2021 Spring Newsletter

BEAUTIFUL TABLE COVER, A LABOR OF LOVE William L. McConnell served three years in the United States Army as Gun Crewman Light Artillery and was dis charged in November of 1945. During his service a German Paratrooper was shot down. Mr. McConnell brought the paratroopers parachute home with him. He and his mother unraveled all the nylon parachute strings and his mother crocheted this tablecloth with the strings from the parachute. (note the number of knots on the back side of the table cover). This was donated to the museum by his late wife, Anna M. McConnell.

HISTORY OF THE GERMAN BANNER This Banner was brought back from WWII by Pat Don ovan, a well-known Paola citizen and a member of the 808th Tank Destroyer Battalion. There were 224 men in the Company and only 60 came home. They served under the command of General Patton’s crack 3rd Army and their unit was under the com mand of Colonel Robert McDonald. They shipped out to England and from there to Germany and on and on. This “flag” with the tassel is actually considered a ban ner and would be used at Celebrations and even on top of their pill boxes, on trucks, etc. as they went into battle.

On one of the invasions, this flag was picked up by one soldier and he was killed. Another took the flag and he was killed. By the time they got to Austria, Pat had ended up with the flag. The 60 men that came home all signed the flag. We counted the names on the banner, there were sev enty six signatures coming from twenty two different states with Ohio being the most prevalent with fifteen. We understand there are only three of these banners in existence today. Below is a letter from then President George Bush in 1992 congratulating them on their heroism as they gathered in Omaha for their 31st reunion.

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