NJ museum features military items, Barbies as ‘Barbenheimer' dominates theaters

Two big blockbuster movies of the summer are now in theaters – "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," drawing big crowds and strange comparisons.

They couldn’t be more different, but they’re both represented in a unique way at a museum in South Jersey.

Among tattered flags, old newspapers, and rows of military memorabilia lies a piece of Barbie history at the Millville Army Airfield Museum in Millville, New Jersey.

From the Green Beret to Barbie making

In 2004, retired Army veteran Robert Yutaka Hasake donated his entire Barbie collection to the Seabrook Education Cultural Center. But, since they didn't have room for the hundreds of dolls, the cultural center loaned them to the Millville military museum.

Hasake was a child during World War II and his family was placed in a Japanese internment camp in California. Toward the end of the war, Hasake's family was allowed to travel to Bridgeton, New Jersey, for work at the Seabrook Farms.

After graduating from college, Hasake then enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a paratrooper with the Green Berets.

After serving, he joined the toy company Mattel as a master model builder. He conceptualized and created countless Barbie dolls.

Now, over 300 Barbies from various eras are on display at the Millville museum along with handwritten notes from Hasake.

"He wanted people to see them and enjoy the history of all the history of Barbie dolls he knows how many people love Barbie dolls," Millville Army Airfield Museum Executive Director Lisa Jester said.

While it's a small piece of history, it shows that every veteran's story needs to be told.

"World War II was a bunch of late teenagers and young adults who basically stood in the path of history and saved the world," Millville Army Airfield Museum President Jerry Carey said.

Want to see the Barbies yourself?

The museum -- located at 1 Leddon St, Millville, New Jersey, is open and free to the public.

Staff recommends going between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. They also take reservations throughout the week.