Salute to veterans — Exhibits honor U.S. armed forces

Jeff Pind isn't a military veteran.

But he has spent decades honoring the men and women who wear the uniform by sharing a wealth of memorabilia in exhibits that can nearly fill a high school gymnasium.

That's what he was doing Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Oran High School in Oran, Missouri. Pind, who taught art at the school for many years before retiring in 2020, was setting up rows of exhibits for a Veterans Day event at the school Thursday, Nov. 10.

"I did not serve. I'm serving now, we'll say, but my grandfathers did, my dad did, my uncles did, my cousins did, and now, I have students who are serving," he said. "Their stories need to be told, not that I'm glorifying war. I'm glorifying these people who have served."

Walking through the exhibits, Pind, who lives in Cape Girardeau, was especially proud of several featuring former students, including one Pind wasn't sure was cut out for military service. The young man excelled, though, and is now aide to a high ranking official in the intelligence community. Another joined the Marine Corps after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He became a sniper, and an exhibit dedicated to his service includes an autographed copy of American Rifleman with him on the cover.

"It's important to have my students' stuff up. These kids from the small towns are what makes our" military strong, Pind said.

The exhibits highlight the service of veterans whose names history has mostly forgotten — Dan Bullock, the youngest U.S. military member killed in Vietnam, who lied about his age to enter the Marine Corps — and others whose service became the stuff of legend — George Patton, whose descendants have asked Pind to display his Patton exhibit at the general's museum in California.

Pind said he started collecting the items early in his teaching career mostly to share with students.

"It's very important that we get that out there for the veterans, but even more than that, the kids, because they don't know the sacrifice that the people do," he explained.

What is his favorite piece? It could be a military Jeep or a missile large enough that it requires a vehicle to transport, but Pind answered otherwise.

The brother of a brother-in-law, Roy Meisted served in Vietnam in the medical corps. His job was to prepare troops for surgery. In a folder tucked away in a box, Pind found insignia snipped from the uniforms of the men Meisted worked on. In a box destined for a trash bin, Pind found photos from World War II, including rare images from Bikini Atoll, a Pacific Ocean island used during World War II as a nuclear testing ground.

"When I found this," Pind said, pointing to a "Crossroads" insignia, "I knew what that was. 'Crossroads' is the code name for the atomic bomb testing at Bikini island."

Scattered throughout the exhibits are works of art Pind created. One lighted display recreates one of the nuclear test explosions.

After the Oran event, Pind will move the exhibits to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3838 in Cape Girardeau to mark Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11.

"I'm trying to show unique things that are real. These people really did this stuff."