Man Depicts WWII Through Memorabilia
By BETHENY HOLSTEIN
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Tony Ankrom has just about every piece of World War II memorabilia available — even a pack of 1940s Pall Mall cigarettes given to him by a veteran.
Ankrom, a Moundsville resident, is one of the area’s biggest collectors of WWII-era items, a fan of the stories and times those brave men served in. He’s also one of the most knowledgeable when it comes to the items soldiers used each day.
Take the cigarettes: How many people know that Pall Mall cigarette packages used to be green before the war? Ankrom does.
“A lot of people don’t know the packages used to be green, but they started printing them in white to save the green pigment during the war,†Ankrom said.
Ankrom doesn’t let his collection and knowledge go to waste. For the past 10 years, he has been taking his display to public places across the Ohio Valley to share the stories hidden in those items. To observe the Veteran’s Day holiday, a large part of the collection is being displayed today and Sunday at the Ohio Valley Mall in the JC Penney court.
“I do it for the World War II veterans while they are still alive to appreciate it,†Ankrom said, adding that members of the group are dying at a rate of about 1,000 per day. “They’re a walking history book. ... I’ve talked to thousands of World War II veterans, and after a while, you really start to relate to their stories.â€
Ankrom started collecting WWII items to memorialize his father and many of his father’s friends who were veterans of the war.
The collection includes everything from guns and ammunition to arm bands worn by concentration camp prisoners to fringed, satin pillowcases sent home to mothers of soldiers. Ankrom also has uniforms worn by members of every military branch.
Ankrom related a story of a veteran who visited his display with his grandson. The man pointed to a mess kit and told the boy he had used the very same item during the war but had lost it in the landing at Omaha Beach. Ankrom pulled the boy aside and gave him the item.
“He told me, ‘Thank you,’ and I told him, ‘No, you thank your grandfather,’†Ankrom said.
When he takes his display to schools, Ankrom always tells students to talk to their grandparents and older relatives and learn about their history.
“I always say to them, ‘If you don’t tell me, then how can I tell the next generation?â€â€™ Ankrom said, referring to time spent talking to World War II veterans.
“At this point, about 3,000 soldiers have died in Iraq, and on D-Day, 3,000 soldiers died in an hour,†Ankrom said. “It puts things into perspective. I mean, they really had it rough. ... If people would really stop and talk to World War II veterans, those people would understand why they are the Greatest Generation.â€
The majority of Ankrom’s collection has been given to him by widows and children of WWII veterans who simply don’t want to keep the items.
For some people, “sentimental things just don’t have the same value that they used to,†Ankrom said, but he has taken great pains to talk to as many World War II veterans as he can. In fact, he attended the opening of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., so he could talk to the veterans there.
Talking to Ankrom reveals that every piece in his collection is held dear. The way he unfolds a story with every item he touches displays the amount of emotion and effort he has put into his collection.
“To me, World War II was more up front and personal. It was eyeball to eyeball,†Ankrom said. “They gave it all. At the drop of a hat, they were there.â€