Spirit of Democracy fundraiser to benefit Stars and Stripes Museum in Bloomfield

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Not many Missourians know the U.S. military's daily newspaper, Stars and Stripes, was founded here Nov. 9, 1861. Union soldiers occupying the town commandeered the printing press of the Bloomfield Herald and issued a four-page newspaper with that title.

The newspaper proved to be a morale booster for troops away from their families, and other issues were printed during the war in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and Jacksonport, Arkansas.

Native Missourian John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I, knew of the Civil War publication and revived it to boost troop morale. Seventy-one weekly issues were published from Paris.

Then, in World War II, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower became the biggest supporter of Stars and Stripes. Like Pershing, he saw it as a morale booster for the troops. After the Allies won the war, Stripes continued to publish in Europe to serve the occupying forces there, and a new edition was started in the Pacific for the same reason.

Today, it is a tabloid with an average of 32 pages daily. Four print editions serve Europe, the Middle East, Japan and South Korea. There also are seven digital editions, but the printed newspaper remains hugely popular with troops, particularly in war zones where internet access and cellphone service are either non-existent or often interrupted.

A military helicopter sits on the lawn Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019, outside of the National Stars and Stripe Museum and Library in Bloomfield, Missouri.BEN MATTHEWS

Citizens in Bloomfield have created a museum focusing on all periods of the newspaper's existence. Included in its collection is a copy of the original issue from 1861, numerous photos from the many conflicts the paper has covered, and hundreds of other artifacts donated by former staffers and the Stars and Stripes central office, now located in Washington.

The Bloomfield museum is one of the stops on the Civil War Missouri Passport Program (mo-passport.org) leading visitors to Civil War sites of historic significance within the state.

The museum is seeking to ensure its future with a major fundraising campaign. The first event in that campaign will be a Spirit of Democracy celebration Nov. 16 at Arena Building in Cape Girardeau. Doors open at 6 p.m. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Stars and Stripes publisher Max Lederer will be the featured speakers.

Tickets for the dinner event are $100 a plate, and tables may be sponsored for $1,000. For more details, see the National Stars and Stripes Museum and Library website at starsandstripesmuseumlibrary.org.