CASPER, Wyo. –– The small, brown and humble building just east of the Casper/Natrona County International Airport was never intended to survive its nearly 85 years.

“These bases were put together as cheaply as possible,” said Wyoming Veterans Commission Cultural Resources Manager John Woodward. “They started construction in May of 1942, and they were finished by September. It was very quick, very cheap.”

Some 400 buildings sprung up on the air base that year, which during the war was used to train between 16,000 and 18,000 enlistees to fly B-17 and B-24 planes in overseas operations. Only a handful of the buildings survived past the war, including the former serviceman’s club, which features an irreplaceable mural painted by a number of enlistees at the time that surrounds the entire main hall.

It was used for storage after the war, but was revived in 1998 to become the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum. With limited funds, the original goal was to simply make the building useable. “I think either in 1999 or 2000, they received about $200,000 in optional 1 cent funds from Natrona County,” said Woodward, “and that helped replace windows, some doors and some upgrades to the building’s electrical system, but not much beyond that.”

Woodward has been tasked with making sure the building can last at least another eight decades. Originally built as a serviceman’s club on the Casper Army Air Base during WWII, it now helps to tell and preserve the stories of thousands of Wyoming veterans from all military branches who served since the Mexican-American War up to today.

An image shows the interior of the serviceman’s club at the Casper Air Base in the early 1940s. It is now the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum. (Courtesy Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum)

Now, the little building that was likely intended to stand for just several years is receiving a $2 million top to bottom restoration. The museum closed last September, and will reopen on May 16, with a grand opening celebration starting at 2 p.m.

“The things that really drove the project from the beginning were safety and security, making sure that the building was accessible to people who had mobility issues,” he said. Modern, fully-accessible bathrooms have been built along with full access to the building inside and out.

Historic murals painted by service members during WWII are seen partially covered during an extensive restoration of the Wyoming Veteran’s Memorial Museum. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

In addition, plumbing and electrical systems have been completely updated along with the roof and insulation, and a modern HVAC system will be installed for the first time. “This building was originally steam heated,” said Woodward. That was replaced with industrial natural gas units that hung from the ceilings. “They fulfilled their role, but they were loud and made it very difficult in some cases for me to even communicate with my staff in the winter.

It’ll be comfortable for visitors and staff, and it’s going to aid in the preservation of the historical items here at the museum so they won’t be at the mercy of the elements.”

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

Exterior work will include new siding for the first time ever, and a fully-paved modern parking lot that will replace the cobbled-together dirt parking areas of the past.

Dick Anderson Construction Superintendent Bill Street has been in charge of the work. “There was no insulation in any of the exterior walls,” he said. “As far as the ceiling goes, it was just fiberboard up there, so we had to remove all of the ceiling and put up sheetrock.” Because of the added weight of sheetrock and other improvements, structural engineers were consulted to make sure the bones could take the extra weight. Fortunately there were no issues, said Street.

Street’s crew helped move all of the museum’s valuable content to a storage unit at the airport before getting to work on the building itself, and preserving those murals was among the main priorities.

“Protecting the murals during construction was a chore,” said Street. “We had to frame them all out and put double plastic on them because of their historical value.”

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

“They did a fantastic job of making sure the murals were protected throughout the project,” added Woodward.

Woodward said that three buildings on the site had murals, but only the serviceman’s club survives. The others were the mess hall, which was demolished, and the chapel, which was moved into town and is currently part of Our Lady of Fatima on CY Ave. Its mural was painted over shortly after the war, he said.

The restoration also gave Woodward and the museum’s staff an opportunity to redesign the feel and flow of the museum’s exhibits. “We’ve been working since basically September on the exhibit – planning, researching, writing, design, pulling artifacts – so when we have the space ready we can just come in and start,” he said.

Rather than have exhibits up agains the walls, the new design will use custom-built movable walls that snake around the large hall of the building in chronological order. “Our biggest strength is the veteran’s stories in the collection, so we’re gearing our exhibits around telling those stories,” he said.

“We’re excited to share what we’ve been doing here with the public, and having them come out here and see all of the improvements that have been made,” said Woodward. “We want people to know that this is a place where you can come and learn about how veterans serve their country in uniform, but also how they continue to serve the people of Wyoming in their civilian lives.”

“It’s been a wonderful experience working with the military,” added Street.

Cultural Resources Manager with the Wyoming Veterans Commission John Woodward, left, talks with Dick Anderson Construction Superintendent Bill Street during renovations at the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum recently. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

(Dan Cepeda, Oil City News)

An image from the air shows the Casper Air Base shortly after it was constructed in 1942. (Courtesy Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum)

Murals are seen soon after they were painted inside the former serviceman’s club at the Casper Air Base during WWII. (Courtesy Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum)

Enlisted men dine inside the serviceman’s club during WWII. (Courtesy Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum)

Enlistees enjoy a beverage at the soda fountain inside the servicemen’s club during WWII at the Casper Air Base. (Courtesy Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum)

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