Homer Township Public Library

World War II is covered in every grade school and high school textbook, yet many students know little about the details. They know about Hitler; they know about concentration camps; and they know the time period during which the war took place. That's usually it.
Homer Township Public Library is hoping to change that. The library is hosting a unique and interesting educational opportunity for young and old alike.
The non-profit educational organization TRACES has created a BUS-eum, a 40-ft. school bus that has been converted into a mobile museum honoring Midwest soldiers who served in WWII and were later captured, bearing the label POW-prisoner of war.
The BUS-eum was designed to educate those unaware of the vital role Midwest soldiers played in WWII. The exhibit, Beyond Barbed Wire: Midwest POWs in Nazi Germany, consists of narrative display panels illustrated with photographs and documents, audio and DVD documentaries, artifacts and more. It hopes to answer questions about how liberated POWs later came to terms with their own experiences, and what helped these men survive imprisonment.
The BUS-eum has traveled across the Midwest to communities large and small, and its next stop is Homer Glen. On Wednesday, March 19th, this fascinating mobile museum will be at Homer Township Public Library from 12pm to 3pm. But that's not all.
Resident of Homer Glen Ray Perisin will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about WWII and the experiences of POWs. Ray should know. He was a POW for four and a half months from late 1944 to early 1945.
Ray was a prisoner at three different camps. He recalls his journey from camp to camp. "Initially I was in Nuremberg for a couple months, and then Hammelburg. I was sent back to Nuremberg for about three weeks, and then had to walk to Mooseburg, where I was kept for about one month." American troops came to Mooseburg which is where he was liberated.
It is incomprehensible to imagine what Ray and his fellow comrades experienced. Yet he says, matter-of-factly, he had to get through it; he had no choice. "My faith and belief in The Lord helped me, that and my strength because of how young and healthy I was," Ray says. Like Ray, many of the soldiers imprisoned with him were just 18 or 19 years old.
"We watched each other's backs," he says. "You knew that when you were in a tight spot, someone was there to pull you out. "Ray remembers his friend Aggie, who he still keeps in touch with, and another friend from his rifle squad he still is in contact with. "It's surprising; just when everything seems hopeless, there is always someone there to save you."
There is so much more to Ray's story. There is no doubt you will stare, awe-struck, when he tells of his experiences. In honor of his fellow soldiers and the BUS-eum, Ray will be at Homer Township Public Library during the Beyond Barbed Wire: Midwest POWs in Nazi Germany exhibit on Wednesday, March 19th from 12pm to 3pm. He will have photos and medals on display and will be eager to talk with you and your children.
It's not everyday you get to experience history without opening a textbook. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the soldiers from our own hometowns, and the difference they've made, still evident today.

By: Peggy Wehrle

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