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'Travelling Trunk' program to help school kids learn history

The Minnesota Military Museum at Camp Ripley has a new "Traveling Trunk" program and will loan artifact loaded trunks to schools, libraries or organizations for displays and hands on use by students.

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World War II Trunk (1939-1945 / US 1941-1945) contains representative items including dress uniform, Garrison cap, Women’s coat, M1 US steel helmet with reproduction chinstraps M1923 cartridge belt (reproduction), M1928 field pack, Mess kit, US, dated 1944, with knife, fork, and spoon used by both Allied and Axis troops during WWII. Unless noted, all items are original and not reproductions.

The Minnesota Military Museum at Camp Ripley has a new "Traveling Trunk" program and will loan artifact loaded trunks to schools, libraries or organizations for displays and hands on use by students.

The trunks contain period artifacts that can be used in displays or in classrooms from; the Civil War, World War l, World War ll, and Vietnam, a news release from the museum said.

"We have a large number of school tours at the museum and teachers tell us students are more interested in classroom lessons after seeing what we have at the museum," Curator Doug Thompson said. "One of our volunteers is a retired history teacher and suggested the traveling trunks as a way to support teachers in the classroom."

Each trunk contains period specific uniforms, posters, and items which may have been carried or used in the era.

More information and curriculum resources along with a list of available trunks, contents, and photos may be found on the Minnesota Military Museum's website.

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"Our organization's mission is to educate the public on the service of Minnesota's veterans and be an educational resource for military history," Thompson said. "These trunks meet our mission and we intend to add additional trunks and time periods as the program grows."

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American Civil War (1861-1865) Contains uniform and field items commonly used by soldiers in the Union and Confederate armies including; Union blue sack coat, Confederate frock coat with sergeant stripes, Confederate trousers, Confederate kepi, Union kepi, Tin drinking cup/cooking pot, Union haversack, black waterproofed, Union canteen, tin with blue wool cover and cork stopper. All items are reproductions.

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