NATCHEZ — Citizens have the opportunity to bring relatives’ World War I memorabilia, including photographs, draft notices and newspaper clippings, to the Historic Natchez Foundation from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today for consideration in a historical display open to the public.

Along with this memorabilia, the plaques currently displayed outside the federal courthouse on Pearl Street are to be moved to the interior and put on permanent display as an educational exhibit.

As of now, those plaques, which were put on display in 1924, exclude nearly 600 black WWI soldiers’ names, as well as more than 100 white soldiers’ names. New plaques containing a number of additional names will replace the old plaques.

After a California State University graduate student pointed out the missing names in his 2008 thesis, the U.S. General Services Administration learned black soldiers had been deliberately excluded from the plaques.

Jackie Tyson, a historian with New South Associates — the group the GSA contracted to research the missing names — said as a part of the building’s rehabilitation, she plans to collect the names of not only black veterans, but white veterans’ whose names were left off, as well.

“(It will show) how WWI affected Adams County and African American history,” Tyson said.

Those who choose to share photos won’t have to part with them. They’ll be photocopied on site and returned immediately.