By Staff
Tracy B. Cieniewicz, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle Veteran and history buff Ed Summers says it's sometimes hard for him to tell what's more important than the past.
Summers, 80, has been busy preserving the past and persevering toward the future while establishing the Hartselle Military Museum Foundation.
He purchased the "little rock house" at 105 E. Hickory Street in July. The house also served as his parent's home during WWII.
In less than five months, Summers has filled the house with personal and borrowed memorabilia from each major war and conflict.
"Hartselle has an abundance of military memories," Summers said. "My wish is to provide an outlet to share them."
Uniforms, certificates, photos, medals, and weapons are just a few of the many items on display at the museum.
"I'm happy with where the museum is," Summers said, "but I'm really looking forward to seeing it grow."
To ensure that growth, Summers has brought Hartselle's military past into the technological age by creating a web page for the museum (http://militarymuseum.tripod.com/homepage/html). Plans are also in the works for a weekly, hour-long cable access show on Charter Media to be broadcast in Athens, Decatur, and Hartselle.
"The show will feature two local guests who have played roles in military history," Summers said. "There are an awful lot of people around here with good stories to tell. There are 40-50 guests lined-up already."
Local videographer Tommy Putnam will tape "The Ed Summers Show" at the museum. A large American flag serves as the backdrop for the show while the Alabama state flower, the camellia, sits between the flag embossed guest and host chairs.
"How will we predict the future until we record and review the past?" Summers said. "History does, indeed, repeat itself. Places such as this museum offer our posterity an up-close glance."
Summers, a 57-year member of the American Legion Post 52, is planning to spend most of his time at the museum leading student tours and offering question and answer sessions.
The museum is open daily and admission is free. For more information or to lend military items for display, call 773-7308.