ELDRED – The Eldred World War II Museum’s Gallery of Valor was
officially opened Saturday morning with a brief ceremony.
Capt. William Scheiterle, a retired career U.S. Marine, was
honored to cut the ribbon. Museum Director Rev. Jay Tennies
congratulated Scheiterle on the 65th anniversary of his enlistment
in the Marine Corps.
A number of other veterans were also recognized and told where
they had served. Scheiterle said he had served in Australia, China
and everywhere in between.
Tennies noted that Scheiterle had been a volunteer at the museum
since it opened 10 years ago.
“I never dreamed that the little room out front would be what we
have here today.”
The present Gallery of Valor was still an empty room on Memorial
Day and a great deal of work was done after that.
Designer Rainer Hildebrand of Burton, Ohio, was present at the
ceremony.
“He is a shy designer of artistic cabinetry and had much to do
with the physical structure of the building,” Tennies said.
Museum architect Peter McDonald; Guy Pernetti, director of
displays; and curator Nicholas Pascuzzi, were all involved in
changing the former Robert Anderson Library into the Gallery of
Valor.
Displays featured were an eight foot model of the aircraft
carrier Hornet and a D-Day diorama. On one wall there are pictures
and stories of spies from World War II.
As for Scheiterle, his enthusiasm for both the museum and Marine
Corps has never wavered. He still participates in every event that
he can that involves the Corps, such as the Marine Ball that was
held Friday night at the VFW.
“It celebrated the 231st anniversary of the Marine Corps,”
Scheiterle said.
He loves to talk to children, like the group of approximately 50
or more Eldred elementary students from the sixth grade. They
attended the museum on Friday.
“You wouldn’t believe the questions they ask,” he said, ‘like
did you ever kill anyone?’
“I just answered them by saying, you become a soldier when you
see death and tragedy, and you are the agent,” something Scheiterle
was told as a Marine.
