July 2, 2008

From Virginia's Shenandoah Valley to the Argonne Forest in Europe, from Tarawa, Pork Chop Hill and the Mekong Delta to the mountains of Afghanistan and the streets of Baghdad, American service men and women have long served their country, backed by the industrial might of iron and steel.

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee Township is poised to remember American veterans, from the Civil War to the present day, on Sunday, July 13, with a new community event, "Shields of Steel: A Salute to Iron Range Veterans." Museum activities, including speakers, exhibits, videos and a band concert, are scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

"?Shields of Steel' will commemorate how generations of Americans have risen in defense of the democratic values of free nations," said Barry James, the museum's education curator; "but, more importantly, the event will honor the sacrifices they have made for their country and fellow citizens."

Representatives of the Marquette County Vietnam Veterans Chapter 380 will open the observance with a flag-raising ceremony at 1 p.m. Remarks by Sen. Mike Prusi and Rep. Steven Lindberg will be followed by an outdoor performance by the Ishpeming Blue Notes and WNMU-TV13's award-winning documentary "The U.P. Recalls THE WAR" shown on the museum's large screen.

Exhibits will showcase The Sons of Union Veterans, featuring Civil War artifacts and documents; a World War II campsite displaying a host of GI artifacts; the K. I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum, representing the Cold War era; and the Marquette County RSVP National Veterans History Project that is documenting the personal histories of veterans, war industry workers and others from World War I through the Persian Gulf Wars.

Museum guests can also get a close-up view of World War II and Korean War era military vehicles, including a 1941 Chevrolet 1 ½ ton truck, a 1942 Ford jeep and a 1951 M-38 jeep.

The schedule of activities includes:

• Flag-raising ceremony and remarks: 1 p.m.
  
  
• Ishpeming Blue Notes performance: 12:45 and 1:30 p.m.
  
  
• "The U.P. Recalls THE WAR": 2:15 p.m.
  
  
• Exhibits: 1-4 p.m.

"During the Civil War, Lake Superior iron mines set production records that helped the United States meet the needs of the military, the civilian population and international trade," said Thomas Friggens, a regional historian for the Michigan Historical Center. "By war's end, despite labor shortages in the mines, Michigan had surged from an agrarian economy to industrial prominence.

"Respected mine managers like Sam Moody, a pioneer of the Marquette Iron Range, recruited companies of soldiers from Upper Peninsula mining communities to fill the ranks of the 27th Michigan Infantry, while Ariel Barney, who supervised construction of the Carp River Forge and hammered its first bloom into bar iron in 1845, enlisted in the First Michigan Cavalry at age 45," Friggens noted.

America emerged as a world power with the advent of its modern "steel navy" in the 1880s, stunning naval successes during the Spanish-American War, and the mobilization of men and materiel that helped defeat Germany in World War I. The birth of the modern Navy relied on heavy armor and naval guns of American manufacture, eliminating dependence upon European steel makers. A 30-percent surge in iron ore production in 1916 preceded America's entry into World War I, Friggens said.

During World War II, steel manufactured from iron ore fed Michigan's wartime industry and helped earn the state recognition as the "Arsenal of Democracy."

The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, a public, non-profit facility of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries. It is located at 73 Forge Road, Negaunee Township, overlooking the site of the Carp River Forge, a pioneer industrial site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The recently expanded museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call (906) 475-7857 or visit online at www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.

The Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) is dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity. In addition to the Michigan Historical Center, HAL includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).