Memorial Day is one of two holidays which the Iowa Goldstar Museum at Camp Dodge is open.

Museum director Sherie Colbert says they have special events planned that include a military style breakfast in the morning. Colbert says the military tribute band will be playing, the first 1,000 visitors will get free ice cream, there’s crafts for kids and the first 300 people will get a free petunia for the “Plant a Flower for a Veteran” program.

The museum has been upgrading and adding new exhibits during the past several years. “The newest one is the Pacific Theater from World War Two… and we have our World War One exhibit, which is an awesome exhibit that’s up for national recognition,” according to Colbert. “And then we are in the process of working the European Theater.” There are exhibits on the Vietnam and Korean wars.

“We also have a temporary exhibit from the American Legion, which is honoring the G-I Bill and the significance of the G-I Bill and how it has really helped to build the middle class here in America,” Colbert says. She says the exhibits have a lot of equipment and other things of interest.

Colbert says there is motion, lights, buttons to push as she says they are trying upgrade the exhibits while keeping them period specific. Colbert encourages you to come out and learn more about Iowa’s military heritage.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to look around and see what we have to offer, and hopefully will come back for a lot of things that will be offered at Camp Dodge over the summer,” Colbert says. She says they have things like the Adjutant General’s summer concerts that people can come out and enjoy. The Iowa Goldstar Museum is open from five a.m. until 1 p.m. today (Memorial Day). The museum admission is free year round.