SEP 2026

Dear readers,

The annual Glenn Miller Orchestra Concert is this Saturday the 24th of October. It is held at the 204 Cultural Arts Municipal Building, 204 Sisson Street, Harwich. There is a 4:00pm and a 7:00pm performance. We have a display in the lobby. We could use volunteers to be doormen(women) and facilitate people signing up for the newsletter. You do not have to stay for the whole concert but be there before show time and the intermission. Contact me please at 774-487-0325. The doorman thing is real as the doors are heavy and a lot of the concert goers are elderly:)

Great News! I have completed my new lecture: THE CAPE COD COMMANDOS IN THE PACIFIC WAR. We are looking for places and institutions to perform this latest addition to our lecture series. Get back to me if you know of a venue.



We need money of course, but more importantly we need Volunteers. There is so much more that could be done to further the Museum and it's mission. There is only so much myself and the few active volunteers we have can do.

You can donate at any Cape Cod Five, or hit the donate button on below, scan the QR code below or mail a check made out to the:

Cape Cod Military Museum

PO BOX 183

MASHPEE MA O2649

Test your WWII knowledge:



Name the Norwegian Arm Major and politician that collaborated with the Germans and was rewarded by being made the leader of the puppet Government during the War?

BELOW:

We had a nice turnout for our lecture "Talking Pictures" at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum! Always a fun lecture. At the conclusion a gentleman came up to show me an extraordinary scrap book made by his Grandmother on his father's service. His Dad was in a anti-aircraft unit from New York State. They were stationed at Camp Edwards. There were lots of photo and stories from a N.Y. newspaper on their training. I need to get together with him and find some way of scanning the information that is in this book! Any scanning suggestions would be appreciated.

AI has been very helpful to CCMM. I use it to improve and repair old photographs. I am using it now to help augment our displays. We had a photo of a G.I. posing with his car on Camp Edwards. I had ChatGPT improve and colorize it. We had an 1/18th scale dicast 1940 model car that was similar to the one in the photo. I sent the photo to JuJu Bit and they made a 1/18th scale figure. Unfortunately the figure did not quite fit the car. I went to work modifying him to fit the car. He was not finished but he went on display next to the car at the Talking Pictures display table anyway! I have bear cub and soldier to prep for the Bizarre and Eerie Events in War lecture:)

ABOVE:

NEW ACQUISITIONS

I purchased this group photo of 29th W.A.C. Hospital Company Z1 at Camp Edwards Mass. for the Museum's collection from eBay. I am loathed to take the $60.00 or so dollars out of the Museum's funds for compensation as CCMM is struggling financially. I am going to ask my female readers to make donations to cover the cost of this important piece of the Cape's Military History. See above for ways to donate. Once I have the photo in hand I can check to see if the Hospital W.A.C. who's photo album we have in our collection is in the group photo!

I also picked up this match book cover from the Civilian Conservation Corps 113th Company ARMY FOREST CAMP No.1. I guess I could ask the smokers to cover the $20.00 this cost me:) The CCC cleared a lot of the forest on the land that would become Camp Edwards, greatly speeding up it's construction. FDR saw the CCC as a way of getting young men prepared for military service. I also saw somewhere that the CCC was responsible for felling and processing the Yellow Pine wood down south that would be used in the construction of Camp Edwards and other military installations. By processing the lumber before the War began it would be aged and dried ready for use. Someone was thinking ahead!

BOTTOM:

I can not recommend enough that you take the time to watch FINDING VINLAND: EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF VIKINGS ON CAPE COD. Click on the blue button below. Mitch Utterback, retired Special Forces Officer, does a masterful job of crystalizing Neil Good's research. Neil is a long time volunteer and has provided CCMM with a wealth of information on Amphibious Engineer training site Washburn Island.

UPCOMING LECTURES:

BIZARRE & EERIE EVENTS IN WAR

SUNDAY OCTOBER 25TH 1:00PM

(NO PATRIOTS GAME!)

WAQUOIT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

ON THE CORNER OF PARISH RD/RT 28

$10.00 Suggested donation

This lecture goes over the surreal and supernatural occurrences during wartime. We go over the only successful bat bombing and the largest documented crocodile attack in history.

Ghosts appear and disappear and come back in reincarnation. There are zombies, demons and werewolves. We even have lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Three of the stories are Cape Based! All stories are actual as far as can be ascertained, no myths or hoaxes.

*NOT FOR CHILDREN*



THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12TH 1:00PM

YARMOUTH SENIOR CENTER

FORREST STREET W.YARMOUTH

$10.00 Suggested donation



We go over the formation and training of New England's own Infantry Division. It's deployment and actions in France. We go over the big picture, augmented with personal stories. 

Special appearance by the Cape Cod Military Museum Masco Sgt. Stubby!

ANSWER:



A. Vidkun Quisling. He was tried by the new Norwegian Government, found guilty and executed. Quisling has gone into the lexicon as synonym for traitor.



Check out our facebook page for daily on this date in history post from 80 years ago and WWII posts from 85 years ago.

1941: The U.S.S. Kearny, a Destroyer on Convoy duty was torpedoed by a German U-Boat after dropping depth charges on the sub. The Kearny limped to Iceland for temporary repairs, and then sailed to Boston Harbor for full repairs. Hitler cited this incident in his declaration of War in two months later.

Stalin removed all restrictions on religion for the duration of WWII.

80 years ago this month: The Nuremburg trials were held. Herman Goering escapes the hangman's noose by poisoning himself.

Remember to like and follow us! Our Facebook Page is the best way to keep up with our activities!

CAPE COD THE CRADLE OF INVASION

This talk covers how Cape Cod became the original home of the Engineer Amphibious Command and the Amphibious Training Command. We talk about the units that trained here and their exploits overseas. Some of the units were the the 1st ESB(Engineer Special Brigade), the 2nd ESB, 3rd and 4th ESB, 1st Infantry Division, the 45th and 36th Infantry Divisions.

THE 26th YANKEE DIVISION IN WWII

The hour long photo/lecture starts with the pre-war activation of the Division. Then we go over 26th's participation in the Carolina Maneuvers. After the Pearl Harbor attack the 26th was put to use in coastal defense. The Division was then sent to the Tennessee Maneuvers. Finally the Yankee Division was deployed to Europe just before the Battle of Bulge.

We chronicle the heavy fighting during the winter to the rapid pursuit of the crumbling Nazi empire in the spring of 1945.

D-DAY AND IT'S TIES TO CAPE COD

We go over the most pivotable battle in history and the amazing connection to Cape Cod. This newly revised photo lecture expounds on how the training and personnel here on the Cape went on to dramatically effect the events of June 6, 1944

GUNPOWDER AND GREASEPAINT

This is the story of how the AAA Training Command Camp Edwards, The 1st Composite AA Demonstration Battalion Royal Artillery, and the world first superstar, Dennis resident Gertrude Lawrence all came together in 1943 here on the Cape. This one is nice for a co-ed audience as we go from AAA training to Gertrude entertain troops in Europe, the Pacific and eventually to Broadway!

THE 26th YANKEE DIVISION IN THE GREAT WAR.

We go over the formation and training of New England's own Infantry Division. It's deployment and actions in France. We tell the big picture, augmented with personal stories. 

Special appearance by the YD's own Sgt. Stubby!

THE USE OF ANIMALS IN THE GREAT WAR

This bizarrely fascinating tale, informs the attendee of the expected and surprising uses of animals during the Great War. Animals great and small were put to work, from the lowly slug to the mighty elephant. Special appearance by the Cape Cod Military Museum's mascot Sgt. Stubby! Not for small children. 

THE BATTLE FOR IWO JIMA



We go over one of the most brutal battles of WWII for this strategic important Pacific Island.

We will decipher who was actually in the most famous photograph of all time, the flag raising on mount Suribachi. Not for sensitive persons or children. 

BIZARRE & EERIE EVENTS IN WAR



This lecture goes over the surreal and supernatural occurrences during wartime. We go over the only successful bat bombing and the largest documented crocodile attack in history.

Ghosts appear and disappear and come back in reincarnation. There are zombies, demons and werewolves. We even have lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! All stories are actual as far as can be ascertained, no myths or hoaxes.

*NOT FOR CHILDREN*

WASHBURN AT WAR



This lecture will appeal to anyone interested in the goings on here on the Cape during WWII. We will cover the big stories; like General Patton’s visit and Joe Louis’s boxing exhibition on Washburn. Small stories, like kids scouring the shores looking for foil packets of instant coffee. The kids could use these discarded sealed packets with their mothers as coffee was rationed. Young lonely soldiers had to be ordered to release chipmunks they had captured to turn into pets. 

TALKING PICTURES

CAMP EDWARDS AND CAPE COD

IN PHOTOS DURING WWII



Join me as we go over share a mix of official military photographs and rare snapshots from private albums. You will hear the inside stories behind the images. Discover forgotten local factoids. You will be introduced to all three of the Black Bear Cub mascots on Camp Edwards in 1941! Comments and questions wellcome!