the cameras started rolling for the projects, many veterans shared stories about the finer points of their daily lives in the military.

Gil Lehman, who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, said he learned more about living, hygiene and his fellow man in the military than he ever did at home.

"They even taught us the proper way to brush our teeth."

Others revealed their motivations for enlisting. Dr. Paul Jorden, an orthopedic surgeon who credits the military with leading him to his medical career, fessed up to why he joined.

"I enlisted not because I was a hero, but because I knew I'd be drafted and I wanted three good meals a day," he said with a laugh.

Webber argues that the United States would be a different place if each of the Wheaton veterans who attended did not enlist in the military, especially due to the high number of soldiers - more than 16 million, according to the U.S. Census - who served in World War II.

"Every one of you played a key role," Webber said. "But no one has asked you what you saw."