Care center residents visit the Long Military Museum

A group of Wayne County Care Center residents recently toured the Long Military Museum in Wooster, taking in medals and uniforms exhibits and listening to local veterans’ personal experiences of bravery and resilience while serving in the Armed Forces.

The visit was therapeutic for care center residents with direct ties to military service or with a family connection. Not only did they have the opportunity to reflect on military heritage, but also they were welcomed to the museum by State Rep. Scott Wiggam and Wayne County commissioners Jonathan Hofstetter, Ron Amstutz and Dave McMillen.

The museum was started in 2017 by local philanthropist, retired certified public accountant and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Greg Long.

“Anyone can tour the museum,” Long said. “We built it for people to visit. Many of these items came from people’s attics and basements and have never been displayed.”

Long said the museum has expanded from a family museum to one that accepts military memorabilia from family members of veterans who no longer wish to keep the items.

The museum doesn’t accept monetary donations and is staffed by volunteers dedicated to honoring those who served in the military. Tours can be scheduled by emailing Long at greg@woosterly.com or visiting the Lest We Forget Facebook page at https://rebrand.ly/rd88rpr.

Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.