Buck Newsom recently sat down to read the diary he kept while serving as a Naval aviator from 1941 to 1943, during World War II.

“It reminded me how much you forget about the war and how much you remember but remember incorrectly,” said Newsom, who lives in Lawrence. “I forgot that Pearl Harbor was bombed sporadically for the next few years (after the initial attack). I’d forgotten the number of depth charges it took to finally sink a submarine. And I forgot what it was like to see people killed and see dead people floating in the water.”

Newsom knows that if he doesn’t pass those memories on to others, they’ll be lost to history.

Newsom was among a panel of speakers who kicked off four days of events surrounding the dedication of the Dole Institute of Politics on Kansas University’s west campus.

The panel — “Heroes of Lawrence” — spoke in the “Memory Tent,” a 100-by-120-foot, air-conditioned tent where veterans and others will recall their war experiences today, Monday and Tuesday.

The dedication gala will begin in force today. Former Sen. Bob Dole, whose papers will be kept in the institute, is expected to arrive this afternoon. He’ll attend a private dinner and reception for donors this evening at the Dole Institute and a dance with the Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Lawrence Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive.

Other dignitaries, including former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, are expected to arrive Monday.

Living history

Signs of the approaching dedication, which is at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, were apparent Saturday on west campus. A two-story video board was installed west of the institute for viewing of an interfaith worship service at 10 a.m. today, a USO-style show at 8 p.m. Monday and the dedication ceremony Tuesday.

The giant stained-glass flag adorning the entrance of the Dole Institute of Politics is reflected on the floor of the center's grand hallway. The building's opening to the public Saturday kicked off a series of tributes to World War II veterans and former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole.

Military re-enactors also pitched their tents for three days of reliving World War II history.

Joan Moore, Shawnee, was among the re-enactors. Moore, with the Kansas City chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Assn., was dressed as a medic with the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army.

“It’s a good chance to see history,” she said. “I try to learn about the history. I try to talk to the people who were involved (in the war). That’s what I like so much about the Memory Tent.”

About 200 people heard from men and women who saw the war first-hand during the kickoff Memory Tent event Saturday night.

War stories

Scottie Lingelbach, Lawrence, who worked for the British combined chiefs of staff as a Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency officer, recalled delivering top-secret military documents to a lower-level door of the White House.

“I knew the president was probably sitting on the other side of the door,” she said.

¢ Photo gallery¢ 6News video: Dole Institute opens to public¢ History comes alive at opening¢ Steady stream of visitors attends center’s opening¢ Interfaith worship service begins first of dedication’s major events¢ Vintage aircraft display brings fond memories to WWII veterans¢ Who’s who of Kansans to attend dedication¢ Patience urged around campus¢Schedule of events

She also sat in the Oval Office as President Roosevelt conducted a press conference on D-Day.

Topics ranged from war stories to politics. Newsom said he knew some people disagreed with President Truman for dropping atomic bombs.

“I was an air defense officer (on the USS Hopkins), and we were hit by kamikazes before, and we were going to be hit by kamikazes again,” he said. “I’m here talking to you today because President Truman made that decision.”

Some of the discussion was lighthearted. Charles Wright, a former Topeka mayor who lives near Lecompton, said one of his first tasks in joining the Marines was learning to sleep on a hammock.

“There were about a half-dozen guys who couldn’t stay in the hammock, and you’d hear them ‘thud’ all night,” Wright recalled.

Robert Sudlow, Lawrence, said his first challenge in joining the U.S. Navy came during his physical examination.

“They told me I needed to gain 8 pounds,” he said. “I was too skinny.”

Though the event was billed as the “Heroes of Lawrence,” Lingelbach was quick to shrug off that designation for her. Rather, she said, the real heroes were the soldiers on the front lines.

“We could devote three whole days to just Lawrence fighting heroes because there are all sorts of them out there, though they’re fading fast,” she said.

That fact was not lost on Kathy Vitale, a junior at KU who attended the event.

“It’s really interesting to hear stories from the past,” she said. “I think a lot of people have heard about World War II but don’t really know much about it. That’s what this dedication is all about.”