What began more than a decade ago as Ron Bushaw’s newest hobby turned into an educational venture, both for him and anyone with an interest in the military.
On Sunday, Dec. 7, the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, Bushaw will be honoring military veterans by displaying much of his vast memorabilia collection at the John R. Trinkle Center.
“It’s all about the World War II vets,” Bushaw says. “We’re trying to get that message passed along to the generation that doesn’t really understand it.”
Bushaw, who served in the United States Army from 1964 to 1967, first became interested in World War II after serving under those who had fought in the war and remained in service. A decade ago, he became a serious collector of old military uniforms and memorabilia — mostly dating back to the WWII days — and set off on a mission to find a uniform for every unit that fought in the war.
“You hear from word of mouth, you find some at Goodwill stores, you find things online,” Bushaw says. “We just looked until we found one that had a patch on it, from every unit that we were looking for.”
It took nearly 12 years, but he has been able to track down the 108 uniforms he was looking for. Many of the uniforms in Bushaw’s collection have names attached to them, as his research has been able to identify the original owners and further tell the stories behind the clothing items.
Of course, Bushaw couldn’t say no to other things that he’s come across in his searches. Visitors to the exhibit will likely see this immediately, as anyone who wishes to donate money towards the exhibit can do so by dropping it in a used 210-millimeter artillery shell. He plans to display nearly 60 other items that were in use during the war, as a complement to the rest of the exhibit.
It won’t be the first time Bushaw put some of his collection out on display, but he says that this event will be the largest he’s ever done. This is because he plans to highlight four major battles from the war: the D-Day invasion, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Bulge and Iwo Jima. There will also be uniforms from other countries on display, such as 10 from the English military.
It’s Bushaw’s hope that the exhibit will benefit younger people the most, perhaps even inspiring them to try to preserve the history he and other collectors strive so hard to protect.
“They need to know about what happened during World War II,” Bushaw says. “We’re trying to generate excitement with the younger generation.”
Contact Justin Kline at JKline@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO
Where: John R. Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College, 1206 N. Park Road.
When: Sunday, Dec. 7; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
To read up on more World War II information visit Ron Bushaw’s educational site AmericanHeroes.name.
