Life on the home front wasn’t easy for those left behind as U.S. men and women in the military left to serve in World War II. A new exhibit at the Armed Forces History Museum in Largo tells the tale of everyday life during wartime.
LARGO - The Armed Forces History Museum continues to broaden its scope of history with a new rotating exhibit, WWII Home Front Tampa Bay, which opened Nov. 13 and runs through Jan. 6.
WWII Home Front Tampa Bay teaches that World War II was a life-changing experience for the servicemen and women who fought it.
Life on the home front was not easy for those left behind. Some had jobs in defense plants while others collected metal for the scrap drives or volunteered with the USO, Red Cross, or other organizations that aided U.S. servicemen and women.
WWII Home Front Tampa Bay will tell the story of the families left behind while others went off to war.
Artifacts from the collection of Judy and Lester Dailey, including ration books and signs, uniforms, air raid warden equipment and other home front relics, will be on display as will a display of badges, letter openers and other trinkets given to defense plant workers for meeting or exceeding their quota.
There will also be a display of pillow shams, pennants, jewelry and other souvenirs that soldiers, Marine sailors, airmen and Merchant Marine officer candidates stationed in this area sent home to their sweethearts and families.
WWII Home Front Tampa Bay is included in the museum’s admission prices of $17.95 for adults, $14.95 for seniors age 65 plus and veterans, $12.95 for youths 4-12 and $15.25 for AAA members.
Retired military with 20 plus years of service, as well as active military, are free of charge. Operating hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays.
About the museum
The Armed Forces History Museum is a 501(c) (3), not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to preserving our military history and educating our current and future generations as to the sacrifices made by so many to preserve our freedom.
The museum was founded in 1996 by John J. Piazza Sr., a local businessman and history buff. Housed in a 35,000 square foot building – with an additional 15,000 square foot outdoor display space – the Armed Forces History Museum is one of the largest, non-government funded, museums in the Southeast.
Between 1996 and 2006, the museum and its staff operated a large mobile unit housing 16 displays. With the ever growing amount of memorabilia, vehicles and specialized military pieces, the Board of Directors determined that the development of a permanent site would be beneficial to the general public and enable the museum to fulfill its mission objectives. A non-salaried Board of Directors governs the organization.
The address of the museum general office is 2050 34th Way N., Largo.
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