Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Step back in time for some hands-on learning about World War II through a one-day, museum-like display on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Monticello-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, located at 420 W. Washington St. in Monticello. The exhibit will feature contributions from several organizations, including the American Legion and the Jefferson County Historical Association, as well as from numerous local families.
Visitors can view original letters, weapons, artifacts, memorabilia and photographs from the 1940s that bring to life the WWII experience as it occurred in Europe, the Pacific and on the home front. There will be opportunities to learn the stories of local war heroes and meet some real WWII heroes while discovering the fascinating history of how the war impacted Jefferson County and surrounding regions. Attendees will have the opportunity to handle various documents, such as copies of census records and WWII draft cards, and children will be able to try on a genuine WWII uniform worn during the final days of the war. Photo opportunities and refreshments also will be available.
The event includes a book signing for the newly released biography, Never Too Late: The Life and POW Journals of Colonel Theodore 'Teddy' Sledge, written by local historian Rebekah Sheats with an epilogue by James Sledge.
“Never Too Late retells the captivating story of Theodore 'Teddy' Sledge, a Monticello native who served under George Patton in WWI and who was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service under Generals MacArthur and Wainwright in the Second World War,” says Sheats. “Taken captive at the fall of Corregidor, Sledge was imprisoned for three and a half years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.”
The book can be purchased on Amazon in paperback, hardcover and Kindle formats. Following the event, the book will also be available for purchase at the Chamber of Commerce in Monticello and My Favorite Books in Tallahassee.
For more information on the exhibit, contact Rebekah Sheats at rebekah.sheats@gmail.com.