Service and Sacrifice on Exhibit

The story of Iowa veterans is drawn from their own remembrances. Diaries, letters, autobiographies and oral histories were used to help develop these exhibits, and their words are integrated into the story. Major features of the permanent exhibit include:

Dog Tag Stations

The dog tag stations provide an insight into the lives of soldiers and citizens. In each combat period, a station will "read" your dog tag and tell how your persona might have experienced events of the time. There are eighteen different personal profiles, each with three chapters per combat period.

Communication Stations

The communication stations contain stories about how the troops and people at home kept in contact with each other. Each station has six stories per combat era. The stations show how communication has changed over 140 years, from the telegraph and post office to the electronic and video messages of today.

Voices of Veterans Theaters

The Voices of Veterans theaters provide more detailed accounts of experiences by Iowans. The theaters in the lower level areas feature historical reproductions about the activities of specific units: the 21st Iowa Volunteer Infantry, the 51st Iowa Regiment and the 168th Iowa Regiment, part of the Rainbow Division. The productions have been drawn from letters, diaries and historical accounts. The upper level theaters feature the voices of actual veterans through video interviews, which capture the emotion and pride they experienced.

Touch Screens

The touch screens extend the story of the iconic artifacts — the Sherman tank, the F-86 Sabre Jet and the story of the World War II home front.

Veterans Memorial Area

The Memorial Area honors those who have died while in service. The list of approximately 30,000 includes names from the Civil War to the present Global War on Terror. Individual names can be found using the directory menu.

Sullivan Home

The story of the five Sullivan brothers is representative of all Iowans who stepped forward to serve, and if necessary, give their life for their country. The living room of the Sullivan home, where so many visited to extend their condolences, is reproduced. The Gold Star flag, representing the combat death of five family members, is the actual flag that was displayed in the Sullivan family home window.