(Photographed by Staff Writer Connor Sullivan)

Staff Writer: Connor Sullivan

Email: csullivan14@umassd.edu

On a quiet street corner in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, is the International Museum of World War II. The building holds a collection of thousands of artifacts: newspapers, uniforms, and weapons that have all once been a part of the largest military conflict in human history. 

The museum is an initiative of the World War II Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting education about the war. It was founded in 2006 by former news anchor and documentarian Tim Gray. It’s been called “The most comprehensive World War II collection on display anywhere in the country” by historian and fellow collector Ken Rendell. 

According to Thomas Brassil, Director of Educational Programs and Museum Operations, many of the artifacts come from Gray’s personal collection. He says that Gray “had been collecting items since he was a child. Over those decades, he was able to accumulate the vast number of artifacts that we see today.” The museum also receives artifacts through personal donations.  

“To this day, we often receive artifacts donated from visitors who wish to see their parents’ items find a home where they will be appreciated,” said Brassil. 

Brassil is one of several tour guides who weave together the stories told by each artifact. Through the tight floor space of the several exhibits, they help organize the piles of history pouring over each other. 

The museum has several exhibits, each dedicated to certain aspects of the war. Some are dedicated to newspapers and propaganda pieces made for civilians at home, while others present the actual equipment used by soldiers on the front lines. 

Among the museum’s rarest items are those owned by key figures during the war, including a box of cigars owned by Nazi leader Hermann Wilhelm Göring and a display of several personal items owned by Adolf Hitler. Additionally, one exhibit houses an actual piece of the USS Arizona, one of the ships destroyed by explosives during the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

In addition to teaching people more about the famous parts of the war, the museum also tries to highlight areas of the war the average person might not know.  

“The exhibit that I find to be the most fascinating in the museum is the China-Burma-India Theater Exhibit,” said Brassil. “This is known as the ‘Forgotten Theater’ of the Second World War due to the historic emphasis on Europe or the Pacific Theaters. However, this part of the conflict includes stories from some of the most interesting units during the war, such as Merrill’s Marauders and the Flying Tigers.” 

Along with their guided tours, the museum engages in several other methods of education. One of these has been inviting actual veterans of World War II and other conflicts to share their experiences. 

“One of the most enriching experiences is when we get veterans from the Second World War, and they can talk about their experiences,” said Brassil. “It’s been less frequent in the last couple years. We would get probably one every couple of weeks. We still get veterans from other wars.” 

The World War II Foundation also produces many documentaries, with over 36 films on various war events and several unique films presented in virtual reality. These VR films cover stories such as the storming of Omaha Beach, the Siege of Bastogne, and the rise of the Tuskegee Airmen. 

The foundation also engages in public outreach, scheduling events in schools and venues both within the United States and abroad. The foundation plans to continue to produce new films and work with other organizations to teach more people about the war and the ways it continues to shape our lives. 

“It’s really important for us to preserve these stories so we can learn from them,” said Brassil. “Cause that’s the big thing, we don’t want this to ever happen again.”