Wilbur Jones Compositions, L.L.C. - World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition

WORLD WAR II WILMINGTON HOME FRONT HERITAGE COALITION

Butaritari Island, Makin Atoll with Village Chief. Nov. 2008 - 65th Anniversary of Assault on Makin

Butaritari Island, Makin Atoll
with Village Chief
65th Anniversary of Assault on Makin - Nov. 2008

Tenth Anniversary Year Progress Report, 2000-2009

Coalition Mission Statement

The World War II Wilmington Home Front Heritage Coalition is a 501(c)(3) corporation of organizations, agencies, and individuals, staffed by volunteers, who collectively support its efforts to identify, preserve, and interpret the rich WWII history of North Carolina. The emphasis is on the hub in New Hanover County and Wilmington.

Amazing Accomplishments Working with the Community

In the last ten years, the Coalition has helped to accomplish numerous projects to preserve North Carolina's World War II history, working primarily with the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County, and organizations such as the Thalian Association, Community Arts Center Accord, New Hanover High School Class of 1943, and Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, and others.

"America's World War II City"

Wilmington now proudly wears this title. To our knowledge, no other city makes this claim after 63 years since the war ended. The claim is based on our region's vast contributions to the war effort, varied war industries, all five armed forces based here, its strategic location, and the record of its residents serving in uniform.

Incorporation as a 501(c)(3) Non-profit

In 2008 the Coalition received certification as a 501(c)(3) North Carolina non-profit corporation, thus establishing our permanence. Our officers and other board members are listed on our letterhead.

Paramount Accomplishments Include:

Spearheading Congressional and local city and county governments' proclamations of Wilmington as "America's World War II City" (2008);
Completing the successful 11-year public-private partnership project to rededicate the city-owned, renovated and restored WWII Hannah Block Historic USO building at Second and Orange Streets, also known as the Community Arts Center, and its lobby-area home front museum (2008);
Designing, publishing, and distributing three editions of the popular World War II Heritage Guide Map of Wilmington and Southeastern North Carolina (2005-08);
Planning, operating, and participating in the "Star Spangled Weekend" events at the HBH USO (July 3-6, 2008);
Naming the city's new natural park on South 17th Street the "William D. Halyburton, Jr., Memorial Park," in honor of the 1943 New Hanover High School graduate and Medal of Honor recipient, a navy hospital corpsman killed in action on Okinawa (2003). The park was dedicated in 2004;
Constructing a masonry monument and garden at NHHS as formal recognition for Halyburton and our other WWII Medal of Honor recipient, Charles P. Murray, Jr. , awarded for valor in France, 1944 (2003).

Betio, Tarawa, Republic of Kiribati Nov. 2008 - 65th Anniversary of Battle of Tarawa, Japanese Admiral Shibasaki's Command Bunker

Betio, Tarawa, Republic of Kiribati
65th Anniversary of Battle of Tarawa
Japanese Admiral Shibasaki's Command Bunker - Nov. 2008

Coalition Establishment

Through the highly successful Wartime Wilmington Commemoration, 1999, an idea of the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, Southeastern North Carolina paid tribute to our region's heavy involvement in the war effort in the century's defining event, and the roles of of our citizens who served in uniform and on the home front. The community warmly responded to some 125 events over 18 months. The WWC1999 received a statewide preservation award from the N. C. Society of Historians and a regional award from the LCFHS.

On September 13, 2000, two historians who were heavily involved with WWC1999, its chairman Wilbur Jones and Everard Smith, PhD., established the Coalition to sustain community interest, enthusiasm, and vision to preserve our WWII legacy while time and veterans exist. Believing its primary goals could be accomplished as a temporary volunteer organization, the Coalition began as an ad-hoc group of supporters - not members - without participatory obligations or dues. Until its certification as a 501(c)(3) corporation in its own right 2008, the Coalition was a program under the Community Arts Center Accord.

Today many of the original supporters remain, and others have been added. A partial listing is shown on the Coalition's letterhead. No financial or membership obligations of supporters or friends is automatically expected.