WWII Bomb Crews and Atomic Veterans Exhibit

The WWII Bomb Crews and Atomic Veterans Exhibit will be on display in the Main Gallery of the Welcome Center until March 1, 2026.

The Highground Museum will be highlighting the stories and artifacts donated by Veterans and families that give us an inside look into serving on bomb crews during WWII in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Within this exhibit are the stories of Gerald Hoefert, Richard Ebben, Lester Willner, Loren Longmore, Robert Stith, Frederick Meyer, Ruby Jermstad and Lee Jermstad (who died while being held as a POW in the Japanese Camp O’Donnell after surviving the Bataan Death March).  

Following a visit to The Highground by USMC Veteran Gile McWain, we were inspired to create and include an educational exhibit on Atomic Veterans alongside the WWII Bomb Crew exhibit. This is a perfect segue as the WWII B-29 bomb crews and support personnel were part of and witness to the beginning of our nation’s “Atomic Veterans.” Gile, an Atomic Veteran due to his involvement in atomic testing in the 1950s, brought his story and connections to other atomic veterans’ stories, including the opportunity to speak with Atomic Veteran Keith Kiefer, commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV).  

As with all events and missions of The Highground, this exhibition is the result of the work of several volunteers alongside staff members. James Veeshowske donated a large balsa wood model of a B-24 that he constructed which is proudly on display. Also on display is the returning exhibit of The Highground’s to-scale replica of “Little Boy” (created by Combat Parts Inc. and Kulas Body Shop), the atomic bomb that was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. We have offset the horror of WWII and the suffering of civilians and military troops due to the atomic testing and bombs by exhibiting our Senbazuru 1,000 Origami Crane Exhibit. A senbazuru is a traditional Japanese custom to bring peace, hope and joy. Making them became popular following the atomic bomb detonations over Japan in 1945 as survivors were helped in creating them to aid their healing process. The Highground’s Senbazuru was constructed by volunteers, led by the efforts of Debbie and Skip Klabon. Helynn Schufletowski, daughter of USAAF Veteran Gerald Hoefert, assisted with many aspects of the exhibit and her father’s story. This included working on her own story of researching his bomb group and traveling over to see what remained of where he was stationed at Horham Air Base in England.

For more information about this exhibit, please email Theresa at museum@thehighground.org or call 715-743-4224.

The Highground is located at W7031 Ridge Rd. Neillsville, WI 54456