Lessons of War

Preparing to install a new exhibit is a lot of work, and prepping for our newest exhibit, The Great Lakes State Goes to War, was particularly draining for me. Not because of the amount of hours that went into the research and exhibit, but because of the words I read about soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
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“Left behind his mother.”
“Left behind his two sisters.”
“Left behind his fiance.”
“Left behind his wife and daughter.”

Reading these words in the Frankenmuth News was awful. It tore me up inside, and I have little connection to these men and their families. Perhaps it was the fact that I could relate. They were all my age. Or younger…. 

I have always heard stories of those who served, though I can never truly understand the trauma and emotions that soldiers felt each and every day. I’ve personally never served in the military, so I cannot even understand some of the most basic aspects of serving one’s country. But still, researching the lives of the men who sacrificed all… one by one… was an experience in and of itself. 

Over 75 years later, these soldiers are still teaching valuable lessons. In fact, that is the subject of Frankenmuther Elaine Makas’s new book, Lessons of War. Her book is a riveting tale, pulled straight from her father’s  (Sgt. Chris Makas) diary he kept while during World War II. 

​Elaine will be joining us this Wednesday at 6:00pm in Fischer Hall for a free lecture. All are welcome. She will also be sharing clips of interviews with her father, which are now held at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Her lecture coincides with the Grand Opening of our new exhibit, The Great Lakes State Goes to War. You won’t want to miss this. 

“He who has not searched the past has no authority to present proposals for the present or the future.” - Wilhelm Loehe

Nathan Seeley

​Nathan is the Director of Education, Events, & Exhibits at the FHA.