Florida France Soldier Stories is proud partner with the Museum of the Colmar Pocket, beginning in summer 2025.
Founded in 1994, the museum, located in the heart of the village of Turckheim, has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors and is known for its inclusive approach, telling the stories of French, including colonial soldiers, German, and American soldiers who fought in the Alsace–Lorraine region during the terrible winter of 1944-1945. Its collections, based on objects donated by local residents, honor the memory of those who experienced the fighting firsthand.
As a program affiliated with the University of Central Florida, in Orlando, FL, Florida France Soldier Stories focuses specifically on telling the stories of American soldiers who fought in France. Working in close collaboration with the museum, this new phase of our project seeks to give UCF undergraduate and graduate students new research opportunities and to allow museum patrons to go beyond artifacts—the helmets, canteens, and seabags—they see in the museum’s cases.
The work we produce related to the men featured in the Colmar Pocket Museum is done by UCF students, under the supervision of Dr. Lyons and a team of graduate students, trained in the tools and methods of professional historical research. Together with the museum’s staff, we are working to tell the personal stories of the men who fought far from home for the liberation of Europe, ensuring their sacrifices are remembered by future generations.
Click the tiles to access the primary documents for these servicemen.
