BANGOR – During the National Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Galen Cole of Bangor received an award presented by National Americanism Officer Robert Marks.

The award, given recently at the convention in South Portland, stated:

“Awarded to Galen Cole For exceptional meritorious and conspicuous service to the Community, the State and the Nation in the promotion of Americanism. Your devotion to teaching schoolchildren the meaning of freedom and of the sacrifices made by America’s service men and women as well as your support of all other programs promoting Americanism to include Scouting and the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. is duly noted. In testimony thereof, and as an expression of appreciation for your years of exceptional service, I hereby award this citation.”

Cole, a member of the Joshua Chamberlain Chapter 1865 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, is head of the Cole Family Foundation.

The foundation built the Cole Land Transportation Museum on Perry Road. The museum includes a room and several exhibits of military memorabilia, in addition to more than 200 Maine vehicles.

The museum is also home to the Maine World War II Memorial.

Each year, many classes of schoolchildren visit the museum, where the youngsters learn about Americanism personally from veterans who come in to share their stories.

The museum also distributed more than 1,200 World War II walking sticks in a program to honor Maine’s World War II veterans. Cole recently presented one of the walking sticks to the Maine Veterans Home on Hogan Road. Administrator Judith Young accepted the walking stick on behalf of the veterans at the home.

The Cole Land Transportation Museum is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Nov. 11.