| Current Exhibits |
Presidio to Pacific Powerhouse
The Military in Balboa Park 1915 to 1945
"Hold at All Costs"
The last battle of the Korean War
WWI
Pearl Harbor
WWII
China Burma India
B-24 Gallery
Iraq
Vietnam
UDT-SEALS Operations Past & Present
San Diego's Medal of Honor Recipients
Dennis Schoville
Vietnam Veteran
USS Orlek (DD-886)
Adam Sustachek US Coast Guard
The Women's Military History Exhibit
5 Murals by
Richard DeRosset
Trench Art |
| Our Sponsors |
San Diego Economic Development & Tourism Support Program
San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture
Lynne C. Sanders Trust
Supervisor Cox, District 1, County Board of Supervisors
Supervisor Ron Roberts, District 4, County Board of Supervisors
Supervisor Bill Horn, District 5, County Board of Supervisors
The Bob Baker Family Foundation
CAPT & Mrs W. Hays
Viejas Enterprises
Legler Benbough Foundation
T.C. Akerman Foundation
Price Family Foundation
Glen Abbey Memorial Park
Int'l Assoc. of Machinists
San Diego Padres
Lockheed Martin
Kratos Defense & Security
San Diego Gas & Electric
a Sempra Energy Utility
Dini Films International
B.P.O.E. 1812
Microsoft
Eagles Wings
San Diego Futures Foundation
San Diego Family Planning
Silverthorn Construction
The Thursday Club
The Thursday Club Juniors
Home Depot Foundation
First Command Financial Services
Phil's BBQ
The Beer Company
Access Point Media Group
Honoring Our Troops
Performance Measurement Company
AMG Construction
USNA ALUMNI ASSOC.
United Fundraising Group
Reed Food Technology
Palomar Cleaners
Vicki Nenner
Mr. John Dillard
F.A. Dillingham
Robert and Joyce Ettinger
Mr. Jose F. Luna
Dr. Byong Mok Kim, MD
RDML & Mrs. R. C. Melendez
J.L. Msangum
Mr. Dennis Schoville
Dr. Abe Shragge, Ph.D.
MG & Mrs. John K. Singlaub
Dr. & Mrs. Tom Splitgerber
Gen. E. Yul Yoon, ROKAF/Ret
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EVENTS
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FREE TUESDAY FOR SAN DIEGO RESIDENTS
Tuesday, Jan 13th
TONY LOBUE'S
ARTS FOR ALL
Tuesday, Jan 13th
VMMC
2 - 4 PM
TONY LOBUE'S
ARTS FOR VETERANS
Tuesday, Jan 13th
VMMC
6 - 8 PM
KENNY KEMP
"FLYING WITH THE FLACK PACK"
B-24s IN THE PACIFIC THEATER IN WWII
AT THE VMMC
Thursday, Jan 15th
5 - 9 PM
UNITED VETERANS COUNCIL
Saturday, Jan 24th
VMMC
UNITED VETERANS MEMORIAL SERVICE
VMMC
Saturday, Jan 24th
12:00 - 1:30 PM
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The Veterans Museum & Memorial Center serves as the hub for activities for many San Diego County Veterans' organizations. Our Museum resides in the former Chapel of the Old Balboa Naval Hospital which provides space and amenities in veterans' support, education, business & active-duty military programs in our San Diego community.
The Veterans Memorial Center is a Non-Profit registered 501(c)(3) Corporation.
TAX ID Number (EIN)
33-0361159
California Registry of Charitable Trusts
# CT76500
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2014
VETERAN OF THE YEAR SPONSORS
TITLE SPONSOR
Walmart
PLATINUM LEVEL
QUALCOMM
211 San Diego
Eagles Wings
Will Hays
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Mt. Soledad Memorial Association
San Diego County Veterans Service Office
Scottish Rite
Masonic Center
GOLD LEVEL
CAL-Diego Paralyzed Veterans Association
Old Town Trolley
University of California
San Diego
San Diego Padres
United States Navy League
San Diego Council
Veterans Law Group
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VETERAN OF THE YEAR SUPPORTERS
U.S. Congressman
Duncan Hunter
U.S. Congressman
Scott Peters
U.S. Congress
Susan Davis
California Senator
Marty Block
California Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins
SD County Supervisor
Greg Cox
Oceanside City Councilman Jerry Kern
American Ex-POWs
City of Chula Vista
City of Oceanside
AFROTC Cadets &
NROTC Midshipmen
from UCSD, SDSU, USD, Pt. Loma Nazarene Univ. and
CSU San Marcos
American Legion District 22
Fleet Reserve Assoc. Br 61
Marine Corps League
Military Order of the
Purple Heart
Navy Nurse Corps Assoc.
Patrick Henry High School NJROTC
Pearl Harbor Survivors
of San Diego
HONOR FLIGHT
SPAWAR Systems Center
United Veterans Council
UCSD Veterans Association
UCSD Choral Scholars
VA Regional Office
Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD)
Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 472
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WISH LIST
Here's another way to support the Museum.
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YOUR AD & WEBSITE LINK HERE !
$30 month
Sullivan Solar Power Sullivan donates $500 to our Museum with every sale from this ad.
* * * MAKE YOUR EMERGENCY PREP PLAN USING THIS SOFTWARE download for Windows Free for 21 days www.chryssoft.com use/PromoCode: 10000820140502
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A very big THANK YOU to all our supporters who responded to our year end fund raising appeal. Your contributions will go a long way to helping our new exhibits and programs for the upcoming year. Its not too late to still jump in if you missed the opportunity with our letter we sent out last month.
The Museum continues to be a center of high activity for Veterans, Active Duty, and local organizations. From dance classes to "Art for Vets" classes led by and for veteran artists, to veteran group meetings and luncheons, and a myriad of military ceremonies, our unique venue stays very busy.
Please join us anytime and you are especially welcome on the second Tuesday of the month, when the VMMC is free for San Diego residents. On those Tuesdays, we often have special events, book signings, and children activities.
Check out our Facebook Page (Official Fan Page). You can also follow us on Twitter and check out our 5-star rating on Yelp!
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40 GIFT BASKETS PRESENTED TO NURSES AND CORPSMEN AT NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER SAN DIEGO AND NAVAL HOSPITAL CAMP PENDLETON
Annual Special Delivery!
 VMMC board members along with some Santa's helpers delivered 40 gift baskets to nurses and corpsmen at Balboa Naval Medical Center and Camp Pendleton. Another 30 gift baskets were shipped to medical staff at Kandahar and Germany along with 21 boxes of books.
This annual special delivery is made possible through generous donations to the VMMC Combat/Military Nurse Support Project. The program was started six years ago when Dennis Schoville wanted to find a way to thank the nurses for taking care of our military veterans. Dennis' helicopter was shot down over Vietnam and he transited through four different hospitals for treatment. He attributes his health today to the care and dedication of the combat nurses.
The gift baskets were filled with chocolates, sausages, cheeses and popcorn and assembled by a local award-winning volunteer gift basket maker. With each delivery the medical personnel were delighted that they were being thought of during the holiday season. Wounded warrior wards are often filled with deliveries for them so for the nurses to be recognized was a special treat. Each basket brought a smile to the nurses face and a hug to Santa's helper. Contributed by Holly Shaffner |
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MMC JOINS WITH OTHER BALBOA PARK MUSEUMS ON TWITTER.
Sing-A-Long of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"
VMMC Participated in a Sing-a-Long on Twitter!
@VeteransMuseum participated in a Sing-a-Long on Twitter of You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch with other Balboa Park museums on Dec. 23rd. Each museum selected a line and linked in a photo to represent that thought. The VMMC (@VeteransMuseum) had the line: "Your Heart is full of unwashed socks" adding the photo below of worn Vietnam Boots to the tweet.
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"Your Heart is full of unwashed socks Mr. Grinch"
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Follow @VeteransMuseum on www.twitter.com!
Click on this link: https://twitter.com/VeteransMuseum
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KENNY KEMP SPEAKS ON THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC ON JANUARY 15th, 2015 5-9 PM AT THE VMMC
FLYING WITH THE FLAC PAK - B-24s in the Pacific Theater
Kenny Kemp will be in San Diego to conduct a entertaining multimedia presentation on Flying with the Flak Pak that reveals the Pacific War through the eyes of a young bomber pilot.
As you follow him from ground school in San Antonio to flight training over windswept prairies of Kansas and the deserts of California, to perilous missions over the pacific in search of targets a mile square, you'll soon find names slipping easily off your tongue: Anguar, Mindanao, Truk, Chaingdong, Shikoku. You learn who they were fighting and why; what it took and what it cost. But most of all, you'll discover a profound respect for the boys who ached to fly, were forged into men in the crucible of combat, and became heroes the like of which we'll never ever see again.
So, buckle into the left seat of a B-24 Liberator. Fire-up your engines, run your check list, give the thumbs up to the ground crew, and roll onto the taxiway. You're the next for take-off!
 | | Flying with the Flak Pak -- Book Trailer |
Kenny Kemp will be available to sign books and admission to the Museum for this event is free, however, donations are always encouraged.
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FORMER BALBOA NAVAL HOSPITAL CHAPEL (OUR VMMC) TO CELEBRATE 70TH ANNIVERSARY IN JANUARY 2015
We are looking for historic photos, movies or videos of events from 1945 -1988.
Our Veterans Museum was the Balboa Naval Hospital Chapel in its former duty. Originally commissioned in January 1945, it will celebrate its 70th anniversary in January 2015. We are looking for any photos, movies, videos, or mementos that San Diegans may have in their in their attics.
Call Rod Melendez at (619) 239-2300 or by e-mail at: [email protected], if you have found something of interest that you would like to share with us. |
JOSEPH GOFFENEY, MACHINIST MATE ON USS CASE (DD-370) RECALLS ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR
Oral History Stories
 Joseph Goffeney served aboard the USS Case (DD-370) during all of World War II. After joining the Navy in 1937 followed by training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois, Joe's ship sailed into Pearl Harbor for repairs in the fall of 1941.
He recalled that the morning, December 7th as a typical Sunday . . . men sleeping in, a pot of coffee brewing for the late risers, some early birds having left the ship for a hike in the hills above Pearl. Then all hell broke loose at about 8 AM. Joe's first reaction was that someone was going to get into serious trouble for firing the ship's machine guns in the harbor. Rushing topside from the engine room, he and his buddies heard the big guns, saw the swarms of Japanese planes, and looked on in disbelief at the carnage unfolding. He later wrote: "We patrolled the harbor all night; going around Ford Island, passing the Arizona burning, then past the West Virginia still shooting flames and dense black smoke into the air, past the Oklahoma bottom side up, and then the Utah, and back around again."
Goffeney continued: "After things settled down and a steaming watch had been set, a friend and I sat down on the torpedo tubes at the top of the engine room hatch in the cool night air; and we tried to collect our thoughts. We were physically and emotionally exhausted, and together we pondered the imponderable. As we slowly patrolled past our burning battleships, our minds rejected what we were seeing. We could not believe that Japan would have the audacity to attack us in our bastion. We finally decided that the Japanese had really messed up, and that in a matter of a few months our Navy would wipe the Japanese fleet from the Pacific."
The historical account, of course, records years not months of conflict between Japan and the United States, and Joe saw continuous action on the USS Case throughout the war. But nothing which followed was as momentous as those frantic hours on Sunday, December 7, 1941.
You can read Joe's entire story and the history of his ship, the USS Case, in the VMMC library archive. Joe passed away in 2007.
* * * The Pearl Harbor Survivors meet at our Museum monthly. There are 28 living here in San Diego. "Keep America Alert!" |
VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Valerie Rios: Oral History Volunteer Proofreader
 Valerie started volunteering as a proofreader after her father recorded his military service story in 2012. Valerie helped him, Col. Louis C. Gerken, U.S. Army/Retired, a World War II and Cold War veteran, by providing photos, captions and finally proofreading for her his military service story.
When the Gerken oral history was complete, Valerie wanted to continue helping out in any way that she could. Proofreading while listening to the original recordings is a time consuming task, but Valerie does with thoroughness and accuracy making the final transcripts nearly exact copies of the original recordings. She even checks spelling for foreign words and distant, hard-to-spell places.
Since first volunteering with the Veterans Museum two years ago, Valerie has helped with at least a dozen stories and keeps asking for more. She has added a professional touch to the oral histories in the growing collection of military service stories shelved in the museum's library. The next time you visit the library to read some recently finished oral histories shelved there, you'll notice Valerie Rios credited as "proofreader," along with other volunteers, at the top of each first page. "This is credit well deserved!" Contributed by Rick Appleton |
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MUSEUM LIBRARY CATALOG
NOW ONLINE!
www.veteranmuseum.pastperfect-online.com
The Veterans Museum Military History Research Library's catalog is now online and you can search our collection of books, periodicals, oral histories and multimedia.
veteranmuseum.pastperfect-online.com will take you to our access portal. Once there, you can search the library's collection by keyword, author, topic or title to see what is available.
Our library is a research library available to our members for research. We do not check out materials.
For information or to schedule an appointment, contact our Museum at (619) 239-2300 or [email protected] |
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NEW VIETNAM GALLERY PROJECT IS UNDERWAY AND SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN APRIL 2015
Raised $7,500 of our $20,000 goal to date
 Coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War, we are converting our Museum office into a new gallery dedicated to the men and women who served in this conflict and to tell the history and the stories of the San Diegans who were there.
Our project requires the complete  renovation of the former office, as well as development of the exhibit itself, with new display cases and graphic design and posters and additional facility upgrades.
This total project will exceed $50,000 and our fundraising campaign to help underwrite the cost of this new exhibit are well underway. You can still help by making a donation.
We have raised over $10,000 to date and are well on our way to meeting our initial goal to get the initial design and demolition and construction of the new gallery.
One component of this effort is the Vietnam Exhibit $100 Challenge initiated by Paul Fusco as the first person to contribute to this campaign. You can get on the bandwagon with a matching donation online, by mail, or in person during your next visit to our Museum.
Please send your check to: Veterans Museum and Memorial Center Attn: Vietnam Exhibit Challenge 2115 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101
...or go online to make your donation at:
All donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged by a letter from our Museum and you will be listed on our new gallery's website as a supporter. Thank You!
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NEW ARTIFACTS ACCEPTED INTO THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION
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WWI Somme Battlefield artifacts c1916,
donated by Robert Wright of San Diego.
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Recent Donations:
- Marcy Beaty of San Diego donated artifacts from the collection of CAPT Gerry Ballard including a magazine "Our Navy" Vol XII, No. 2, June 1918, 43 Hardback books (including many from the 19th century Civil War Era) and three scrapbooks.
- Helen Stables of San Diego donated a photo of an F-4 over San Diego, VF-51, c1976, a photo of the USS Langley and USS Ranger at North Island, c1935, and books on the Enola Gay and Navajo Code Talkers.
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Lowell Titus of San Diego donated four Maps: an ONC J-ll map of China, Hong Kong and the New Territories, Laos, Macao, Thailand & Vietnam (Scale 1:1,000,000), an ONC K-10 map of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, & Vietnam (Scale 1:1,100,000), a Southeast Asia (conic projection) Map from the American Map Co., Inc., NY, and a Railway Map of Tokyo & Vicinity, c1969, with reverse showing street map of downtown Tokyo. Additionally, he donated a collection of Vietnam era AF and Malaysian newspapers, and AF magazines, and a USAF Special Air Warfare Tactics Manual.
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Robert Wright of San Diego donated a case with WWI Artifacts recovered from the Somme battlefield, France, July 1916 including a French Bayonet with Scabbard, a British Enfield Bayonet with attached front sight and rifle end-piece from British Enfield, two pieces of barbed wire, and a British 303. rifle bullet. He also donated 5 WWII aerial photographs of the D-Day invasion beaches an the German town of Wesel, and magazines including four 1826-28 issues of Aero Digest Magazine.
For more information on making an artifact donation to the museum contact Lucy Saltmarsh at (619) 239-2300 or by e-mail at [email protected]
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ARTS FOR VETERANS
Free creative art classes
Free creative art classes (literary, performing and visual arts) are available for Veterans at the Veterans Museum & Memorial Center, 6:00 to 8:00 PM. These classes are facilitated by Tony LoBue, Veteran, artist, and teacher of the creative arts and will include guest artists and speakers.
On January 13th the guest artists will be Steven Dilly, an arts/ceramics professor and creator of Veterans Art Project (www.vetart.org); Alfred Ventura, Ceramic Lab Tech, Art/Ceramics Department, Grossmont College; Jack Myers (USMC veteran), drawing; April Renee Hanson, dancer; and Dave Gilmore, Craft Care Specialist, helping hospitalized veterans, Chula Vista Veterans Home.
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HISTORICAL REMEMBRANCE DATES IN JANUARY
Significant Events this Month in Military History
1775 - The first official American flag ("Grand Union Flag or Continental Colors") was raised for the first time over the Navy flagship Alfred.
1778 - British troops under COL Archibald Campbell occupied Savannah, GA (American Revolution).
1812 - The US frigate Constitution defeats the British frigate Java (War of 1812).
1814 - Treaty of Ghent (Belgium) signed, ending the War of 1812 between the United States and England.
1846 - American troops occupied Ciudad Victoria in northeastern Mexico (Mexican War).
1860 - South Carolina secedes from the Union and South Carolina troops seize the Federal arsenal in Charleston (Civil War).
1898 - The Treaty of Paris was signed by American and Spanish representatives, ending the Spanish-American War.
1921 - The first helium-filled balloon, a U.S. Navy dirigible, flew from Hampton Roads, VA to Washington, D.C.
1941 - Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. The United States declared war on Germany, Japan and Italy (World War II).
1944 - Battle of the Bulge began (World War II).
1946 - The official end of World War II.
1972 - The Paris Peace talks temporarily fail and President Nixon orders a resumption of full-scale bombing of targets in North Vietnam (Vietnam War).
1989 - Operation Just Cause, the invasion of Panama, begins.
1991 - The USSR went out of existence after 74 years.
1992 - Operation Restore Hope - America's intervention in Somalia began.
Contributed by Will Hays
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WELCOME NEW &
RENEWING MEMBERS!
Daniel Bauer Family
| Ellen Brazelton
| Jeff Brazelton
| Matthew Fuller, Jr.*
| Janet Ann Gallagher
| Shirley Larson*
| | Rebecca Nulty | Mike Ottombrino*
| Larry K. Peterson*
| Valerie Gerken Rios*
| Hank Schanstra
| Diane Schmidt
| Gordon Wallace*
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* Life Member
Your annual membership dues support our Museum and provide a tangible way for San Diegans to say thank you to Veterans for their service.
Members receive:
- free access to our Museum and participating partner museums (USS Midway Museum)
- access to our Military History Reference Library
- discounts for special events & the gift shop
- invitations to special receptions
- exhibit openings & activities
Life Members Benefit
Are you 80 years old... or more? Congratulations! Celebrate your service and patriotism and become a Life Member! This includes Honor Flight Veterans! Call us now to get your Complimentary Life Membership.
Become a Member easily online at our website, in person at the Museum, or just call our office.
Click on Membership Application or call (619) 239-2300.
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THE VMMC AND THE USS MIDWAY MUSEUM ESTABLISH RECIPROCAL MEMBER'S PARTNERSHIP
Show Your Membership Card!
Exciting news for VMMC Members!
On October 20, 2014, your VMMC Membership Card gained free admission to the USS Midway Museum for the named member on the card. Also, USS Midway Museum Members will also have free access to our Museum.
The free admission is only for ONE person named on the VMMC membership card and does not include other family members.
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PRICE INCREASE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MUSEUM EVENTS
Facility Rental Fees to rise in January 2015
Due to rising operational costs, Veterans Museum and Memorial Center facility rental fees increased by 10% effective January 1, 2015.
Members receive a 10% discount on published fees. Active duty military receive the additional 10% member discount when they become members.
For more information, contact Diane Schmidt, Events Director, at [email protected] or call (619) 239-2300.
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FREE TUESDAY IN BALBOA PARK FOR
SAN DIEGO RESIDENTS
Why Keep this a Secret?
Come and visit us on the second Tuesday of any month for Balboa Park's Free Tuesdays! Share with your friends and challenge each other to bring the most friends to visit our Museum each month!
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YOU GOT MAIL!
Forward this Eagle - Invite others! - Send us your list!
Help us grow our membership and pass this on to your friends, co-workers and organizations. There are 230,000 Veterans in San Diego County. Add family and friends and you have a million people who can get our newsletter for free!
If you belong to an organization, ask if you can forward our Eagle to them or send us their e-mail list so we can send it to them. Remember to ask your list members first! They can "opt-out".
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San Diego County is home to the largest concentration of military activity in the world with 137,000 active duty military personnel, 230,000 veteran residents. Additionally, we have the largest discharged Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veteran population in this Nation with about 38,000 recent war veterans (9% of discharged recent warriors). Moreover, there are 110,000 OIF/OEF veterans currently calling the State of California their home.
Your Veterans Museum honors the men and women who served in the US Armed Forces, Coast Guard and Wartime Merchant Marine with exhibits and displays, ceremonies, educational programs, a Veterans Oral History Project, and a Military History Research Library. We preserve the Veteran's contributions and experiences for future generations!
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Sheldon L. Margolis
Executive Director
Daniel DeMarco & Rod Melendez
Co-Publishers/Editors
Editing
Kathy Tinsley
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