Cheers to the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau for its efforts to nominate Butler as a World War II Heritage City with the National Park Service.

We want you to know that your team’s initiative and intention is both noticed and appreciated. This type of recognition would be significant to our city, and fitting considering Butler’s impact on World War II via the invention of the Jeep.

It’s a shot worth taking, a nomination worth making. And we hope the efforts will pay off.

Late last week, the Butler Eagle reported that the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau is preparing a submission letter for the National Park Service, which is accepting heritage city nominations through the end of August.

On Thursday evening, Butler city council got behind the initiative, too. City council unanimously voted to submit a letter of support for the tourism and convention bureau.

According to the National Park Service’s website, the American World War II Heritage City program is relatively new. It was established by the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act of 2019. Its intention is to “recognize and ensure the continued preservation and importance of the history of the United States involvement in World War II.”

We commend local leaders for acting quickly, especially considering that the National Park Service’s website goes on to say that only one city per state can be recognized as an “American World War II Heritage City.” Next year may have been too late for a chance at this opportunity.

Does Butler have a chance? We believe it does. The website spells out criteria that includes how a city contributed to the war effort and aims to preserve its heritage and the legacy of the city’s contribution.

As per the criteria, Butler’s contribution of the Jeep is noteworthy, and one that the city seeks to preserve.

“It absolutely mechanized the Army, and it helped them get around,” Jack Cohen, tourism bureau president, said of the Jeep. “Before it, they had to get around on horse-drawn buggies.”

Even President Dwight Eisenhower complimented the Jeep, calling it a tool that assisted the Allies in winning the war.

The greatest advantage to being nominated as a World War II Heritage City is perhaps the recognition itself. There’s no financial assistance or grant money immediately tied to the designation.

But the nomination puts Butler on the map for people looking to experience World War II history. As the war fades further into our history daily, children will no longer grow up hearing stories of the most recent world war from their relatives. It’ll be important that future generations have access to this type of history in another way.

It could bring in tourism and corresponding dollars that boost our local economy. It could be a marketing tool for Butler. And it could, down the road, bring in other grant money, too.

And besides all that, frankly, it’d be quite an honor for the city of Butler to have this designation.

— TAL