As Memorial Day nears, one local Oceano historian and military collector is sharing his passion with a military exhibit on display for a limited time.
It's open every Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. through July 10 at the Oceano Depot.
Mark Weedon spends his time collecting antiques, clothes and artifacts that tell stories about U.S. military history, but he wanted to share his findings with a wider audience.
“I decided that these things are just sitting around not serving any purpose, so I decided to use them for exhibits that people could enjoy,” he said. “Historical exhibits so that young people and all people could see what their ancestors looked like, what they wore and stories about them.”
The exhibit features authentic uniforms, photos and stories about service members from Oceano. The exhibit is housed alongside many other exhibits surrounding the railroad and military history in the Oceano region.
“These people, these exhibits represent to me the people of that day which are now our great great-grandfathers,” Weedon said. “Some people that aren’t even here anymore, but it gives them something to relate to and see it [as a] tangible thing, multidimensional thing that they can relate to, rather than a book or an ipad.”
The exhibit is also available for tours by appointment.
The Oceano Depot is located at 1650 Front St.
