Rotary Club of Norfolk members got to see first-hand what their club's recent $1,000 grant to the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation paid for. The grant paid to refurbish two history trunks that travel constantly to area schools from the MacArthur Memorial in downtown Norfolk to help foundation staff members teach about life and challenges during World War II. Each trunk is stuffed with 42 different items ranging from civilian gas masks and soldier's cloth survival maps to Life magazines and ration coupons. One of the most popular items is samples of WW II toilet paper like soldiers would have had available. The grant paid to reinforce the trunks, paint them, replace hinges and replace worn-out items. Both trunks now sport the Rotary Club of Norfolk logo in addition to the MacArthur Memorial logo.

 

This year the history trunks and the historians who bring them to life will be in Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk and Virginia Beach schools. MacArthur's history programs are free and help make up for school districts cutting field trips to museums.

 

More than a dozen Rotarians and guests visited the museum for the tour arranged by Rotarian Bill Davis, who heads the foundation. While there members got to hear from Amanda Williams, who leads the school visits, and meet Jim Zobel, the foremost authority on Douglas MacArthur, who gave the group an insider's look at the museum's archives.