Avid Collector Commemorates Veteran’s Day with Special Showcase
Mina Wahab
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — Tess Howe has been collecting military memorabilia since she was in high school.
She has collected and researched all kinds of items. Some make her feel closer to her brother.
“The jeep was developed for World War Two, but they were still driving basically that kind of jeep into Vietnam. And my brother loved them. He came home from the army and he went out looking to buy a Jeep. So, you know, I sent him one and I kept one for myself,” said Tess Howe.
From military medals to women’s uniforms, each item is a portal through time.
“Any kind of decoration is a testament to the serviceman and what he did. So if you look at a man in uniform, if he has everything on it, it’ll tell you virtually his entire career in the Army,” said Howe.
For Suzanne Hendrick the military medals bring her closer to her father.
“It brings tears to my eyes to see some of the medals that my dad was awarded. He never, ever, ever talked about his combat dates, ever. I only knew about them from newspaper clippings. I found in way later in my adult years,” said Suzanne Hendrick, who lives in Santa Barbara.
The exhibit drew attention to the Vietnam War era, as this year marks 50 years since the end of the war.
Mary Christiansen showed us photos from the day that her husband helped evacuate Vietnamese civilians from Saigon.
“It lasted 32 hours, nonstop. The helicopters kept coming and kept coming and bringing the refugees… They came on board with scooters and sewing machines and jewels sewn into the hands of their dresses because they didn’t know what life would be,” said Mary Christiansen, who lives in Santa Barbara.
Visitors to the exhibit say the collectibles help capture a history that should never be forgotten.