The Martha Canfield Library and the Russell Vermontiana Collection will host a special World War II exhibit, August 16 - 19, with a reception on Friday, August 17 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

The first half of the exhibit looks at the WWII history of the USS Bennington aircraft carrier. Commissioned on August 6, 1944 as CV-20, the Bennington joined the war in the Pacific in December. Her planes took part in major operations that helped to bring the Pacific war to a successful close. The carrier proudly served until she was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1994. The exhibit coincides with the USS Bennington crew reunion during Bennington Battle Days.

The second half of the exhibit, Arlington At Home, highlights the local impact of the war in daily life for residents of Arlington, Sandgate and Sunderland. The exhibit includes original items from the Russell Collection, such as rationing materials, Civil Defense drills and plane spotter's records (Yes, we did maintain an active plane spotting unit in Arlington!).

The exhibit will be starting Thursday, August 16, 9am to 8pm, and continue on Friday, 9am to 9pm, Saturday, 10am to 3pm, and Sunday, 10am to 3pm. For more information, call the Library at 802-375-6153, or visit our website, marthacanfieldlibrary.org.