The people of Wake Forest experienced World War II every day with hundreds of Army men on the college campus and in downtown, with trucks and trains carrying men and equipment rumbling through town, and with all the rationing and shortages the war brought. Families worried about their young men who had gone off to war.
The town can relive some of that during the World War II exhibit that will open Sunday, June 22, at 2 p.m. at the Wake Forest Historical Museum on North Main Street. There will be a low-key opening program and reception.
Museum Director Ed Morris said they will introduce some people who made the exhibit possible “and some very special guests we will invite to say a few words. Jill Bright and David Cooke have invited some VFW folks and Jill has also sought out some local World War II vets. The opening is open to anyone who would like to attend. It will be a standing event except for those few who absolutely need a seat. The reception will follow the opening. I think we are going to have a large crowd.”
The exhibit will be at the museum through Oct. 5. Admission is always free at the museum, which is open from 9 a.m. to 12 and then from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. It is closed on Saturday and Monday but is open from 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
One of the special events will be a filming of the movie “Twelve O’Clock High” starring Gregory Peck because his character was based on Gen. Frank Armstrong, a Nash County native and Wake Forest College student.
