Sullivan Brothers Museum in Waterloo, Iowa

http://vimeo.com/2947827

My wife and I visited the Sullivan Brothers Museum in Waterloo, Iowa in January. They opened this year with new exhibits in a just completed multimillion-dollar facility. I was interviewed and recorded several years ago for their archives. They had a narrator record one of the poems from “Remembering Willy," the MWSA 2005 Silver Medal Winner, that museum visitors can play by pushing a button.

They also used a one-an-a half minute recording of my interview in another exhibit.

Highly recommend that you visit the museum if you have a chance.

Best to you all,

Dennis Maulsby
Ames, Iowa 50010

Information from the Museum web site:

The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum honors the service and sacrifice of all Iowa veterans from the Civil War to present. Their rich history is chronicled and interpreted through traditional exhibits, interactive activities and an electronic Wall of Honor.

The museum is named in honor of the Five Sullivan Brothers, from Waterloo, who died while serving together on the USS Juneau.

Service and Sacrifice on Exhibit

The story of Iowa veterans is drawn from their own remembrances. Diaries, letters, autobiographies and oral histories were used to help develop these exhibits, and their words are integrated into the story. Major features of the permanent exhibit include:

Communication Stations

The communication stations contain stories about how the troops and people at home kept in contact with each other. Each station has six stories per combat era. The stations show how communication has changed over 140 years, from the telegraph and post office to the electronic and video messages of today.

Voices of Veterans Theaters

The Voices of Veterans theaters provide more detailed accounts of experiences by Iowans. The theaters in the lower level areas feature historical reproductions about the activities of specific units: the 21st Iowa Volunteer Infantry, the 51st Iowa Regiment and the 168th Iowa Regiment, part of the Rainbow Division. The productions have been drawn from letters, diaries and historical accounts. The upper level theaters feature the voices of actual veterans through video interviews, which capture the emotion and pride they experienced.