ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Midway Village Museum is creating a brand new exhibit to honor the legacy of Camp Grant, the U.S. Army camp that once occupied the land upon which the Chicago Rockford International Airport now sits.

The 2,600 square foot display at the museum will house artifacts from the former army base, taken from the former Camp Grant Museum.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers walked through the camp’s gates during World War I and II.

Midway’s Executive Director Patrick O’Keefe said finding personal stories from that era is getting harder.

“Getting the stories of the people, they’re few and far between. Many of them, that are veterans, are passing away at a significant rate. So, that’s why we’re asking, not only [for] first person [accounts], but a lot of folks have stories in their families about how they came to Rockford, or have stories about family members who have history with Camp Grant. So, we’re collecting, not just first person, but from people who have them, sort of as legacy stories in their family,” he said.

If you’d like to donate an artifact or a story to the exhibit, click here.