Historical Collections

Veterans Memorial Building Museum and Historical Collections

Library and Historical Collections Mission:
To honor the service and sacrifices of our country’s veterans, to educate and foster appreciation, understanding and knowledge of our country’s history; our mission is to collect
and preserve memorabilia and books of the military history of the United States with special emphasis on veterans and their families of the San Ramon Valley.

Museum Guide

This guide is intended to inform docents and visitors to the VMB about the memorabilia in the displays. The exhibits will evolve as new items are obtained or as things are rotated from storage. Please forward any questions or comments to [email protected].

Floor Plan (click floor plan to enlarge)
Shown here is a plan view of the first floor of the veterans area of the Veterans Memorial Building. Enumerated and highlighted in green are the cabinets that house the Museum and Historical Collections, roughly in order of military conflict (when applicable).

Cabinet 1 WWI (Lobby)

WWI – Cabinet 1

Press for Audio – Cabinet 1 description from Mary O’Donnell

Top Shelf:

Portrait of William C. Schneider, 77th Division, 305th Field Artillery
M1917 Eddystone/Enfield Rifle, caliber 30-06
Enfield rifle bayonet
Lithograph commemorating William C. Schneider
“Wounded in Action”
Steel “Doughboy” helmet
Dog tags of Valley veteran, Louis Silva
Boots and leggings
Artillery shell “Trench art”
French 75 mm cannon cartridge

Middle Shelf:

Map of Germany
Mussette bag
Compass
Diary (“Agenda”)
Book: “History of the 305th Field Artillery”
Personal camp photos
Photo of local WW I veteran, Noel Norris
German matchbox holder and ashtray
Field surgical scalpel

Bottom Shelf:

Gas mask with filter and carrying case
I.D. wallet
Shaving kit
New Testament
Paris souvenir photos, booklets, currency and coins
Battlefield artifacts
Flare pistol, 10 guage

On Wall:

Charter of American Legion Auxiliary, June 7, 1924

Cabinet 2 WWI (Lobby)

WWI – Cabinet 2

Press for Audio – Cabinet 2 description from Mary O’Donnell

Top Shelf:

Lithograph from Republic of France commemorating death of Valley veteran, George Freitas (see photo)
M-1903 Springfield rifle
Garrison cap
Navy cap
“Trench art” (design hammered into 75mm cannon shell)
Newspaper from July, 1917
Blue Star banner
Cartridge belt
Pistol holster

Bottom Shelf:

Uniform of Valley veteran, Lorenz Humburg, US Army 347th Field Artillery (see photo)
Dog tags (Humburg’s on uniform and Petitjean’s below)
Artilleryman’s protective leather gloves
Troop ship, RMS Aquitania, that delivered Humburg to Europe
Letter from King George V to US troops with personal notes
347th Field Artillery Roster
Bolo knife
Infantry Drill Regulations book
Manual of Guard Duty (US Army 1914),
Poem, “In Flanders Fields,” by Lt. Col. John McCrae (with poppies)
M-1910 metal canteen
Mess kit
“Trench art” pieces: 75 mm cannon shell vase, and small photo frame made with bullets

On Wall:

Charter of American Legion Post 246, January 24, 1921
Original 1925 building cornerstone plaque

Cabinet 3 WWII (South Wing)

WWII – Cabinet 3

Top Shelf:

Map (ETO/Germany)
Signal flags, code flag flash cards, and semaphore alphabet diagram
US Marine Corps campaign hat
Ammunition (37 mm Anti-tank rounds, 60mm Mortar, “Pineapple” training hand grenade)
M-1910 Canteen (cover, cup and case)
Tankers goggles
Trouser leggings
Fighting knife with sheath
Model of M-4 A-3 (76) Sherman tank with 90mm anti-tank gun

Middle Shelf:

POW camp canteen shortwave radio replica
Issued nail clippers
Ration cards for domestic food purchase
Individual mess kit engraved with duty tours
Cigarettes, cigarette lighter and match books

Bottom Shelf:

Aviator’s canvas helmet lining with goggles
Rifle cleaning kit
“Trench art” knife made from copper rotating band of artillery shell
“Trench art” cigarette lighter from bullet
Service prayer book
AN/CRC-7 downed pilot rescue radio
Cigarette case
TL-29 general purpose pocket knife
Military pay chits
Semaphore signal guide and pocket signal guide disc

Cabinet 4 WWII (South Wing)

WWII – Cabinet 4

Top Shelf:

Poster (45th Infantry Division Campaign)
1949 Pinup calendar
Army Air Corps leather flying jacket
Model of B-25 Mitchell bomber (similar to Doolittle Tokyo raid aircraft)
“Short snorter” currency notes signed by fellow crewmen
Fragment of German anti-aircraft flak shrapnel

Bottom Shelf:

Captured German war souvenirs belt and buckles, dagger, bayonet, coins, “Hibernia” pennant, and Nazi armband
German “butterfly” cluster bomb
German tourniquet with illustrated first aid guide
German road maps
German coins
Aluminum Luftwaffe insignia
Metal plate with enameled Nazi symbols

Cabinet 5 WWII (South Wing)

WWII – Cabinet 5

Press for Audio – Cabinet 1 description from Michael Slattengren

Top Shelf:

King Neptune’s visitor dive certificate –Territory of Hawaii and photo
Plaque of submariner’s dolphin insignia
Commemorative Pearl Harbor Survivor flask
Naval ship commissioning pennant
Medal set of Valley veteran, Dudley Kennedy

Second Shelf:

Gas mask
Trench art (hammered design in “Pom Pom” cannon shell)
Oahu newspaper headlined December 7, 194, Pearl Harbor bombing
Photo of young women with gas masks beside bomb crater
Fragment of Japanese Zero airplane
Entrenching tool case
Japanese currency and cigarettes

Third Shelf:

Musette bag
M-3 trench knife and sheath
Reproduction “fox-hole” radio made with razor blade and pencil
Photo of USMC Code Talkers on Guadalcanal.
Black volcanic sand and shrapnel from beach of Iwo Jima

Bottom Shelf:

Red Cross kit with personal items (shaving kit, condoms, razor blades)
Admiral’s shoulder boards
TBY-2 Radio as used by Navaho Code Talkers
Shore Patrol Armband

Cabinet 6 Miscellaneous WWII and Korea (Upper South Wing)

Miscellaneous Items – Cabinet 6

Upper cabinet – Top shelf:

Miscellaneous hats of different branches and eras

Upper cabinet – Lower shelf:

Formal fore/aft hat, epaulets and sword belt in metal case from 1939 graduate of US Naval Academy

Lower cabinet – Top shelf:

Miscellaneous field equipment
Navy battle lantern
MP baton

Lower cabinet – Shelves #2 and #3:

World War II and Korean War medical kits

Lower cabinet – Bottom shelf:

German helmets
German bayonet
German belt
Nazi arm band
U.S. GI combat boots

Cabinet 7 WWII (South Wing)

WWII – Cabinet 7

Upper Shelf:

Section of teak deck from the USS Missouri.
This would be highly valued by the ship’s “Plank Owners”.

Lower Shelf:

Eisenhower (“Ike”) jacket. Technician 3rd grade stripes, four Overseas Service
stripes, an Advanced Section Communications Zone ETO shoulder patch, and an Army
Amphibious Engineer Forces patch.
Model of the USS Missouri, BB-63. The USS Missouri is permanently berthed in Pearl
Harbor on Battleship Row, next to and facing the USS Arizona.
Photo of General Douglas MacArthur signing Instrument of Surrender The documents that
ended WWII in the pacific theater were signed by representatives of the government of Japan
and Allied officers on the deck of the USS Missouri while moored in Tokyo Bay after the
surrender on September 2, 1945. On left is General Wainwright who was captured in
Corregidor.
Photo of General Yoshijiro Umezu signing Instrument of Surrender for Japan in front to
representatives from Allied Forces
Model of PT-109 (ref: President John F. Kennedy’s WW II service)
U.S. Navy battle lantern (Type K-10). This was the same type Kennedy used in the Blackett
Strait in the Solomon Islands to signal for rescue after the PT-109 was rammed by a Japanese
destroyer.
U.S. Navy flashlight (Type TB-8)

Cabinet 8 WWII (South Wing)

WWII – Cabinet 8

Press for Audio – Cabinet 1 description from Lee Halverson

Base shelf:

US Rifle, Caliber .30 M-1 Garand / Semi automatic 30-06 caliber (the main battle rifle of the US in WWII and Korea)
“In my opinion, the M-1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.” General George S. Patton
30-06 caliber training round and eight-round ammunition clip
M-1 steel helmet
“Bolo” knife issued to Army medics and Navy corpsmen to cut stretcher poles for evacuating casualties
Sight for grenade launcher
Cigarettes
Campaigns of the 45th Infantry Division “Rhineland” poster

Cabinet 9 WWII and Korea (South Wing)

WWII and Korea Cabinet 9

Pre-1960 Models: WWII and Korea
Norden Bombsight-M 9
B-29 Bomber model with survival equipment

Cabinet 10 Korea (South Wing)

Korean War – Cabinet 10

Background lower case:

Korean War timeline posters

Top Shelf:

M-1 .30 caliber carbine rifle with carrying case
Spare magazine case
Woolen trigger-finger mittens
*Mitten liners (pair)
Cold weather helmet liner
.50 caliber machine gun training belt
Early jet pilot helmet-USN/USMC

Middle Shelf:

Model: Underwater Demolition Team frogman LCPR recovery boat
Trench art knife
URC-4 pilot rescue radio
Garrison cap
USMC utility cover

Bottom Shelf:

M-1910 canteen, case and cup
50th Anniversary Korean Government commemorative medal
Dog tag
“Zippo” cigarette lighters
Camp Yokohama Mess tickets
URC-4 pilot rescue radio
New Testament Bible
M 1950 gasoline stove
Snake bite kit

Cabinet 11 Vietnam (North Wing)

Vietnam – Cabinet 11

Press for Audio – Cabinet 11 description from Bill Green

Top Shelf:

South Vietnamese flag
Letter home written on C-ration box
Viet Cong sandals
Chi Com Anti Aircraft gun sight
“Pop” flare

Middle Shelf:

Meal, Combat, Individual (C-ration box with food tins and spoon)
P-38 can opener
Overseas hat, US Army airborne

Bottom Shelf:

M-1956 ammo magazine pouch with M-26 “Lemon” hand grenade
Underwater Demolition Team/SEAL Team sticker
TURDSID seismic intrusion detector
M-7 bayonet for M-16 rifle
Canvas top, panama sole jungle boots
“Mekong First Light,” book by Valley veteran author
Vietnamese newspaper featuring Valley veteran Army officer
Cartridge casings: Soviet/Chicom 7.62×54 (PKM machine gun / Mosin Nagant and Dragonov
sniper rifles)
Cartridge casings: Soviet/Chicom 7.62×39 (AK-47 and SKS rifles)
Cartridge casings: US 5.56 mm (M-16 rifle)
Cartridge casings: US .45 caliber pistol
Field radio with hand set, PRC-77 (PRC-25)

Cabinet 12 Vietnam (North Wing)

Vietnam – Cabinet 12

Main Case Rear Panel:

Map of Southeast Asia

Top Shelf:

“LRRP” Long Range Ration Patrol, early freeze-dried meal
Pilot’s revolver (.38 caliber) holster and belt
M-1 helmet, Mitchell camouflage cover
LSA rifle lubricant
LRRP: Long Range Ration Patrol (first attempt at freeze-dried combat rations)
Entrenching tool
K-bar knife with M-8 sheath

Bottom Shelf:

US Army Coat, Combat, Tropical, 3rd Pattern
Boonie hat
K-Bar knife with M-8 sheath
Soviet “ChiCom” SKS rifle bayonet
URC-64 pilot rescue radio
Vietnamese translation dictionary
Ration bar: compressed cornflakes
Zippo cigarette lighter
USMC-issued sewing kit
TL-29 Electricians knife
Model: UH-1 “Huey” helicopter
Draft card

Cabinet 13 Gulf War – Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm (North Wing)

Gulf War Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm – Cabinet 13

Press for Audio – Cabinet 1 description from Tim Sammons

Back Panel:

Desert Storm Border Area Map

Top Shelf:

Kevlar helmet
Mine field warning sign
M-17 gas mask and cover
Apache helicopter model

Middle Shelf:

Arabic Pepsi can
Unit coffee cup
Meal-Ready-To-Eat, MRE accessories and heater pack
Canteen with gas mask drinking tube port
Arabic cultural training booklet

Bottom Shelf:

Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU) – “chocolate chip” camouflage with cover
Personal chemical contamination detection/identification and decontamination kits
Saudi coins
Atropine and 2-PAM Chloride auto injector syringes (nerve gas mitigation)
Scud Missile debris and warhead photo
Stars and Stripes newspaper – (Saddam vows to use nuclear weapons)
Page from People Magazine with intricate censoring of woman’s skin by Saudi religious police in the Saudi post office system

Cabinet 14 Missing in Action / Prisoner of War / Killed in Action Memorial (North Wing)

MIA, POW and KIA Memorial – Cabinet 14

MIA, POW, and KIA Memorial – Cabinet 14

Press for Audio – Cabinet 1 description from Eric Ardell

Upper Cabinet:

Dress uniform, Lance Cpl. Kyle D. Crowley USMC (San Ramon) KIA in Iraq April 6, 2004

Lower Cabinet – Top Shelf and Back Panel:

Field uniform, Lance Cpl. Joshua “Chachi” Corral USMC (Danville) KIA in Afghanistan
November 18, 2011
“Some Gave All” (listing of Valley men who have perished serving our country)
Blue Star banner (family member in the service) with lapel pin (WWII)
Gold star banner (family member killed in action)
POW/MIA logo
Folded American flag
John Boswell’s engraved canteen cup from Japanese POW Camp, Cabanatuan Philippines

Lower Cabinet – Bottom Shelf:

Miniature Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Remembrance Table
Formal POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony

Cabinet 15 Aircraft and Equipment, Post 1960

Aircraft and Equipment, Post 1960 – Cabinet 15

Press for Audio – Cabinet 1 description from Dave Smith

Upper shelves:

Miscellaneous Aircraft and Equipment models, Post 1960
Aircraft Navigation Instruments

Bottom shelf:

Navy tail hook (for aircraft carrier landings)
Survival rucksack assembly bag
Pilot survival signal device

Cabinet 16 Operation Iraqi Freedom / Operation Enduring Freedom (North Wing)

Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom – Cabinet 16

Top Shelf:

MARPAT field uniform with “boonie” hat
Hot weather combat boots
Goggles
Army Ranger beret
Afghan Pashtun hat
Iraqi Republican Guard beret
Booklet: “Improvised Explosive Devices Threat Guide”
B-52 model
Chandelier “jewel” from one of Saddam’s palaces (“liberated” as a souvenir during Operation Iraqi Freedom)

Bottom Shelf:

Model: M-1 Abrams tank
Model: A-10 “Warthog”
Iraq Campaign medal

Cabinet 17 Cold War (North Wing)

Cold War – Cabinet 17

Main Case Rear Panel:

US Navy Union Jack flag (flown aboard PTF-17)

Top Shelf:

Soviet Air Force pilots hat
“Russia Sucks” novelty cap (Philippines)
Honorable Discharge and training certificate
Dog tags

Second Shelf:

Model: P-3 Orion anti submarine warfare patrol aircraft
7.62 mm training blanks for M-60 machine gun
Sidewinder missile nose cone
FEMA civil defense booklet
Air Raid Warning Instructions
Air raid siren
Seebee playing card deck (not yet in photo)

Third Shelf:

Sonobuoy launch parachute
Cold war unit insignia patches

Bottom Shelf:

SSQ-53 air-dropped Sonobuoy and hydrophone
Mock Soviet submarine
Coffee mug (Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean)

Cabinet 18 Vietnam Era PTF Boat, Post 1960 Field Medical Equipment

Vietnam Era PTF Boat, Post 1960 Field Medical Equipment – Cabinet 18

Top Shelf:

Model of Vietnam Era Fast Patrol Torpedo Boat
Model Patrol River Boat (PBR Mark II)
Model of Light Seal Support Craft (LSSC)
Similar to a STAB
40 mm and 20 mm cannon cartridges

#2 and #3:

Post 1960 Field Medical Equipment

Bottom Shelf:

Army Medic bag
Hand grenade case (wood)
”Lemon” hand grenade (inert
Ammo case-7.62 m

Cabinet 19 Operations Other Than War (Elevator Lobby)

Operations Other than War – Cabinet 19

This photo collection illustrates some of the many non-combat operations of all the US Military Services. This of course includes the US Navy, US Army, the US Marine Corps, the US Coast Guard and the US Air Force.

These photos include operations supporting US efforts in earthquake, famine, drought, civil war, refugee and environmental relief work. They include Search and Rescue operations, tsunami relief, aviation disaster recovery, flooding relief, medical missions and other humanitarian response operations conducted by the United States using our military assets and personnel. These missions have been conducted in countless countries around the world, including here at home.

Included are sample Humanitarian Ration food packages used to feed civilians in numerous locales as an example of the materials and supplies provided.

Cabinet 20 WWI and WWII (Elevator Lobby)

WWI and WWII – Cabinet 20

Photo collections include portraits of local valley veterans of both World War I (The Great War) and World War II. They have been made available by the Museum of the San Ramon Valley.

It includes a 1925 editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle commemorating the opening of the Veterans Memorial Building and recognizing the original American Legion Post 246 as the foundation for the creation of the building.

Included are post caps of several American Legion and Auxiliary members of the local community.

Veterans Memorial Building Board Room & Library

boardroom-library

Veterans Memorial Building Boardroom and Library

The VMB Board Room and library is available for veterans organizations and veterans support
organizations to conduct meeting, presentations, training and other gatherings.

There is an extensive book collection focused on Korea, Vietnam and more recent periods.
The books in the library are not available for check-out, but visitors are welcome to browse,
read and do research.

Veterans Memorial Building Lounge

The lounge contains books and other printed material from the original Veterans Memorial Building library as well as many recent additions. This library and historical collection commemorates the military history of the United States and those who served, especially our local valley veterans.

Above the fireplace is a portrait of Gunnery Sergeant John Ray Boswell, USMC, a long time citizen of Danville and a WWII veteran. This portrait hung in the Library of the original building. Gunnery Sergeant Boswell was held as a Prisoner of War in the Japanese POW camp in Cabanatuan, Philippines during the war.

The canteen cup that John Boswell used in the POW camp – and engraved by a fellow prisoner – can be seen in the POW-MIA-KIA memorial case in the hallway.

Various military videos are available for viewing on the library television system. Visitors are welcomed to browse the collection, to relax and reflect.