ALGONA — Camp Algona holds its annual open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Museum, 114 N. Thorington St., Algona. The open house is held in conjunction with the Algona Chamber of Commerce “Party in the Park” which is the same evening on the lawn of the Carnegie Library.

Each year Camp Algona highlights a local veteran with an in-depth exhibit and a brief presentation on the person’s service in World War II. In addition to the Veteran of the Year, there are also three smaller displays curated by the summer docents. These displays honor Meta Gade, U.S. Army nurse, and Raymond Walker and Franklin “Zip” Koons, U.S. Army.

Veteran of the Year Dwaine Lighter, was known in Algona for his publication the Algona Reminder, but earlier in his life he had more excitement than most 20-year-olds. Lighter was a B-24 pilot who was on his seventh mission when he was shot down flying back to England from North Africa.

As he tells the story, “They (the Germans) blew out three engines, the nose of the plane and the back end was on fire. So you can see how it would be hard to fly a plane under those conditions.” They crashed going about 160 miles per hour. The co-pilot, Lighter, and one other crew member escaped through the windows. Only three of the 15 made it out alive.

Join us for the open house to learn more about Lighter’s time as a prisoner of war and see his extensive drawings during his time in a German POW camp.