Museum news briefThis years Veterans Day exhibit is now up at the Ottawa Historical and Scouting Heritage Museum at 1100 Canal St. in Ottawa. The museum is open Thursday through Monday from 10am to 4pm. We are closed Tuesday and Wednesday.The display showcases book 5 of 7 from Rena Monterastellis collection of World War II scrapbooks. Her dates for book 5 are from February 14, 1943 to June 7, 1944; and we have these articles and photos in alphabetical order. If you had a local relative in the war during these dates, come in to see if he or she is highlighted in book 5.Then, our cubicle is chocked full of memorabilia from most all of the wars that the United Sates participated in. There are food brands that are still available since the Civil War. We have uniforms and medals from various enlistments. There is a one-of-a-kind address book from a Japanese POW camp made by Pete Thomson, who survived and came home to visit many of his fellow POWs. We have a bayonet captured on Guadalcanal; also a rare 3-flap Vietnam era hand-grenade pouch.This years displays went up early because they have to come down in mid-December to make room for our next exhibit. In January and February of 2027, we are getting a professional Looking for Lincoln exhibit from Springfield which will highlight the Underground Railroad in Illinois. Three lectures during those two months will also be centered on the Underground Railroad. Please come in and visit our museumits a happening place. As folk singer Chris Vallillo has said, If history happened in Illinois, it probably happened in Ottawa.