He was one of a handful of veterans who walked through the "World War II in the Pacific," an interactive and immersive new exhibit at the Community Heritage Center in Clovis. The experience offers visitors a closer glimpse at the Pacific Front of WWII.
The free exhibit includes several local connections, from the personalized letters to family to the actors featured on a projected hologram video capturing a final goodbye between a young enlistee and his mother before he heads off to fight in war.
"I have everything packed, right? I'm not forgetting anything. I have my personal identification," said the young man featured in the portrayal.
The actors volunteering their talents are from Center Stage Clovis.
Curators of the space said the exhibit gives visitors a sense of history.
"We want them to know it's not something boring from a textbook. We want to make it lively, exciting," said Vaughan Rios, a Community Outreach Coordinator with the Community Heritage Center.
As you move through the 2,000 square foot space, visitors will notice each detail carefully curated, down to the elaborate production sets designed by Mark Riedel, a local high school theater instructor; authentic military clothing, and personal accounts from Valley families who experienced the hardships faced in the Japanese internment camps.
It's a takeaway the exhibit hopes to provide visitors is making sure history does not repeat itself.
"The more you can learn about history, the better your chances are of making better decisions in the future," said Rios.
The exhibit begins with events in Europe during the rise of Hitler in Germany leading to World War II, and follows the rise of Japan from isolation to military expansion.
A Quonset hut is featured midway through the exhibit, showing a glimpse of its purpose during wartime.
"These buildings would have been found all over the Pacific, and as we walk through here, you can see it represents a lot of different uses and as we step through, we land in the Pacific Front of World War II," said Rios.
"When the war started, I was seven years old," said Marlene Raffety of Fresno.
The 93-year-old remembered fleeing Nazi Germany during Hitler's rule.
"The bombs came, and we said, 'Thank you, America for coming!' 'cause we needed help," said Raffety.
"We want to spark intergenerational conversations, which is very important, between parents, grandparents and children," said Rios.
The exhibit will run through the next three years and will officially open to the public on July 22.
The center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.
For more information on this exhibit, visit the Community Heritage Center website.
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