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World War I museum to open

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From the Associated Press

World War I ended nearly 90 years ago, only a few of its U.S. veterans are still alive and, about a decade ago, its national monument was closed after years of neglect and deterioration.

But this weekend, the “war to end all wars” takes center stage when the National World War I Museum opens in Kansas City, Mo., giving the public a chance to learn about -- and from -- the conflict that catapulted the United States toward superpower status.

For the record:

12:00 a.m. Dec. 3, 2006 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday December 03, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 84 words Type of Material: Correction
World War I Museum: A Quick Takes item in Saturday’s Calendar section about the opening of a World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo., said that a previous national monument to that conflict had closed. That monument did not have a national designation. The item also referred to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as the United States Holocaust Museum. The item said that Ralph Appelbaum had designed the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Clinton Presidential Library. He designed exhibits at those facilities.

“Unfulfilled needs, national ambitions, national culture clashes, all of the things that were in play in World War I are still with us today,” said Brig. Gen. Stephen Berkheiser, executive director of the new museum.

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The entrance to the $26-million museum includes a glass floor that is raised several feet above a field of 9,000 red poppies, representing the 9 million combat deaths of the war.

It was designed by Ralph Appelbaum, who also designed the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas. The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial contains tons of weaponry, including cannons, biplanes and replicas of the trenches where World War I soldiers fought.

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