When cleaning out a home or apartment after a loved one has passed away or moved, it can be easy to view unwanted belongings as things to be discarded. But sometimes, tucked away in a closet, attic, basement or storage area are pieces of local history that deserve to be preserved.
The Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum & Veterans Memorial in New Bedford is asking local residents, estate clean-out companies and others handling household clean-outs to take a second look when they come across military-related items.
Burial flags in cases, military medals, statues, journals, photographs and other military memorabilia can tell the story of the men and women who served our country—and many of those stories are connected directly to New Bedford and the surrounding area.
The museum is particularly interested in photographs showing local veterans in uniform, military vehicles, ships, aircraft and groups of people marching or serving in uniform. Even if no one in a family wants to keep these items, they may have significant historical value to the community.
If possible, the museum asks those conducting a clean-out to write down the name of the veteran and the address where the items were found. That information can help preserve the connection between the memorabilia and the person or family it represents.
Items can be brought to:
Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum & Veterans Memorial
1000C South Rodney French Boulevard
New Bedford, MA 02744
The museum is open 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. When bringing items in, visitors should tell the person at the desk that the materials came from a clean-out.
The museum also has one important request: Please do not leave military items outside the museum when it is closed. Items left at the doors could be damaged by weather or potentially taken. Instead, please return during museum hours and hand the materials directly to staff.
“We at the museum would be glad to accept them and place them on display to honor these Veterans.”
For families and clean-out crews, an old photograph, medal or military flag may look like an unwanted object. To a museum—and to future generations—it can be a piece of New Bedford’s history and a lasting reminder of someone who served.
Before throwing it away, consider giving it a place where it can be remembered.
