12/ 01, 2007	Contact:	Patricia Cosgrove, Museum Director
For Immediate Release		(253) 288-7437

WHITE RIVER VALLEY MUSEUM ANNOUNCES EXHIBITS, PROGRAMS
AUBURN, Wash. – The White River Valley Museum will start 2008 with the conclusion of the popular and moving current exhibit, “Courage Untold” that runs until Jan. 21. The museum also announces the next exhibit, “Passenger Trains of Puget Sound, 1900 to 1970” and other upcoming events.

“Courage Untold” shares the previously untold story of Japanese-American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Service (MIS) during World War II. The exhibit includes 50 powerful MIS photographs, courtesy of the National Japanese American Historical Society, and World War II artifacts. It also includes a recreated field interrogation and interpretation site where museum visitors can hear the oral histories of MIS veterans, courtesy of Densho Archives in Seattle.

ABOUT THE MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
In the spring of 1941 as diplomatic tensions mounted between the United States and Japan, the U.S. Army created the MIS at the Presidio of San Francisco. The MIS Language School educated and trained select soldiers in Japanese language and culture. From 1941-1952 more than 6,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry, including many from the Pacific Northwest, graduated from the MIS Language School and served in various campaigns and battles in the Pacific and European Theaters of Operations during World War II. Thanks to their efforts in espionage, translation, interrogation and combat, Japanese-American MIS soldiers saved lives and helped shorten the war in the Pacific.

MIS veterans are dwindling in numbers and, distressingly, their story has only recently begun to be told. MIS veterans were instructed to remain silent and government documents were declassified only as recently as the 1970s.

Karen Matsumoto, daughter of the highly decorated MIS veteran Roy Matsumoto, recently commented, “My father has only started talking about his war experience in the last 10 years. I’m learning about a whole different side of him.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Family Day: Japanese-American Traditions and Customs, Jan. 12, noon – 4 p.m.
A family-friendly celebration of Japanese-American traditions and customs in honor of “Courage Untold” and the MIS. Enjoy demonstrations, games, crafts and stories unique to Japanese culture. Free with regular museum admission of $2 for adults, $1 for children and seniors.

Museum Open House and Railroad Lecture, Feb. 1, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
For railroad enthusiasts and history buffs alike, this lecture series celebrates the trains and railroads that helped shape the Puget Sound region. The museum open house is 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. followed by the lecture and a slideshow from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and seniors.

Passenger Trains of Puget Sound, 1900 to 1970
The exhibit “Passenger Trains of Puget Sound, 1900 to 1970” opens Feb. 6 and runs through Apr. 27. Learn about the era of passenger trains as the sole means of transportation between Puget Sound towns and cities before and during the rise of the automobile. An advertisement in the May 13, 1918 Tacoma Daily News proclaimed: “Four Trains Each Way to Portland. Three Daily to Aberdeen-Hoquiam. High-back Seat Coaches, Observation Cars, Dining Cars on Day Trains. Coaches and Standard and Tourist Sleeping Cars on Night Trains. Electric Lights on All Trains.” Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children and seniors.


ABOUT THE WHITE RIVER VALLEY MUSEUM
The White River Valley Museum is a partnership with the City of Auburn and combines history and culture to create an exciting and educational experience for visitors. Museum collections focus on local Puget Sound history, Northwest Indian culture, Japanese immigration and the Northern Pacific Railroad.

The 2007 Washington State Visitors Guide states that the White River Valley Museum is the best local history museum in the state.

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday and is located at 918 H St. SE in Auburn. Regular hours are from noon to 4 p.m. and regular admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children and seniors. Admission is free on Wednesdays. Call 253-288-7433 for event information and to schedule group tours. Visit the museum online at www.wrvmuseum.org.

ABOUT MARY OLSON FARM
The White River Valley Museum is working with the City of Auburn to restore Mary Olson Farm and open it to the public in 2009 as a living history and environmental education site. The farm is designated a King County Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the most intact 1880s family farm in King County. Learn more at www.wrvmuseum.org.