Tickets on sale now for dinner, show to benefit memorial park project
The Friends of Ernie Pyle are set to transport people back in time with WWII-era entertainment and dinner. Tickets are $10 per person for the dinner and $15 per person for the performance that follows. Ticket sales will raise funds for the FEP’s latest project — the Ernie Pyle and Veterans Memorial Park.
The event will take place at South Vermillion High School, 776 Wildcat Dr., in Clinton, Indiana. Dinner is 4:30-6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Performers include students from both North and South Vermillion High Schools, professional musicians, a military band and more, said Becky Holbert, chair of the FEP operations committee and one of the event organizers.
“We’re thrilled to bring this USO-style show to the Wabash Valley to honor veterans and today’s military,” Holbert said. “It’s one more opportunity to share the legacy and writings of Ernie Pyle while showcasing local, regional and military talent.”
FEP is a charitable foundation that runs the Ernie Pyle WWII Museum in Dana, Indiana. The group is committed to honoring the legacy of the legendary WWII correspondent and the memory of those who served in our nation’s Armed Forces. FEP previously organized a USO-style show in 2018. That event raised more than $3,100 for the museum. Funds raised from this event will go toward the memorial park project including developing land adjacent to the museum to provide a gathering space for the community, performance stage, healing garden and more. The park will also feature an already commissioned bronze statue of Ernie Pyle created by Clinton sculptor Bill Wolfe.
Ben West, North Vermillion High School director of bands and choirs, said the audience can expect to enjoy an evening showcasing a variety of acts — musical and otherwise — in the fashion of the WWII-era USO stage show.
The USO, United Service Organizations, was founded in 1941 as a non-profit entity. It is known for providing live entertainment to boost the morale of members of the U.S. Armed Services. This museum fundraiser is taking its inspiration from those USO performances known as “camp shows.” The shows started during WWII and have featured singers, dancers, comedians and celebrities through the years.
West is working with Halea Ellis, South Vermillion High School choir director, and Marilyn Fisher, a retired teacher from South Vermillion who served as the director of the 2018 FEP show.
“This event has been a fun and challenging opportunity for our students to work on,” West said. “I think the community will be pleased to see many professional and amateur acts come together in this honoring of traditional stage performance — with the format of a 1940s-era USO show no less.”
Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ernie Pyle WWII Museum, 120 Briarwood Ave., in Dana, Indiana, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information about the Nov. 2 fundraiser, text 812-249-5780. For more information about the Ernie Pyle WWII Museum and the Ernie Pyle and Veterans Memorial Park project, visit erniepyle.org.
Pictured above: Takoma Wisor and Olivia Haney perform to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” during a 1940s USO-style show at the Helt Fire Department in 2018. The Friends of Ernie Pyle are hosting another show taking inspiration from WWII-era entertainment on Saturday, Nov. 2 at South Vermillion High School in Clinton, Indiana.
