For the World War II enthusiast, the next 2 months will hold a world of interest for you. Running through May 27, there is an exhibit honoring the devastation of World War II in the museum annex in Paul Meek Library entitled “The Way I Saw It,” on loan from the Tennessee State Museum. It is a collection of photographs taken by Major Joe Thompson Jr., a retired airman from the US Army Air Corps when he was stationed in England throughout the American involvement of World War II and in various other sites as he flew reconnaissance missions and bomb raids.

Joe Thompson Jr. was born and raised in Nashville, Tenn. He attended Vanderbilt University and graduated in 1941. In July of that year he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. His flight training was completed in 1942 and upon completion was sent to Great Britain as one of the first American pilots to enter the war.

While stationed in England he flew with the Royal Air Force for several months before he joined an American unit. For the remainder of the war, about three years, Major Thompson flew dozens of missions as a combat and reconnaissance pilot. His experience in combat led him to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, which was only given to foreign pilots and the Air Medal, which he received 16 times.

While Thompson was in Europe he took over 600 pictures, some of which are on display at Paul Meek Library. Major Thompson returned to the US in the spring of 1945 following the surrender of Germany to the Allied Forces. Following his discharge, he entered the insurance business and settled in his hometown of Nashville which is where he lives currently today.

The exhibit includes not only photographs of various military and tourist sites in Europe, but also includes some original artifacts that belonged to Major Thompson while he was fighting. These items include: his log book, his flying helmet, his oxygen mask, his flying goggles, his gloves, the camera he used to take the pictures and the patch that Air Force personnel wore on their uniforms. Also included in the exhibit is a German flight helmet and some models of the various planes used in the war.

While the items on exhibit are fascinating, the pictures say millions of words. Some of the pictures on display show Major Thompson’s P-51B that he flew in combat, leisure time at the air strips, a map depicting the European theater of operations and informational meetings regarding the D-Day invasion.

These pictures and items displayed in the exhibit are a testimony to the sacrifice of so many brave young men and women who gave their lives to fight the Nazi powers.

Richard Saunders, curator for Paul Meek Library, reminds us that, “Most men in World War II were younger than the students here on campus.” These pictures properly illustrate that fact, as some pictures show Major Thompson as an “old man” of 22 or 23 years of age.

“It was really interesting and I learned a lot,” said Kristy Leach, an alumnus of UTM. The exhibit is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mon. through Fri. every evening and will be open until May 27.

Dr. Saunders said that the next exhibit, which will not be arriving until August, will be on loan from the US Holocaust Museum and is called “Operation Rescue.”