The public is invited to view Words in War: Writers, Readers, and World War II, the newest exhibit at The Community Library’s Wood River Museum of History + Culture at the opening reception on September 24, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. The Museum’s address is 580 Fourth Street East, Ketchum.

Words in War tells two remarkable stories from World War II: that of literary giant and war correspondent Ernest Hemingway, and Ray Trautman, Chief Librarian of the Army, who helped build the largest and most comprehensive library system in the world—even as the Nazis were burning books by the millions.

During the war, Trautman oversaw the distribution of nearly half a billion books, magazines, and comics to American troops, providing entertainment, information, companionship, and a vital connection to life beyond the battlefield.