Tornado Damages Historic Military Museum

HATTIESBURG, Miss.- The African American Military History Museum took a huge hit from last week's tornado; museum officials are forced to close its doors for at least a year.

They are try to salvage some the artifacts.

Col. Sheila Varnado, president of the museum's history committee, said she had special items stored inside museum.

Varnado said when she found out the tornado had damaged the building, she was worried about preserving its history.?

?"I feel a legacy of continuation because of the reason why the museum was built," she said.?

The building served as a USO for Blacks during World War II; it's the only remaining one of it's kind in the U.S.

"I have really grown to love that museum, I know everyone in the community loves the museum because it stands for a lot more than just the artifacts that are in it," she said.

Rick Taylor, executive director of the Hattiesburg Tourism Commission, said several exhibits and artifacts were damaged from the days of rain following the tornado.

?"Unfortunately we lost the roof over the archives and the back portion of the museum itself," said Taylor, "Experts from USM, from our staff at the Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History? helping to dry those items out as much as they can."

"We were very fortunate because we were able to save most of the artifacts," said Latoya Norman, museum manager.

?She said volunteers stepped up help remove the items from the museum.

Varnado said? just because they are closed for now, that does not mean they will stop working.

?"We want to continue to have a presence in the community," Varnado said.

Source: http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2013/feb/18/tornado-damages-historic-military-museum-ar-5623682/

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