Photo: WOWT 6 News
(Fort Calhoun, NE) -- A Fort Calhoun exhibit is commemorating the attack on Pearl Harbor ahead of its 80th anniversary.
Over 90-percent of the artifacts in the exhibit belong to Jason Grof, whose grandfather served at Pearl Harbor and in Japan during World War 2.
The display walks visitors through a history of the attack, and details how Nebraska was impacted by the Day of Infamy.
“There were 2,390 deaths which were military and civilian, 39 of those were from Nebraska," says Grof.
Grof tells 6 News the exhibit also shows how the state of Nebraska played a part in helping war efforts after the surprise attack.
“There were other things going on here in Nebraska from ammunition factories, military bases, prisoner of war camps, so Nebraska had a very important role in the war itself after the Pearl Harbor attack.”
Grof says the goal of the exhibit is to honor the fallen and to teach current future generations of the event.
"A lot of times this stuff is lost in history, but this is something that I cherish. It’s 80 years ago, you know, some people don’t even know what the day was. It’s one of those things I want to make sure it’s not forgotten," says Grof. "I hope people come up and enjoy it, I hope people come up and learn from it, and I hope they take something away from it.”
The display will be open until Wednesday, December 8th from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. at the Harold W. Andersen Visitor Center at Fort Calhoun.