Father’s WW2 army papers and Eisenhower Jacket

I have my father’s original hand written/typed discharge papers from WW2 and Eisenhower Jacket with stripes etc. What can be done with them? I am 70 and none of my family wants these things. A museum? Thanks for any advice.

 

Local military museum or historical society. If they accept it they probably would want a photo of your father; preferably in uniform.

 

I hate to be a killjoy but with regard to WWII personal items donated to a museum . . . donations usually require signing off on absolute irrevocable control of the donation going to the museum. Where it will be catalogued, boxed up, and put in a store room, never again to see the light of day until sold to another museum or, more likely, to a collector. After all, museums must have money to operate, right? Any idea how many such pieces are floating about? Even if but 20% of those who served and/or their families preserved such, that's enough to fill a very large warehouse to the rafters. Now think about how many of these items are in good faith passed off to museums. Museums, national, state, and, yes, local, are really only interested in the important, those whose names can be found in books. Everything else is ummmm negotiable.

I'd suggest you visit one of the militaria sites and see if you can get a decent cash offer and cut out the museum middle man. Try for example www.usmilitariaforum.com. You may even find some discussion of the museum donation issue.

Do I have what one might consider interesting items? Oh, yes, I do, but all sourced through family. But, no, and not at all meant to be in any way disparaging, I am not in any way, shape, or form a militaria collector who seeks out and purchases or barters for items for a personal collection.

 

Most museums require a transfer of title and freedom to dispose of it as they please.

They don't need 500 Ike jackets or M-1 helmets or M-1 Garands.

Curators can recommend that something is superfluous and does not improve the collection and that if it was deaccessioned, the funds could be used to acquire something that will.

 

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