Intern Braden Wyatt (left) and curator Jeffrey Norcross prepare for the exhibit at the Museum of American History on Andaloro Way.
It was a busy morning at the Museum of American History in Deptford on April 3, as Jeffrey and Barbara Norcross and intern Braden Wyatt put the finishing touches on a World War II exhibit that runs through June 1.
“I am learning a lot,” said Wyatt, an intern majoring in history at Rowan University who will graduate this May.
“I know about the artifacts and where to display them,” he noted while pointing out the Buddy Pup Tent for two soldiers used during the war and the collapsible shovels they carried in their packs.
“My father, Richard, served with the U.S. Army in Alaska and my mother, Margaret, packed parachutes at the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia,” curator Jeffrey Norcross said. “She was only 18 or 19.”
Norcross’ dad would tell him how cold it was in Alaska, but did not talk much about his experiences in the war.
“My mom enjoyed the work,” recalled Norcross, who was proud to display a picture frame with photographs of soldiers who returned home safely and were members of the Blessed Hope Community Church in Deptford.
“She said she was helping the boys.”
In one of the rooms on the second floor, three complete uniforms of the war were on display – one worn by a U.S. Navy seaman and two worn by U.S. Army soldiers. One of the latter belonged to Staff Sgt. John Kalinowski of Deptford, who helped service the Enola Gay in the South Pacific before it dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. His son, Ed, is a member of the township’s board of education.
The museum also has a display about the Enola Gay in another room, as well as artifacts from American, English, German and Japanese soldiers. They include flags, weapons, coinage and equipment from the Allied and Axis powers in the Pacific, as well as the European theaters.
“Come celebrate the lives and memories of our veterans and fallen heroes,” urged Norcross, who said World War II was a war that defined an era in American and world history. He and his wife, Barbara, have operated the facility for more than 20 years. Its permanent exhibits include artifacts from the pre-Columbian through the Colonial eras; the American Farmstead; antique hand tools and equipment; the Pine Barrens; glass; and a fossils.
Many of the artifacts were found by Norcross during his career as an archaeologist at more than 120 historical sites. He graduated from the University of West Florida with degrees in history and religion and studied under archaeologist Warren Wilkerson of Jacksonville, Florida, and curator Dorothy Nelson of the Thunderbird Museum in Mount Laurel.
The World War II exhibit also features civilian paraphernalia, including a framed color picture of Rosie the Riveter, the fictional character who represented women in jobs building military eqiupment during the conflict.
According to Norcross, the Museum of American History Foundation was established in 1993 and was located in several places before moving into its permanent Deptford home in 2017. He enjoys teaching young people and looks forward to student archaeology classes that will be held for 14 days in July at the open field across the street from what was once part of the Andaloro Farm.
The Museum of American History is located at 138 Andaloro Way, near Deptford’s Westville border, and is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children.
For information, call (856) 812-1121 or email sjmuseum@aol.com or visit www.southjerseymuseum.org.
