Valley City’s new World War Two Heritage Trail opens Thursday, and one of its stops tells the story of Valley City State University’s wartime role.
Valley City was designated by the National Park Service as an American World War Two Heritage City in 2025. It’s the only North Dakota community with that designation. New interpretive panels have been installed around the city, including one on the VCSU campus.
That campus panel focuses partly on the U.S. Navy’s V-12 program. During World War II, the Navy used selected colleges to help train future officers while they continued college courses and military preparation.
More than 500 Navy officers trained at VCSU during the War.
The panel also highlights how Valley City State helped train women for wartime roles.
The Barnes County Museum will host a grand opening for the Heritage Trail at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. The trail also includes oral histories through the Valley City Talking Trail and a new display at the museum.
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