New Museum Is Dedicated With Emotion

By Paul Monsour - Advocate Editor

The James D. Veatch Camp Breckinridge Museum and Arts Center was dedicated amid lots of pomp and circumstance Sunday, but emotions ruled the day.

The ceremony was held Sunday afternoon at the museum, located just off the Beaver Dam Road in Morganfield and in the old Non-Commissioned Officers Club that now has been transformed into the museum.

The museum is the home of the famous POW wall murals painted by the late German POW Daniel Mayer.

Mayer's daughter Martha Bolg was on hand for the ceremony, as was the man the museum is named after, retired Judge-Executive Veatch.

The main speaker was Dr. Donald Wolfe a University of Southern Indiana professor who has researched Mayer and the paintings for some six years.

Bolg and Veatch both addressed the group.

Current County Judge Executive Larry Joe Jenkins was the master of ceremonies during the 90 minute program.

A crowd of some 600 overflowed the remodeled building and the turnout even surprised the museum's board.

"This is the reason we spent the money," Jenkins said in his opening -room-only crowd that lined the steps, balcony and anywhere there was available space.

The museum opened at around 1 p.m. and interested visitors piled into the museum to look over the murals and the county's museum. The center also houses the Union County Historical Society, which operates the museum, and the Union County Arts Council. The art work of several local students was also on display.

Jenkins noted the recently closed session of the state's General Assembly has earmarked $300,000 for the museum and he said it would be used for a fence and blacktopping that would "make this a first rate institution."

Sergeant Major Thomas Zergiebel, the German Army's liaison officer stationed at Fort Knox said he was proud to be at the dedication ceremony and assured Mrs. Bolg that her father's grave at Ft. Knox would be well kept.

Col. Bruce Tieratt represented Adjutant General for Military Affairs John R. Groves Jr. at the ceremony. Tieratt is Groves' principal assistant.

"There is so much history to be learned from this building, The colonel also asked that the wives of veterans be recognized and they were given a standing ovation.

Earlier, the song of each branch of the military was played as the veterans and current members of each branch of the military stood and were honored.

State Rep. John Arnold introduced Speaker of the House Jody Richards, whom he called the "great negotiator ", for his recent work on reaching a state budget compromise.

In his brief remarks, Richards alluded to the popular movie "Field of Dreams" which was based on a baseball lovers decision to build a baseball field in the middle of an Iowa farm. It soon become an attraction flocked to by many .

He predicted the museum here would become Union County's Field of Dreams.

"It's a treasure for this county and this nation. What a beautiful dream this has become, Richards said.

"Things like this just don't happen. It takes leadership. Jimmy Veatch was not willing to let this treasure die, " Richards said.

He also praised the work of Arnold and State Senator Paul Herron on obtaining funding for the museum.

Richards said the museum will certainly bring back memories of the soldiers who were trained at Camp Breckinridge, but he also said the museum can well serve the young also.

"The young need to come and look and learn about the values of this country and the veterans who were willing to do whatever to make sure we preserved our way of life."

Senator Herron noted that he worked helping to build the camp during his senior year at the now-closed Sturgis High School. Dr. Wolfe spoke about the life of Mayer, who was born in Baerringen Czechoslovakia.

Mayer was a soldier in the Czech Army when Hitler and Germany annexed the part of Czechoslovakia Mayer's family lived in.

Mayer soon found himself conscripted to the German Army and at the African front serving under General Rommel.

Mayer was wounded twice, but still went back to the front where he was captured on April 23, 1943 in Tunisia when Rommel's Army was in disarray. The first batch of 990 German POWs arrived in the United States in January, 1943., That number eventually grew to 375,000 in June, 1945.

Mayer arrived at Camp Breckinridge around May 20, 1943. Wolfe noted that Mayer and the other German POWs were treated well at Camp Breckinridge but they still longed for their homes and worried about their families.

Wolfe noted that each POW, except for the officers, was given job assignments. Wolfe noted that Mayer, a house painter by trade and a self-taught artist, longed for his family and this was evident in the letters he wrote to his wife and daughter.

"I read your letters again and again and if a new one doesn't arrive, I read them all over again and again."

Wolfe noted that Mayer used his artistic ability to paint the scenes that brought hope to fellow POWs that they would soon return to their homes.

He noted that much of Mayer's work was lost when many of the Camp Breckinridge buildings were torn down in 1948.

But Sergeant E.M. Zychonski, who now lives in Warren, Michigan, assigned Mayer and Hanz Genz to paint the murals on the NCO club.

Wolfe said Mayer painted from memories or from post cards the POWs received. The most famous painting is the 20 foot by 30 foot mural that adorns the ballroom in the museum.

It is a painting of Castle Werneck that is now a hospital.

Wolfe said Mayer was very ill when he painted the mural and died shortly after it was completed.

Wolfe said that local resident Ruth Espy recalled seeing Mayer paint the giant mural, a few strokes at a time. He would then lean against his ladder to regain his energy and paint a few more strokes.

That famous mural was completed in mid-summer 1945, shortly after the war in Europe ended.

And when the other German POWs were anxious about returning home, Mayer knew he could not share in their joy and died quietly on September 21, 1945 from pneumonia. But Wolfe said there was another cause.

"If one can die from love, he did!"

Mayer's birthplace is again part of the Czech Republic.

Mrs. Bolg addressed the crowd in her native tongue and it was translated by Dr. Wolfe.

"I know my father lives on here in this building and in these paintings," Mrs. Bolg said.

It was Judge Veatch's turn to address the crowd and he noted the building "belongs to all people, not just Union Countians."

Veatch recalled the original meetings he had with city and county officials when he heard a Canadian buyer wanted to purchase the buildings and sell them at auction.

Veatch said a united effort ensued and the county was able to obtain a $1 million grant to purchase the old officers club and remodel it. The Union County Fiscal Court then put in another $300,000 to finish the project. Veatch said it is amazing that the murals went virtually undamaged by vandals during the 55 years since they were completed by Mayer. He credited that to divine guidance.

Veatch fought tears as he expressed the pride he had in his daughter Vicki O'Nan who has worked hard as the museum's board president.

And he also thanked members of his last fiscal court and the fiscal court under Judge Jenkins for their willingness to see the project through.

"I planted the seed; they watered it and nourished it."

Veatch said he appreciated the museum being named after him and he noted that pride he felt in the day reminded him of the sweet aroma of fresh flowers.

"Today, you've given my flowers. I thank you, God bless."

The Bolgs left with Dr. Wolfe and his wife, Suzie about 90 minutes after the ceremony concluded. Dr. Wolfe said the Bolgs were scheduled to fly out of the Evansville airport at around 1 p.m. Monday to return to their home in Augsburg, Germany.

"They were overwhelmed by everything," Dr, Wolfe said of Martha Bolg and her husband, Wilhelm.

"They just had no idea there was so much interest in her father's work. They are very grateful that so many people sacrificed so much time in saving these paintings," Dr. Wolfe said.

Contact Webmaster
info@dsgnworks.com