Veterans Museum Honors War Heroes
culture, herores, museum, tony lute, tupelo veterans museum, veterans,
For some people‚ collecting is a hobby. For Tony Lute‚ it’s a full-time job.
Lute began collecting war memo rabilia when he was just 16‚ starting with chimes from a Catholic church his father brought back from World War II.
Today‚ his collection of war mem orabilia spans almost 150 years‚ from the Civil War to present times‚ all housed together in the Tupelo Veterans Museum‚ which Lute opened four years ago.
“I was always fascinated with WWII‚” Lute says‚ explaining that his father‚ uncles and his wife’s father all served in the war.
The museum houses several unique WWII relics‚ from a Nazi spy camera (one of just three worldwide) to the flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol during the D-Day invasion.
“I have something from every country that participated in WWII‚” Lute says‚ noting Japanese artifacts‚ including a signed display sent to him by one of the soldiers who helped raise the flag at Iwo Jima.
With a children’s corner that fea tures quarter-scale airplanes as well as toys from Lute’s childhood‚ the museum serves as a window to the past for youngsters.
The museum hosts a weekly free breakfast for veterans‚ who also use the museum as their gathering place‚ sharing war stories and answering visitors’ questions.
Most of the items Lute receives today are donations from local veterans and their relatives.
“It’s real nice for local people who can relate the artifact to the person who donated it‚” he says.
Still‚ it took years of collecting to get to that point.
“Up until eBay came along‚ I got most of it from antique stores‚” Lute says. “Now‚ they know how much every thing is worth‚ and you can’t find anything.”
Still‚ with a couple of donations each week and more than 1‚300 visitors a month‚ the Tupelo Veterans Museum continues to grow; it recently moved to a new home at 665 Rutherford Drive.
Story by Jessy Yancey
Photo by Woodie Knight
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