Representatives of the Museum of Black World War II History were back at the Stamford Government Center Friday, to check in on the status of a lease for which they are waiting to finalize the move from Vermont and also celebrate veterans in commemoration of Pearl Harbor Day on Saturday.
Museum founder and curator Bruce Bird and museum president Mabel Jorgensen had a table full of artifacts on display and a plethora of literature for citizens to peruse to celebrate the soldiers who served during Pearl Harbor Day.
Bird and Jorgensen also said, while they await the city to draft a 90-day lease for the use of the old recreation center along Courtland Avenue, they are looking to raise approximately $3,800 to help with Phase II of the move. Jorgensen expressed a bit of frustration with the length of time it had taken the city to draft a lease for the move since the deal with the city been in the works since at lease July, she said.
An interesting hurdle Bird has run in to is the new Connecticut State gun laws dictating limitations on high-capacity magazines, he said, since he owns a number of historical weapons that fall under the new guidelines. Now he must work with state officials to declare and receive clearance for the pieces to be moved into Stamford.
Bird's collection includes "multiple truckloads" of memorabilia, guns, munitions, including a 1700-pound shell, and even multiple vehicles, including a jeep, two half-ton trucks and a half-track, which is a truck on the front half with tank treads on the rear half, as the name suggests.
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