As we observe Veterans Day 2015, we at the Douglas County Historical Society and the Watkins Museum invite you to view images from our large collections of Armed Forces-related local history. The eras, uniforms, and people vary, but each of these photographs tells a story of service and sacrifice for America.
J. A. Hamlin served as a landsman in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War and later was a member of Washington Post No. 12, Grand Army of the Republic, headquartered in Lawrence. (All images from Watkins collections.)
A strongly worded call from Lawrence Civil War veterans.
The 20th Kansas Regiment returns to Lawrence from the Philippines in 1899.
Twin brothers Rollie and Roy Laster were Lawrencians who served in the Army during World War I. They later made their living as barbers in town.
Bessie Mae Fearing of North Lawrence served as a U.S. Army nurse in Nice, France, in 1918.
Gerald (Jerry) Lindenberger graduated from Lawrence High in 1942 and served with the Army in Italy during World War II.
Corporal Wesley Sims Jr., a Lawrence resident who served with the 92nd Infantry Division in World War II.
A Veterans Day ceremony at Haskell University’s World War II memorial. Haskell’s student body has a long history of military service.
The 312th U.S. Army Band marches in the 1976 Bicentennial Parade in Lawrence.
The Watkins Museum of History 