Washington County Military Museum volunteer Rachel Nicola standing in front of newspaper clippings about Pearl Harbor. Photos by Sam McIntosh

Eighty years ago this week was the attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, which resulted in 2,403 American deaths and jump started the United States’ involvement in World War II.

The Washington County Military Museum has several artifacts from the WWII era, including newspapers from Honolulu that marked the day that would “live in infamy.” Rachel Nicola is a volunteer for the museum located in the former office of the Iowa National Guard Cavalry Unit from 1921-1950 on Sitler Drive in Washington. Nicola’s father and father-in-law both served in WWII, and had varying experiences, some that are often not shared, “Lots of soldiers don’t like to talk about what happened to them. We find that the museum often is a way for veterans to connect with each other and sometimes it’s a long overdue debrief when they see memorabilia. We have such things as a parachute riggers kit, as a field telephone. Sometimes just seeing those items will trigger the past in a way that they can remember and share and is good therapy.”

Nicola has several artifacts and mementos from her father’s time served in WWII.

The Washington County Military Museum is open on the first and third Sunday afternoons from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and is available by appointment in the off season. You can hear more about the museum’s WWII artifacts during today’s Halcyon House Washington Page on air and at kciiradio.com.