“Profiles in Courage” at Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library, 109 S. State St. in Hampshire, is an interactive tribute this month to the men and women who have served in the United States military since 1900.
“There are seven silhouettes representing Americans who served during World War I, World War II, the Korean era, the Vietnam era, the Cold War era, Gulf War era, and the Global War on Terrorism,” said Kelly Sheahan, reference specialist at the library.
Included in the seven silhouettes are a nurse, a sailor and a Doughboy. They were put on display Jan. 1 and will remain in the library until Jan. 31.
“The silhouettes were specifically made for our library by Kevin Bell, owner of Kevin’s Laser Engraving in Hampshire,” Sheahan said. “Four library patrons came up with the idea. We are the only library that is doing something like this. We handed Kevin Bell an outline, and he made the silhouettes.”
Library patrons are asked to bring in photographs of people who have served in the United States military. The library will make copies of the photographs, and the copies will be attached to the silhouettes that represent the time spans when those particular people were in service. The names of the men and women who served can also be added to the silhouettes.
“We would like to cover both sides of all seven silhouettes,” Sheahan said. “The servicemen and women shown in the photographs do not have to be from this area.”
“Profiles in Courage” is one of the library’s yearlong activities being held to honor World War I’s centennial. WWI began in 1914 and ended on Nov. 11, 1918.
Last month, the library hosted the World War I Centennial Traveling Exhibition which is being sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and presented by Library of America in partnership with The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Voices from War, Warrior Writers, Words After War, The National WWI Museum and Memorial, the United States World War One Centennial Commission and Wounded Warrior Project.
Sheahan said the Ella Johnson library was one of 50 libraries across the country to showcase the exhibition. The library received a $1,200 grant that is being used for WWI history and recognition of the service of veterans from other wars.
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
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