Dec 2, 2016 – March 31, 2017

Curated by Islander, and Vashon High School Senior, Kjell Urban, this exhibition showcases WWII artifacts he’s been collecting since he was nine years old. His interest in the war started when his grandfather showed him some military uniforms that were worn by Kjell’s Great-Grandfather, Wilburn Lowe. From there, he began collecting small things at garage sales that were from the war, and his collection grew from there.

He has tried to connect each artifact with a name, if possible. The collection contains artifacts from every theater of war, including the Home Front. There is a huge variety of artifacts, from maps to posters to equipment and weapons. Aside from his WWII collection, Kjell has many hobbies. He hikes around his property on the island, builds computers, and, of course, plays video games with his best friends. At school, his favorite core subject is history, but he loves math as well. He is in the Vashon High School Honor Society, and hopes to open a museum when he completes his college education.

The Heritage Museum is pleased to present Kjell’s collection as a way to tell the story of World War Tow and the way the War impacted Vashon Island. The exhibit will tell the story of Vashon resident’s participation in each major theater of the War, the Home Front, and of the Vashon Japanese residents during the War in the Internment Camps and in military service.