VMMC B-24
"Serving those who served"
The Eagle
May 2015
Monthly Newsletter
 

 www.veteranmuseum.org

 


In This Issue
Vietnam Exhibit is OPEN!
Upcoming Events
San Diego Ride for Vets
Memorial Day Events
General Cardenas Bust Dedication
BentProp Project
Pin-Ups on Tour
Operation Rebound
Fair Winds
New Artifacts
New & Returning Members
Arts for All & Arts for Veterans
Welcome to New Volunteers!
Quick Links
Current Exhibits
Our Sponsors

San Diego Economic Development & Tourism Support Program

 

Lynne C. Sanders Trust

 

CAPT & Mrs W. Hays

 

Legler Benbough Foundation

  

Int'l Assoc. of Machinists

 

San Diego Padres

 

Lockheed Martin

 

 

San Diego Gas & Electric

 a Sempra Energy Utility

  

Eagles Wings

 

San Diego Futures Foundation

 

Silverthorn Construction

 

The Thursday Club

 

The Thursday Club Juniors

 

Access Point Media Group

 

USNA ALUMNI ASSOC.

 

Vicki Nenner

  

Robert and Joyce Ettinger  

 

RDML & Mrs. R. C. Melendez

 

Mr. Dennis Schoville

 

Dr. Abe Shragge, Ph.D.

 

Dr. & Mrs. Tom Splitgerber

 

Homeland Magazine

 

 

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THANK YOU!

"A USA Veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "America" for an amount of up to and including his or her life."  Thank active duty, veterans and their families.

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 The Eagle launched late this month due to the time it took to produce so many great special events in April. I hope that you were able to make to the museum in the past few weeks to take in an event, tour the museum, recite your oral history or check out all the renovations that took place.

 

We enjoyed having Pin-ups on Tour in the museum for two fun-filled nights of USO-style entertainment. They delivered a show full of singing, dancing and laughs. 

 

A few days later, we hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the NEW Vietnam exhibit. It was well-attended and we gave Vietnam veterans the home they deserve.

 

There's no slowing down in the next few months. In May we have Ride for Vets and Memorial Day events, followed by the dedication of General Cardenas' bust to its permanent home under the B-24 plane. Also, just confirmed, we will have a presentation from a nonprofit organization who is looking for WWII remains in Palau and has ties to San Diego.  

  

Stop by and check out the NEW Vietnam exhibit and updated military women's exhibit.

 

Sheldon L. Margolis

Executive Director
       

New Exhibit:  Vietnam Remembered - A 50th Anniversary Retrospective

Opened to the public on April 30th, 2015

Guest Speaker, Ed Chapin (US Army) cuts the ribbon to open the new exhibit.  He is surrounded by Vietnam Veterans from the audience.  Photo: Nino Martinez
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Vietnam and on the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, the Museum opened our new exhibit. Planning and preparations took more than six months and with hundreds of hours of labor, Vietnam veterans now have a place to call home.

The Museum hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and VIP night for museum members and Vietnam veterans. There were over 75 people in attendance as we listened to the history of the exhibit, inspiring stories from keynote speaker, Ed Chapin (U.S. Army) and Vietnam vets cut the ribbon to officially open the exhibit.
Navy Vietnam Veteran, Bob Brady, looks at a Navy Riverine Patrol Boat model in the Vietnam Exhibit.  Photo: Nino Martinez
This exhibit was made possible by volunteers from the  Amphibious Combat Battalion One  (ACB - 1) Seabees, Veterans Village of San Diego, SDSU Student Veterans and several other organizations and individuals.

The exhibit is titled, "Vietnam Remembered - A 50th Anniversary Retrospective". The focus of the exhibit is to tell the personal stories of local San Diegans.

Funds were raised for the first stage of this 10-year exhibit and donations are being accepted for future stages. If you would like to contribute to the exhibit, you can send a check to:
  
Veterans Museum and Memorial Center
Attn: Vietnam Exhibit
2115 Park Blvd. 
San Diego, CA 92101 

 

-or-   



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!

Upcoming Events! 

 


 

Here's what is coming to your Museum in the next 90 days:

  • May 9 - San Diego Ride for Vets and Veteran Art Fair
  • Memorial Day weekend - numerous events each day
  • June 6 - General Cardenas bust dedication and placement, followed by a movie on the Utah Beach landing and a brief discussion about D-Day and serving a light repast. 
  • June 24 - BentProp Project presentation
San Diego Ride for Vets -
May 9th

The Veterans Museum will be the third of five stops on the San Diego Ride for Vets and will host the Veteran Art Vendor Fair throughout the entire day.

Over 250 motorcycle riders will be participating in a run from the Leatherneck Aviation Museum to Mount Soledad, the Veterans Museum and end at San Diego Harley-Davidson.

A Veteran Art Vendor Fair will take place in the Memorial Garden, 10 am to 4 pm. Guests can make cards to fill a 1944 military Jeep for hospitalized and deployed service members. 


 

In preparation for Saturday's ride, the traveling United We Sew 9-11 Flag was brought to the museum on Thursday, May 7th for display by Thomas McBrien.  This flag has traveled the country and this is its first stop on its west coast tour. 


To register for the ride, visit www.loveamazinglyproductions.com.

 

Memorial Day Events at the Museum - May 23-25

Memorial Day was formerly known as "Decoration Day" and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.


 

The Museum will host several events to remember fallen veterans. On May 23, 24, 25, names of San Diego County veterans MIA and casualties will be read.

  • A candlelight vigil will be held at sunset on Saturday, May 23 at 7:25 pm.
  • Wreath ceremony, color guard, guest speakers and playing of taps on Monday, May 25 at 9 am. 
  • VMMC open house with free admission on Monday, May 25 from 10 am to 4 pm. 

 

Brigadier General Cardenas bust dedication - June 6
It took years to raise the funding and construct the bust, but it finally arrived. The bust of Brigadier General Cardenas' (B-24 pilot) was finished, transported to the Museum and placed in its temporary location at the entrance. 
 
On Saturday, June 6th, the bust will be dedicated and placed under the B-24 Bomber so that it will have its pilot.
 
Ceremony starts at 2 pm and is free to the public. Following the ceremony, the Museum will show a movie about the Utah Beach landing and host a short discussion about D-day.

BentProp Project and Aztecs Keeping America's Promise - June 24
 
Over SDSU's spring break in March, four Aztecs joined a team in Palau to search for WWII remains and artifacts. They will present their findings at the Museum on Wednesday, June 24th at 6:30 pm.
 
The BentProp Project is a nonprofit group that conducts year-round research in support of their annual spring missions to the country of Palau in search of American MIAs from World War II.

 

The BentProp Project consists of a small group of volunteers with varied backgrounds from across the country. Created over two decades ago, it has resulted in the repatriation of several missing Americans (three missing aircraft associated with seven missing Americans in the past two years). The presentation will highlight this year's discovery.

 

More information on the BentProp Project may be found on their website www.bentprop.org.

 

The BentProp Project has been featured on:

PIN-UPS ON TOUR - It was a night to remember!
If you missed the special two-night event, then you missed a spectacular show. Pin-ups on Tour put on a fun-filled show that had lots of dancing, singing and laughs.
Buddy was a submariner before he got out of the Navy and felt right at home next to our beautiful mural. 
We hope to have the show come back to San Diego for another show!
Operation Rebound at Spreckles Organ - May 24
On Memorial Day weekend, Spreckles will be conducting a 12-hour marathon concert to support Operation Rebound. The Veterans Museum will host the marathon from 1:30 to 2:00 pm and provide an informational table to promote the museum from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Stop by and visit us!

 
  • Sunday, May 24: 8 AM to 8 PM

Fair Winds to our interns
The Museum was fortunate to have four interns from San Diego State University this semester. We enjoyed having Jessiy Villalobos, Matt Monahan and Carlos Contreras who helped with the research for the Vietnam exhibit and filled in wherever they could. Holly Shaffner was a public relations intern who helped with several special events, advertising and the monthly newsletter. 
We wish them good luck as they finish their studies and graduate from SDSU!  

RECENT ADDITIONS TO THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION:

 

1.  Marvin Cochran of San Diego donated a collection of German WWII uniform artifacts, and paper money.

2.  Debi Davis of San Diego donated 10 books to our Military History Library from her parents collection.

3.  Kathy Dobbins of Chula Vista donated a model of the F4U Corsair Airplane and aviation books from her father who served in the Navy during WWII and Korea

4.  Tamarra & Claudia Fimbres of San Diego donated a collection of 81 aviation books to the library from the library of Fred Frembres.

5.  Steven Hadley of San Diego donated a WWII Yearbook from the Naval Hospital, Shoemaker, CA (in the San Francisco Bay area).

6.  Will Jones of Relaxx Professional Cleaners in San Diego donated a collection of Marine Corps Uniforms.

7.  Jay Lott of Oceanside donated a photo of the USS Ranger and a 1983-84 Yearbook from the USS Ranger.

8.  Peter Miller of Sun City, CA donated uniforms and artifacts from RADM Edwin S. Miller, USNA class of 33.

9.  Vicki Neill of Chula Vista donated certificates and photos from EMCM Byrd.

10.  Frank Tepedino of San Diego donated a 48" model of the USS Missouri configured as in 1945, and a photograph of the USS Missouri in Tokyo bay for the surrender of Japan.  Currently on display in the museum.

11.  Richard Wiernik of San Diego donated a Navy Officers Sword Belt.

12.  Carol Woolley of San Diego donated the medals and a special award presented by the survivors of German Concentration Camps of her father, Staff Sergeant Eldred N. Gano, who served with Co. C, 358th Inf. Regt., 90th Inf. Division in Europe during WWII. 

WELCOME NEW &

RENEWING MEMBERS!

 

Kalen Arreola
Belliekai Broughton
Kathleen Bruyere
Jamie Devitt-Chacon
Anne Marie Conte

Richard Duffett* 

David Martin

Clarence Nelson* 

Vera Nelson* 

John A. Plough 

Edward Weikel 


 

* 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.

Arts for All & Arts for Veterans                              
The second Tuesday of every month, Tony the Vet holds two free sessions. From 2-4 pm, children and families are invited to make cards for veterans and view a free puppet show.
From 6-8 pm, our Museum hosts free creative art classes (literary, performing and visual arts) or veterans. These classes are facilitated by Tony LoBue, Veteran, artist, and teacher of the creative arts and will include guest artists and speakers.

To register, contact Tony at (619) 806-2075 or email: tony@tonythevet.org. 
Welcome to our new volunteers and still seeking more!!

The Veterans Museum & Memorial Center is thrilled to welcome Alex Jimenez, Ron Duval, Letycia Dileo and Bunnie Doyle-Wells as new volunteers.

 

The Veterans Museum and Memorial Center (VMMC) is seeking individuals who will assist us in maintaining our mission of honoring the men and women who served their country in the U.S. Armed Forces and Wartime Merchant Marine. Military experience is not required.

 

A commitment of 4 hours per month for at least 4 months is highly desired. The benefits of volunteering at VMMC are museum discounts, the opportunity to meet others with similar interests and to meet visitors from all over the world, the opportunity to learn new skills, and a sense of well-being by honoring U.S. veterans.

 

Volunteer Opportunities: Docent: Museum Tour Guides; Library: Archives & grant writing; Gift Shop: Cashier & Stocking; Office Support: Telephone & Clerical; Events: Set up & break down; Special Projects: Exhibits/displays, cleaning, repairs; Membership: Phone solicitation, member follow-up; Development: Fundraising; Outreach: Civil functions, speaker bureau, school visits; and Construction: Museum renovation projects.

 

Email vmmc.events@pacbell.net or call 619-239-2300 for more information on our Volunteer Program.

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 (Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and 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!    

_______________________

 

Holly Shaffner
Publisher
Rod Melendez
Technical Advisory Board    
Diane Schmidt
Editorial Board