IOWA FALLS, Iowa — The Iowa Falls Historical Society has opened the Heartland Military Museum in downtown Iowa Falls. The new museum will have stories of local veterans who served in numerous wars and conflicts.

One Iowa Falls native is referred to as the World War II Golden Girl. Her name is Helen “Polly” Paulson Glyer. She was a Red Cross Nurse taking care of troops in World War II in Europe. She was known to play her violin to the troops. She was able to travel to various places in the war to help people. She had a jacket with the logo “Blonde Bomber.”

“I would say she’s a spitfire and then she was really good with people and very knowledgeable and beautiful woman and so I think the troops enjoyed just even looking at her,” said Celine Anderson, who is the Heartland Military Museum co-curator.

The Historical Society of Iowa Falls needed a place to keep the collection from Glyer’s service. It was donated to Iowa Falls by her son in California.

There was also another World War II collection donated by Chuck Taylor of Iowa Falls. So when the building at 313 Stevens came up for rent, the Historical Society jumped at the chance to open a new museum.

“We looked some various locations in Iowa Falls, nothing seemed to work and then this building came up for rent on a weekend in late May and we brought Chuck in here and he looked at it for about 10 minutes and said I think this will work,” said Dave Gervich, a museum volunteer, and member of the Iowa Falls Historical Society. “The city of Iowa Falls stepped in, the city council, and agreed to pay the rent for three years because they felt it would be a tourism attraction.”

The museum will open Saturday, May 24 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Iowa News: