Surprise find of WWI uniform on display at library

From inMaricopa.com: Surprise find of WWI uniform on display at library
Six years ago, Steve Stroud’s father-in-law passed away in Salt Lake City and left behind property that included a vacated duplex residence. Unknown to the Strouds, who are from Salt Lake City, there was a box in the basement. The father-in-law had never mentioned this box to the family.

Upon discovery, Stroud couldn’t believe what he found. In it was an army uniform from World War I along with other artifacts from that era, like sheet music that instantly took one back to a time when people gathered around the piano for entertainment.

At first, Stroud didn’t know what to do with the items. His father-in-law didn’t serve in World War I and Stroud knew nothing about the soldier who wore the uniform, Cpl. James V. Kjelstrom.

Rather than attempting to sell or donate the items, something told Stroud, a former police officer, to hold onto the box. He and his wife, Tara, kept it as they moved from one place to the next looking for a place to retire. Eventually, their journey landed them in Maricopa.
As time passed, the uniform sat in the box and Stroud said he kept thinking about to whom he could give the uniform.

“I had no intention of holding on to it and I didn’t want it to be discovered the same way again,” Stroud said. “I wanted to make sure it would be cared for, and I wanted this piece of history to reach an audience. I think it’s important kids learn about our history. But, I would only want to give it to someone I knew who had integrity and that would look after it.”

Enter Bud Ryan, past commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12043. Ryan was eating lunch at Headquarters Restaurant when he overheard Stroud talking about the uniform and the other artifacts.

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing and was even more impressed when I saw it,” Ryan said. The VFW and the American Legion had a display at the Maricopa Public Library that was scheduled to end in less than a week. The display now has been extended until Sept. 15 and showcases the history of America’s armed services. Many of the items are personal belongings from the members of the VFW and American Legion.

It was exactly the kind of display Stroud had been hoping for and the VFW was the right organization for him to entrust the uniform. "Bud took an instant appreciation,” Stroud said. “I knew then the history of the uniform would be kept alive.”

Ryan said the VFW will maintain and care for the uniform even when the display at the library is over. Ryan hopes someday there will be a museum in Maricopa where the uniform can be displayed permanently. The only exception, he said, would be if the family of the soldier is found.



Ryan said the VFW has begun to search for any living descendants of Kjelstrom. Exhibit coordinator Robert Weinheimer said he has located a living relative through www.Ancestry.com and is waiting for a response to his email. According to records obtained by Weinheimer on www.Ancestry.com, Kjelstrom was born in Vernal, Utah, in 1894 and died in Salt Lake City in 1946. He was drafted into the 151st Infantry, 9th Corps in 1918 and honorably discharged in 1919.

In the meantime, Stroud said he is happy with the display. After all the time that has passed since World War I, he knows the uniform has finally found a place where children can take a moment to look at their history.

At a glance:

The display, sponsored by the library and the Maricopa Historical Society, features artifacts from the Civil War, World War I, Korean War, U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army Europe. Artifacts include era uniforms, weaponry, photographs and service awards. Online exhibits that complement the library display can be viewed at www.mhs50.com/Events. For more information, call exhibit coordinator Robert Weinheimer at 602-363-6281.

EXHIBIT CONTRIBUTORS:
American Legion and VFW members: Profiles of military experience
Douglas Beyer: USMC artifacts and document
Bernie Crouse: U.S. Army model tank
Harry Dieffenbach: U.S. Navy model ships, WWII and Civil War
Howard Duncan: USMC San Diego Boot Camp Yearbook 1956
Julia Gusse: U.S. Air Force uniform
Denny Hoeh: SUVCW; Reenactment Civil War uniform and rifle w/bayonet
Randy “Joe” King: Ordnance and body armor, Kuwait, Bosnia, NATO Forces
Neil and Ginger Oas: Albert Smith, Navaho Code Talker autographed narrative
Bud Ryan: U.S. Navy personal display case
Steve Stroud: Cpl. James V. Kjelstrom, WWI US Army uniform
Paul Verhelst: Civil War document