Veterans Museum in O’Fallon Honors Local Vets

He was a U.S. Army combat engineer in France during World War II.

She was a member of the French Resistance. 

They met at a dance one night and fell in love. After the war, they moved to the U.S., raised a family, and ended up retiring in St. Charles County. 

The love story of Elmer and Odette Shaner is just one of more than 600 veteran histories on record at the Mid America Veterans Museum in O’Fallon, where the public is invited to come and learn about the lives lived by St. Charles County service members. 

Photo: Elmer and Odette Shaner

Some recollections are in printed binders, some on audio tape, some on video tape. 

“Every veteran has a story,” says museum board president Mike Stagoski. “Our mission is to capture those stories, have them on display, and hand them down to future generations.”

The museum, which opened in 2019, has plenty of eye-catching exhibits—guns, knives, helmets, battle flags, uniforms and other artifacts of war­—from the Civil War to present. But it’s the stories that take the spotlight. 

“If you see a canteen, there's a story behind it,” says museum board vice president Mike “Doc” LeBlanc. “You’ll learn it wasn’t just a canteen—it was the only water he had for two weeks, and it saved his life.”

More than 1,600 people visited the museum this year, from school groups to local veterans. 

“For veterans who visit, it can be extremely therapeutic,” Stagoski says. “Our mission is all about veterans and helping them connect. You're coming here with individuals who have raised their right hand.”

The museum estimates there are more than 35,000 veterans living in St. Charles County.

Stagoski and LeBlanc are among them. Stagoski served as a tank platoon leader in Operation Desert Storm. LeBlanc served as a Vietnam-era Navy hospital corpsman.

“Most veterans had successful careers out here,” LeBlanc says. “They just quietly lived their lives. Some are small business owners. Some are local mayors. Some are school board members.” 

Photo: Mid America Veterans Museum president Mike Stagoski

Photo: Mid America Veterans Museum vice president Mike LeBlanc

Stagoski says all veterans may struggle at times, especially those who are combat veterans. 

“Some have a feeling of guilt for coming back—survivor’s guilt,” Stagoski says. “There can be memories and flashbacks that keep coming.”

The museum features vivid reminders of the cost of service some veterans paid:

• A rusty scrap of metal from the deck of the U.S.S. Arizona, on which 1,177 crew members died when it was sunk in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. 
• The clean-pressed, dress uniform of Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, who was among the 13 U.S. service members killed at the Kabul airport by a suicide bomber during the 2021 pullout from Afghanistan.
• The Killed in Action (KIA) Wall of Honor with 116 dog tags representing local service members from World War I to present 

Photo: Scrap metal from the wreckage of the U.S.S. Arizona, on display at the Mid America Veterans Museum

Photo: World War II artifacts and memorabilia are on display at the Mid America Veterans Museum.

The museum was founded by local World War II veteran Ralph Barrale who saw action in D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, the capture of the Remagen Bridge, and the liberation of Dachau. He also served as a military police officer at the Nuremberg trials. 

“Barrale believed that no one is ever gone, as along as someone still talks about them or remembers them,” LeBlanc says. 

Barrale died in 2018, as planning for the museum was well underway, but before it was open. 

Future plans call for more exhibits and the recording of more stories from local veterans. Many of the stories told so far have been sent to the Library of Congress for posterity. The museum is also planning to display the Missouri National Guard’s Hall of Fame.

“We want more people to come, more people to discover us,” Stagoski says. “Everyone is welcome.” 

• Address: 410 E. Elm St., O'Fallon, MO 63366 
• Admission Cost: Free (Donation-welcome) 
• Hours:
  • Wednesday-Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Saturday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Sunday-Tuesday: Closed

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