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| Come Grow With Us! |
The Estrella Warbirds Museum has always been known for its constant change and quality of the displays. If you have not been to the museum in a while, there is no better time then this summer to catch up on the latest aircraft, military vehicle or automotive display that has become part of the museum since the last time you visited.
If you have a little bit of extra time on your hands and are looking for a new hobby or willing to share your knowledge or even learn something new, we are always looking for docents or volunteers in the restoration or maintenance areas. We are all family and would like you to join us! It's fun! There are plenty of new friends to meet and enjoyable times to be had.
Contact us today! We'd love to hear from you.
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August Dinner
Special Guest Speaker
Jim Escalle
Author: Unfortotten Hero
Wednesday, August 5th
No Host Bar starts at 6:00 p.m.,
Dinner starts at 7.p.m.
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Jim Escalle was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley town of Delano, California. After attending the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, he went on to receive a degree in Liberal Studies from Fresno State in 1983.
When Jim was around eight years old, he was told that he had an uncle who fought and died in the Korean War. At the time, he had been fascinated with anything related to World War II, especially the air war. Jim liked to watch movies on the subject, along with reading just about every book he could find. He also enjoyed going to local air shows and seeing airplanes such as the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt going through their amazing aerial maneuvers.
But it wasn't until Jim began the research on his uncle's life and his involvement in the Korean War that he came to appreciate the sacrifice his uncle's generation made for our country. His book "Unforgotten Hero" not only pays tribute to his uncle, but to every airman who fought and died over the skies of Korea. He will bring copies of his book for anyone who wants to purchase one.
Jim currently lives in Bakersfield and has been involved in public education for over 25 years.
For more information about Jim and for pictures from previous dinnerclick here
Dinner is catered and open to the public ($17/person), reservations are required prior to 6 p.m., Monday prior to dinner, either On-line HERE or call 805 296-1935.
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Restoration Crew Does ANOTHER Fantastic Job!
For those of you whom have been around the museum for a while, you all know the rusty bucket of bolts condition our F8-G has been in for over a decade. Now, after many years of struggle, starting and stopping, and tons of volunteer man-hours, the Restoration Crew has pulled off a miracle! Check out the before and after pictures (above) and click on the picture for more information about the aircraft. The next time you stop by the restoration building or at one of the dinners, make sure you say a special "thank you!" to all the gentlemen who put in so many hours which ended up with such a remarkable looking aircraft!
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...And there's more!
Recently, Estrella Warbirds Museums acquired an H-34 helicopter from a museum which closed down.
These helicopters were built by Sikorsky originally during 1954 and entered in service by the US Navy as a Seabat, then Seahorse. During the Viet Nam war, the US Marines fitted them with M60C machine guns and two 19-shot 2.75 inch rocket pods.
This aircraft will be refurbished with colors worn during the Viet Nam era. Already, several former helicopter pilots have donated funds to be utilized for the restoration. If you would like to help with the restoration, through fund support, click here, or, if you are interested in volunteering time on the restoration crew, come on down and visit us or contact us by clicking on the aircraft picture.
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Meet Our New Public Information Officer, Michael Levine
Estrella Warbirds Museum board member, Dr. Michael Levine, recently took up the challenging role of Public Information Officer. Michael spent 32 years as a dentist, then Senior Scientist of projects for the Navy Surgeon General, attaining the rank of Navy Commander before retiring in 2001.
If you've flown our F-18 flight simulator, chances are, you were guided by Michael. In his free time, he enjoys world travel (recently returned from China), an avid photographer, and enjoys flying his private aircraft throughout Central California.
You will start seeing more press releases concerning Estrella Warbirds Museum in local and national news sources, thanks to Michael. You can also now find all current and past press releases clicking here. |
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Volunteering at the Paso Robles Fair!
What a great way to meet new people and share the excitement concerning the rapid growth of the Estrella Warbird Museum!
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| L-R Arnold Hermansen, Mary Biamonte, Linda Hermansen |
Arnold & Linda Hermansen and Mary Biamonte enjoyed manning the booth for the final day of the fair. there were quite a few volunteers who took the time out of their busy schedules and represent the museum at the fair. It was a great opportunity to meet new people, invite them out to the museum, and answer questions.
Arnold and Linda have long volunteered at the museum. Their help is always greatly appreciated! Linda Hermansen recently took over the duties as Gift Shop Manager following the untimely passing of Jackie Brooks.
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