No one knows better what it is like to have their freedom suddenly snatched away than those individuals who, in the process of serving their country, have found themselves prisoners of war or missing in action. This permanent and free traveling exhibit will introduce students, teachers, and the community to the history, background, and meaning behind the letters POW/MIA
Lest We Forget - Wisconsin POW/MIA Exhibit located on Level I
The War Memorial Center offers many permanent and temporary exhibits to complement our education programs and enhance the visitor experience.
Dogtag Chandelier
Another feature of the Lest We
Forget exhibit will be a “dog tag
chandelier” comprised of 530 dog
tags. Each dog tag represents ten
prisoners of war from Wisconsin,
5,298 in total, dating back to the
Civil War.
This powerful new exhibit, Lest We Forget — Remembering Wisconsin POW/MIA, features informative static and interactive displays with the stories and experiences of our brave service members held as prisoners of war or who are/were missing in action. “Unbroken: Life as a Prisoner of War” features a prison cell experience where visitors will peer into a prison door to view a POW cell from the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.”
Hanoi Hilton Prison Cell Exhibit located on Level I
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest
US military decoration, awarded
by Congress to a member of the
armed forces for gallantry and
bravery in combat at the risk of
their own life, above and beyond
the call of duty.