On Wednesday, March 1 at 11:00 AM, the 51șÚÁÏÍű will proudly re-open its doors with a warm welcome for everyone.

Founder/Curator Emmett Casciato often says, “A visiting veteran will see one of our artifacts and begin telling a story. The veteran’s adult children will say ‘He’s never told that story before!’”
What’s new in the museum this year?

Each of our galleries features a professionally-produced 6-7 minute video entitled “Through Their Eyes.” They tell the story of Americans at war. Learn why and how each war began, see images of what it was like for our service members, and discover up-close the artifacts, uniforms, and stories of local veterans who served. These short videos play separately as you visit the galleries of WWI, WWII-Europe, WWII-Pacific, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the War on Terror. The project is made possible by grants from, , , and . If you missed the premiere in October, now’s your chance to experience these compelling stories at your own pace.

The Vietnam gallery has been dedicated to Vietnam veteran Mike Di Rocco

He served in the US Army Special Forces and USMC, serving two tours of duty in Vietnam. Di Rocco, a much-respected and loved volunteer and speaker for the museum, sadly passed away in 2022. This gallery also offers new artifacts from two local veterans who were POWs in Vietnam.

You may be surprised to find a Russian truck-launched rocket in the museum now. We believe this one was retrieved in Iraq or Afghanistan by Navy Seals. It’s just one example of the unique and interesting items you’ll find.

The WWI gallery boasts a rare Maxim machine gun.

No worries about mis-placing this artifact—it’s so heavy that it took 6 men to man it! That included transporting and operating the gun, the stand, the ammo, and even water for cooling. It’s a must-see.

1943 Willys Jeep exhibit

If you haven’t yet seen the 1943 Willys Jeep exhibit, it’s now at its best. Additional equipment and artifacts from WWII have been added to this “visitors’ favorite” scene. It’s titled, “Somewhere in Europe . . . Letters from Home,” and depicts an Army Post Office with soldiers arriving, hoping for a letter from a loved one. The 1942 Harley-Davidson nearby provided transportation for MPs. You’ll notice the authentic leather saddlebags and the “suicide stick.” To find out what this means, come on in and ask.

Bring your family members for a unique “walk and learn” experience.

The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11am to 3pm. Friendly volunteers are ready to greet you, but tours can be self-guided, making it easy for you to spend anything from a few minutes to a few hours enjoying this walk through our proud military history. There are many artifacts with stories behind them – ask a Pathfinder (docent) to share one. We are the museum of stories!

“Through Their Eyes” videos are available on our homepage (all six videos combined) and the 6-7 minute segments are available for viewing on each of the exhibit pages.

1943 Willys Jeep and 1942 Harley-Davidson motorcycle exhibit

Expanded Museum Schedule: Record Number of Visitors & Volunteers

The museum’s visitor attendance in 2022 was 3638 (compared to 2583 in 2021); 90% of the visitors are from outside Brevard. This year we had a record number of 22 Pathfinders (docents), whose initiative and enthusiasm encouraged us to open for five days per week (previously four), and to stay open through December 31 for the first time in the museum’s history.

New Exhibit, Artifacts, and Partnerships

2022’s new exhibit was a WWII scene “Letters from Home, Somewhere in Europe,” displaying a 1943 Willys Jeep and 1942 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The fully-restored and running Jeep was donated to the museum by Ken Dawson of Winston-Salem, N.C., to honor the military service of his friend Phil Mayrand, U.S. Army Ranger, Vietnam. The two friends met as young Explorer Scouts in the late 1950’s. Harley-Davidson motorcycles like the one in the exhibit (with its “suicide shifter”) were used by WWII MPs in the European theatre.

Patriot’s Point Partnership

The museum also received donations of a WWI Maxim machine gun, a 14-foot Soviet missile, and German uniforms and shoes. New Director of Acquisitions Bobby Kotlowski established a partnership with Patriot’s Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Charleston, SC to procure additional artifacts. He expects more historically significant items in 2023.

International Recognition

With the City of Brevard, the museum hosted a ceremony bestowing of the French Legion de l’honneur on D-Day veteran George Sarros for his service in liberating France and Europe from Nazi occupation. French Consul General Anne-Laure Dùsjonqueres presented the medal in a ceremony attended by more than 100 people.

Pictured from left, George Sarros, NC Representative Mike Clampitt, Consul General DÚsjonqueres, and Brevard Mayor Maureen Copelof

Original Video Programs and Grants

In 2022, inflation and a sluggish economy resulted in a 14.5% decline in donations to the museum. A Covid-relief grant from North Carolina Humanities enabled the museum to stay open. Grants and partnerships supported exciting new programs such as the Jeep Exhibit and “Through Their Eyes” (a documentary consisting of six videos). A short video in each gallery tells the history of each conflict through professional narration, photos, music, museum artifacts and local veterans’ stories.

Community Presence & Business Support

We continued our participation in community events such as Independence Day, 51șÚÁÏÍű Day, and Memorial Day. We received generous sponsorships from five local businesses: Egolf Motors, TVS, Harris Ace Hardware, The Cherry Tree, and O.P. Taylor’s. JROTC groups from Transylvania County and Haywood County came in for customized tours, and the museum awarded its annual scholarship to a Transylvania JROTC cadet.

Ambassador to Business

Honorary Museum Board Member USAF Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ed Cottrell represented the museum at the ribbon-cutting of the Pratt & Whitney plant in Asheville, N.C. Cottrell was introduced to the audience as a P-47 Fighter Pilot who flew 65 missions in the Battle of the Bulge. He credits the Pratt & Whitney radial engine for saving his life when his engine was shot by a German ME-109.

Pictured from left: Ed Cottrell, Governer Cooper

Back to the Battlefield

Andrew Biggio, author of the bestselling WWII book,The Rifle, met WWII pilot Ed Cottrell at a museum event. Biggio has taken Cottrell on three “back to the battlefield” trips to Holland and Belgium. Biggio also took Cottrell to the gravesite of his roommate Thomas H. Smith, who was shot down and killed in battle. This was the first time Cottrell had been able to pay tribute to his fellow pilot and friend. Biggio, USMC veteran of Afghanistan, has become a partner with the museum, honoring two local WWII veterans by publishing their stories in the latest edition of his book.

Media, Communications and Outreach

In 2022, our website had 35,775 visits (up from 22,082 in 2021), 90% being first-time visits. The search words “things to do in Western N.C.” are what brought most of those to our site. We averaged 50 site visits per day until June and July, when that number jumped to 1000+ per day, with 80-97% from cell phones. This tells us people are searching for things to do while they’re traveling.

The most popular stories on our website’s “Living Histories” blog last year were “Still Hoping to Save the Kitty Hawk” (18,309 visitors) and “Band of Brothers” (2349 visitors).

The museum’s social media include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. Our Facebook page, where we posted 200 stories in 2022, has 3000+ followers. Our posts received 88,725 views, with 8000+ followers sharing or liking our content. We share with groups like “We Are Brevard NC,” making our posts available to their 23,000 followers.

Museum communications outreach now includes 17 media placements for each event. We have 1915 subscribers to our weekly e-newsletter, with 42% open rate. Bold Life Magazine published two features on our programs. Area newspapers placed the museum’s articles on their front pages a total of seven times in 2022.

Three TV stations broadcasted stories on the French Legion de l’honneur ceremony. Greenville, SC’s Fox Carolina journalist is expected to return February 27 to do a segment about the museum.

Four board members represented the museum at the Charleston, S.C. commissioning of the USS Frank E. Petersen, the Navy’s newest guided missile destroyer, displaying some of the museum’s important artifacts, and spreading the word about the museum to a new audience.

Guest Speaker History Programs

We held a record 10 history lectures, averaging 71 attendees each, with two programs bringing in more than 100 people. Nationally-known authors as well as local veterans telling their stories brought audiences into three new venues: Transylvania County Elections Center Conference Room, Transylvania County Library’s Rogow Room, and Brevard College’s Ingram Lecture Hall. Authors James Scott (Target Tokyo, Black Snow) and Sean McMeekin (Stalin’s War) presented programs on their new books.

Requested by a California Vietnam 51șÚÁÏÍű’ group, speakers are now livestreamed on Facebook and posted on our site for viewers all over the world.

Museum Partnership with Brevard College

Brevard College’s History Department co-sponsored our program based on the book, Loyal Forces: The American Animals of WWII. The program was presented by National WWII Museum official and Brevard College alumna Toni Kiser. Museum staff looks forward to our continued partnership with Brevard College.

The Museum’s Future

The museum’s Founder/Curator, Emmett Casciato, took a leave of absence to run for public office and won. Other volunteers stepped in with seamless continuity and added new ideas. Casciato is now a member of the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners and energetically back at the museum, developing plans to raise support for an eventual new home for the museum.

The 51șÚÁÏÍű invites you to join us  for a free encore showing of “Through Their Eyes.”

A series of six brief films tells the stories of America’s conflicts since WWI through the eyes of service members, many of them local. October’s premiere brought a standing-room-only crowd, with many requests for another showing; so it’s back by popular demand.

Transylvania County Library
Rogow Room
Friday, December 2
at 2:00 P.M.

History of America at war

The film gives a brief history of America at war from WWI through the Global War on Terror, using photos, music, videos and professional narrative. Museum artifacts support the stories, describing the personal sacrifices of our veterans and paying tribute to combatants and their families.

With the anniversary of on December 7, this film is a valuable history lesson and an opportunity to appreciate the sacrifice of those at war and on the home front during WWII.

“Through Their Eyes” Documentary

“Through Their Eyes” is a professionally-produced documentary. The 51șÚÁÏÍű is grateful to the following organizations for making it possible: , an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Lake Toxaway Charities, Pisgah Forest Rotary, and Transylvania County.

Admission is free to this 45-minute showing of “Through Their Eyes” For more information: call 828-884-2141.

One of the WWII veterans who attended the October 25 premiere of “Through Their Eyes” said afterward, “Every American should see this movie.”

It was standing room only at the Co-Ed Cinema as Transylvania residents honored our county’s veterans at the 5:00 PM showing of “Through Their Eyes: The History of America at War from 1917 Through the Global War on Terror” on October 25. In three showings, the 51șÚÁÏÍű hosted its new series of videos which tell the stories of these conflicts “through the eyes” of those who served.

Students and Visitors Learn History and Honor 51șÚÁÏÍű with Multiple Treats

Many of the 110 students from Rosman Middle School and Brevard Middle School students cheered at the end of their 1:00 PM showing. Eighty-two of these students had toured the museum earlier that day. Another audience attended the 7:00 PM showing after greeting WWII and Korean War veterans in Clemson Plaza between the two movie showings—altogether, an estimated 500 people during “premiere” day. Many of the visitors came from neighboring counties, and as far away as Chicago, to honor veterans by learning their stories and about the conflicts in which they served.

Multiple Treats and Ways to Learn and Honor 51șÚÁÏÍű

In addition to watching “Through Their Eyes,” guests listened to live music of the eras of each of the wars since WWI and enjoyed cookies and hot cider. Many visitors stopped by the WWII Willys Jeep and a display of WWII artifacts, hosted by WWII re-enactors Tom Bugala, Ken Corn, and Alex Eberhardt, dressed in WWII fatigues. Four additional re-enactors from the Sons of the American Revolution, dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms, brought history and color to the event.

Community Support and the Creative Team

The Brevard Fire Department raised a large American flag on the edge of Clemson Plaza as their contribution to honoring our country and our service members. Mayor Maureen Copelof, a U.S. Navy veteran, spent time listening to stories of the nine WWII and Korean War veterans.

Melinda & Health Cowart

Audience Responses

Attendees were invited to write their comments on a “talkback sheet” after seeing the videos. Here are a few:

Appreciation for Support

This program was supported by North Carolina Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, www.nchumanities.org. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of North Carolina Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities. The museum received additional funding from Transylvania County, Lake Toxaway Charities, and Pisgah Forest Rotary.

New Feature in the Museum

These new videos will now be shown individually in each of the six galleries of the museum as educational opportunities and, foremost, to honor our veterans by telling their stories. School groups and other groups are welcome. To arrange a tour, please call 828-884-2141.

By Janis Allen for the Transylvania Times
Photos courtesy Joni Pavlik and Janis Allen