thedrifter
06-18-09, 06:54 AM
June 18, 2009
Oneida man creates museum to honor Marines
By Patrick L. Delabrue
pdelabrue@greenbaypressgazette.com
ONEIDA — After more than 22 years of service, former U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor Frank Cornelius continues to carry out the Marine Corps tradition with pride.
Cornelius, a combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam, has created a Marine Corps museum made up of items from his own experience in the Marines and donated items from other veterans.
"I created this so the public could come and get an idea of what it takes to be a Marine," Cornelius said. "It's heavy and hard work that requires tremendous sacrifice."
The museum, at N6126 Outagamie County E outside of Cornelius' Oneida home, houses different styles of dress and utility uniforms from different eras in Marine Corps history. It also features officers' swords worn with the Marine Corps signature blue uniforms, spent ammunition from different calibers of weaponry, and a number of hands-on items, videos and pictures.
The museum sits in a renovated Laundromat outside of his home, and he expects to expand it in the future.
"We started out small," Cornelius said. "We started out in my basement, and we kept getting donations locally and from around the country, so we decided to redo our Laundromat and put it in there."
Cornelius said his family has a long tradition of military service. His father served in the Army during World War I, and four of his brothers enlisted in the military, two of them following Cornelius into the Marines, making for some competitive ribbing among the brothers.
"There's a little bit of competition, but there's always some of that with the different branches," Cornelius said.
Former service members from different branches also support the museum, and they have donated items.
Kerry Metoxen, an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force from 1980 to 2000 and now the director of the Oneida Nation Veterans Department, donated some mosquito netting to the museum.
"Frank is dedicated to the Corps," Metoxen said. "He's one of those guys, once a Marine always a Marine, and that museum is a good example of that."
Paul Kay, senior vice president of the Marine Corps League in Sturgeon Bay, donated a number of items to the museum and stressed the historical significance of it.
"He has a lot of history there," Kay said. "A lot of those things are no longer available, the uniforms, the weaponry, that stuff is no longer around, and if guys like Frank don't keep and show them, it'll be lost.
"He's got a lot of history in his head, too. He can teach a lot of people about the history of those things he has there, so I hope people will go see the museum for themselves."
Cletus Ninham, commander of the Oneida Veterans of Foreign Wars and Vietnam War veteran with the Army's storied 101st Airborne Division, said they support Cornelius' effort. Some of the VFW members have donated items to the museum.
"It's really a great tribute to the Marines, but he's not doing it to pat himself on the back," Ninham said. "It's a tribute to all Marines, to all service members and the sacrifice they make for our way of life."
The museum doesn't have an admission fee, and Cornelius invites people interested in it to just drop by or call (920) 869-2709.
Ellie
Oneida man creates museum to honor Marines
By Patrick L. Delabrue
pdelabrue@greenbaypressgazette.com
ONEIDA — After more than 22 years of service, former U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor Frank Cornelius continues to carry out the Marine Corps tradition with pride.
Cornelius, a combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam, has created a Marine Corps museum made up of items from his own experience in the Marines and donated items from other veterans.
"I created this so the public could come and get an idea of what it takes to be a Marine," Cornelius said. "It's heavy and hard work that requires tremendous sacrifice."
The museum, at N6126 Outagamie County E outside of Cornelius' Oneida home, houses different styles of dress and utility uniforms from different eras in Marine Corps history. It also features officers' swords worn with the Marine Corps signature blue uniforms, spent ammunition from different calibers of weaponry, and a number of hands-on items, videos and pictures.
The museum sits in a renovated Laundromat outside of his home, and he expects to expand it in the future.
"We started out small," Cornelius said. "We started out in my basement, and we kept getting donations locally and from around the country, so we decided to redo our Laundromat and put it in there."
Cornelius said his family has a long tradition of military service. His father served in the Army during World War I, and four of his brothers enlisted in the military, two of them following Cornelius into the Marines, making for some competitive ribbing among the brothers.
"There's a little bit of competition, but there's always some of that with the different branches," Cornelius said.
Former service members from different branches also support the museum, and they have donated items.
Kerry Metoxen, an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force from 1980 to 2000 and now the director of the Oneida Nation Veterans Department, donated some mosquito netting to the museum.
"Frank is dedicated to the Corps," Metoxen said. "He's one of those guys, once a Marine always a Marine, and that museum is a good example of that."
Paul Kay, senior vice president of the Marine Corps League in Sturgeon Bay, donated a number of items to the museum and stressed the historical significance of it.
"He has a lot of history there," Kay said. "A lot of those things are no longer available, the uniforms, the weaponry, that stuff is no longer around, and if guys like Frank don't keep and show them, it'll be lost.
"He's got a lot of history in his head, too. He can teach a lot of people about the history of those things he has there, so I hope people will go see the museum for themselves."
Cletus Ninham, commander of the Oneida Veterans of Foreign Wars and Vietnam War veteran with the Army's storied 101st Airborne Division, said they support Cornelius' effort. Some of the VFW members have donated items to the museum.
"It's really a great tribute to the Marines, but he's not doing it to pat himself on the back," Ninham said. "It's a tribute to all Marines, to all service members and the sacrifice they make for our way of life."
The museum doesn't have an admission fee, and Cornelius invites people interested in it to just drop by or call (920) 869-2709.
Ellie