,
What a truly spectacular start to the year we have had. We are so fortunate for continued support of the museum as we continue to strive to be better. I would like to thank Home Depot for their gracious donation of resources to update our archives. They cut out old pipes and installed shelving so that we be able to properly sort and catalog the donations we receive. Without their time, labor and donated materials, this project would not have happened this year. 

A second thank you goes to SDG&E who replaced all our outdated lighting with LED lights. The updated lights not only allow us to see our displays and artifacts better but they are also more energy efficient. And for the personnel side of the museum, I wish our SDSU history interns fair winds as they wrap up their spring semester internship. We are glad to partner with SDSU to get ambitious interns to help us further our mission.

The month of May is shaping up to be a busy one. On deck this month is the story of the memorial poppy on Free Tuesday, an evening presentation with award-winning author Kenny Kemp and movie day at the museum. As I look to bring diverse and interesting events to the museum, I am very excited to announce a 3-night Veterans Theatre Festival. More information can be found later in the Eagle.

And as we wrap up the month, we will remember the service and sacrifice of military veterans throughout Memorial Day weekend. Please join us for three days of events, observances and ceremonies to honor the fallen.    

Captain Sheldon Margolis 
USN (Retired) 
Executive Director 

 
What's going on at your museum? (Museum events or museum partners)

 

  • May 10: Free Tuesday admission to the museum for San Diego County residents
  • May 10: Memorial Day poppies story (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
  • May 10: Arts for All (2 to 4 p.m.) and Arts for Veterans (6 to 8 p.m.)
  • May 11: Kenny Kemp evening presentation (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
  • May 25-27: Veterans theatre festival (7 p.m. to 9 p.m)
  • May 26: Movie day at the museum - The Best Years of our Lives (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
  • May 28: United Veterans Council meeting (9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)
  • May 28: San Diego County monthly veterans memorial service (noon)
  • May 28: Vietnam Veterans of America, reading of San Diego County MIA/KIA names (8 a.m. to 5 p.m)
  • May 28: Vietnam Veterans of America candlelight vigil (7:51 p.m.)
  • May 29: Vietnam Veterans of America, reading of San Diego County MIA/KIA names (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) 
  • May 29: Miramar National Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony (1 p.m.)
  • May 30: Vietnam Veterans of America, wreath laying ceremony followed by formal observance of Memorial Day and playing of taps (8 a.m.)
  • May 30: Trolley leaves for Ft Rosecrans Memorial Day observance (8:30 a.m.)
  • May 30: Veterans Museum open house (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

 

This month 
The Road to War in the Pacific
A Presentation by Kenny Kemp
Wednesday, May 11 at 7 p.m.

Please join award-winning author Kenny Kemp as he discusses Japan's tortured reasoning that ended with the atomic bomb. 

Most Americans think of the Pearl Harbor attack as a "day of infamy," but to the Japanese it was a day of necessity and destiny. Poverty, starvation, and an insatiable desire for land and resources resulted in a terrible decision that awoke a sleeping giant and threw the world into a true world war.

Please join us for this special evening presentation. It is free and open to the public.
 
Kenny Kemp's book on the Pacific War, Flying with the Flak Pak. 
The Memorial Day Poppy 
Tuesday, May 10, 11:00 a.m. 

Bea Brunner will tell the story of the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy during our regularly scheduled free Tuesday for San Diego County Residents.

They are sold on street corners, at markets, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  You see everyone wearing on on Memorial Day.  Where did they come from, how long has this tradition been going on?  How did it start? 

You will learn all about it and its history on Tuesday, May 10th.
 
SPECIAL TOURING EXHIBIT:

Salute to WWII Flying Tigers
Traveling Exhibition
May 13 - May 27 
 
Avg pilots of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron - Hell's Angels. Courtesy of Pedro Chan's personal collection
 
Begun as a volunteer air corps, the legendary "Flying Tigers" defended China during World War Two. Known for its distinctive shark-nosed planes, this corps of American pilots first achieved success against Japanese pilots shortly after the Pearl Harbor attacks, which boosted American and Allied morale. This photo exhibition depicts the historical and significant events of WWII Flying Tigers in 177 photos in 48 free standing banners.


Admission to view the exhibit is included with regular museum admission.

The story of the Flying Tigers
Saturday, May 21,  5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Pedro Chan
Pedro Chan will  discuss the history of the famous Flying Tigers of WWII.

Pedro Chan has been collecting Flying Tigers artifacts since 2007. He fought against the disappearance of a legacy: a brave group that saved so many Chinese lives and brought down the Japanese.

Chan remembers learning about some 325 heroic Flying Tigers as a child in Macau, China. But here in the United States, students have no idea, he said.

"We all learned ... how they helped China to fight the Japanese (in the Second Sino-Japanese War)," said Chan.  "In my heart, it already planted the seed that we looked at the Flying Tiger as national heroes.  With the coming of the 70th anniversary of the second world war I thought I wanted to do something."

Chan, a longtime collector and donor of Flying Tigers memorabilia, created an exhibit entitled "Salute to WWII Flying Tigers in China," which debuted at the Capitol Hill Rayburn Foyer in Washington, D.C. Although his private collection contains thousands of items, Chan picked 177 prized photos and printed them on 48 free-standing banners.Pedro has collected pictures, documents and memorabilia about the Flying Tigers over the years.

Flying Tigers is the popular name for the American Volunteer Group (AVG), China Air Task Force and the Fourteenth Army Air Force. U.S. Army Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault commanded the Flying Tigers to support Chiang Kai-Shek's China fight against the invading Japanese.

The team started out with 325 AVGs. One hundred were meant to become fighter pilots, but only 60 became combat-ready, Chan said. The rest quit or became part of the ground crew. While the Flying Tigers were paid from $250 to $750 a month, they were also given an oral promise of a $500 bonus for any Japanese plane they obliterated, according to the Flying Tigers Association website.

Come and hear more about the American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers on May 21 at 7:30 PM a the museum.
  Vietnam Vets
Vietnam Veterans of America
Memorial Weekend Events
at the Museum  
May 28 - 30
Honoring San Diego County's Vietnam War Casualties and Missing in Action
Vietnam Memorial
The Chapter 472, Vietnam Veterans of America, will host a reading of the names at the San Diego Vietnam Peace Memorial on Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning. 

Saturday, 28 May 
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Vietnam Veterans of San Diego, Chapter 472 will read the names of San Diego County's Vietnam War Causalities and Missing in Action.
7:51 p.m.:  Candle Light Vigil
Sunday, 29 May 
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.:  Members of Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) will read the names of San Diego County's Vietnam War Casualties and Missing in Action.
Monday, 30 May 
8 a.m.: Wreath laying ceremony and Color Guard by the Vietnamese Community of San Diego.
8:15 - 9 a.m.: Reading of the Names of San Diego County's Vietnam Casualties and Missing in Action
9 a.m.: Formal Observance of Memorial Day with Guest Speakers from the community and the Playing of Taps. 
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:  Veterans Museum at Balboa Park Open House

For more information contact the museum at (619)239-2300.
Free Bus from The Veterans Museum to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery's 116th Annual Memorial Day Service   
Monday, May 30 at 8:30 a.m
  Color Guard at Fort Rosecrans Ceremony 
World War II veteran Glen Silvers participates in a wreath laying ceremony 
The Veterans Memorial Day Committee requests the pleasure of your company at Fort Rosecrans for this special day of remembrance.
An Old Town Trolley bus will be available to take you from the Veterans Museum to the Memorial Day Ceremony at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and back to the museum.    
Bus leaves the Veterans Museum at 8:30 a.m.
 
 For more information contact the museum at (619)239-2300.
Last month 
USS Kirk presentation
Photo courtesy of Charles Hansen
  
Big thank you to former Commanding Officer of the USS Kirk, Paul Jacobs, who spoke about the ship's actions during the fall of Saigon. The USS Kirk was one of the last ships to leave Vietnam during the evacuation of Saigon in 1975 and saved thousands of Vietnamese refugees. 

We appreciate his presentation and learning more about this piece of history
   
We honored our volunteers in a luncheon and announced the museum's Volunteer of the Year!! 
 
Capt. Will Hays, Chairman of the Board (L) and Roland Champagne (R) Veterans Museum 2016 Volunteer of the Year. Photo credit: Cece Reed Photography

CONGRATULATIONS to Roland Champagne, our 2016 Volunteer of the Year! We know how special volunteers are and we c ould not keep the doors open without the help of our amazing volunteers. Many of our volunteers work several days a week, some once a week or once a month. The volunteers work in every aspect of the museum from telling history as a docent, greeting guests in the gift shop to cataloging thousands of volumes in the library to oral history projects, working in archives and serving on the board of directors.
Just a few of our volunteers. Photo credit: Cece Reed Photography

As a small token of our appreciation, we invited all the volunteers to lunch and each person was given a small gift. THANK YOU to all our volunteers for giving thousands of hours each year so we can continue to honor and preserve the legacy of veterans! 
 
To learn more about volunteer opportunities or to become a volunteer:Click here!
Museum News
Arts, Arts, and more Arts!
New this month - a 3-night Veterans Theatre Festival at YOUR museum!
The Veterans Theatre Festival, a Museum Program Presented by the Arts for Veterans Project May 25-27  
New this month is a Veterans Theatre Festival from 7-9 p.m. for three consecutive nights. The festival will feature O riginal Improvisation, Performance Art and Plays by U.S. Veterans & Allies  (Community Creative Artists welcome: Literary, Performance and Visual). On Friday, May 27 is an adults-only show so please no children. All shows are free and open to the public.
Veteran Playwrights L-R: Gary Wallace, Dale Hitesman, PAtrick Castaneda and Anthony A. Lobue

The second Tuesday of each month, also known as FREE Tuesday, Anthony "Tony The Vet" LoBue, Artist and Educator facilitates FREE creative arts activities for the public. Here is a description of the programs he offers:

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Arts for All (on upper level):
Activities for all ages regardless of skill level include Craft Kit giveaways, Children's Puppet Show and Make-A-Card for VA Patients.

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Arts for Veterans (on lower level):
Activities for adults regardless of skill level. This month is Veterans Playwright Workshop.

Also through our community partners:
Free Bronze Casting,  9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays through the  Veterans Art Project
 
Free Dance Tickets for  Contemporary Dance through the  PGK Dance Project

For more information on the museums arts programs, contact Tony at (619) 806-2075 or via email at ArtDirector@veteranmuseum.org  


Veteran of the Year Luncheon November  4 - Time to think about nominations!  

Prior San Diego County VOY's congratulate newly-selected Ed Berger in November 2015
With summer quickly approaching, we know that fall will be right on the heels. In November each year San Diego County honors military veterans. One of the first events is the annual Veteran of the Year Luncheon where several awards are announced. There is an award for corporation of the year, nonprofit of the year and lifetime supporter of veterans as well as Veteran of the Year. It is never too early to start thinking about who you will nominate.

More information will be coming soon as we transition to an electronic invitation and RSVP system. 

For more information, contact Will Hays, VOY committee chair at: chairman_vmmc@pacbell.net or (619)239-2300
Yoga at your museum?   

  
We are always looking for ways to better utilize our spaces, support veterans and get our name out in the community. We are pleased to announce that we will host Yoga for Vets on Tuesday mornings in the museum.

A Navy veteran who has been instructing yoga at the VA hospital is donating her time to instruct yoga at our museum. Please join her from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays at the museum.

 The event is FREE and open to the public!
Stories from the Archives 
CWO "Hawk" Jacquez
Vietnam Army Helicopter Pilot 
"Hawk" Jacquez enlisted in the Navy on his 17th birthday for a 10 year career as an Aviation Machinist Mate and earned his Naval Aircrew Wings. He then did an inter-service transfer into the Army as a Warrant Officer Candidate to fly helicopters.
He completed his flight training and shipped out for Vietnam and the 1st/9th Cavalry flying out of III Corps in southern
Vietnam with the 1st Air Cavalry.  He flew the UH-1 Iroquois and the AH-1G Snake and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, numerous Air Medals and Army Commendation Medal for combat actions during that tour.
He returned to Vietnam for another tour and was with the 1st/9th again for the last 6 months of the 1st Air Cavalry's deployment in Vietnam. He was then transferred to the 1st Aviation Brigade flying in the Mekong Delta region. By the end of his 2nd tour, he completed a combined 550 combat missions including a second Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal and a total of 22 Air Medals.

UH-1 Iroquois (Huey)

AH-1G Snake


      1st Air Cavalry         1st Aviation Brigade
 
Recent Donations to the Museum's Artifact Collection
 
Ramona Castillo of National City  donated photos and a Cruise Book from the USS Edson (DD-974)'s WESTPAC Cruise 1971. 
Evelyn Coy of San Diego donated photographs, documents and a framed poster from her WWII service as a cryptographer in the WAVES.
Lynn Dorlon of El Cajon donated her father's WWII Army uniform, photographs, and documents.
Delores Eusted of Oceanside donated her father's Navy artifacts from WWII including ration books, photographs, documents and souvenirs.
Amy Hatcher of San Diego donated grandfather's artifacts, photographs, plaques and leather flight jacket from his service in Korea and Vietnam.
Linda Crane of Hauppauge, NY donated a book on the History of the US Navy and a book about her Uncles POW experience in WWII..
Adrienne Hofreiter of Vista
donated artifacts and photographs from her father, Bernard J. Hall, a Pharmacist Mate 2/c in WWII, and the artifacts and story of Marshal B. Wenslow, who served with  the 106th Infantry and was a POW during WWII.

Marshall Wenslow served in an Artillery Battalion with the 106th Infantry Division and was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and was a POW until the end of the war..  Donated by Adrienne Hofreiter of Vista, CA.  

Frank Hollingshead
 
1897 San Diego Grand Encampment of the GAR medal donated by Frank Hollingshead. 
of Poway donated a Grand Army of the Republic
medal for the 1897 San Diego Encampment.
Dr. Dan Lee of Kent, WA
donated photographs of his wedding at the former Navy Chapel in 1959.
John McKinley of Coronado donated his Vietnam artifacts and 7 navy unit plaques.
David Richter of San Diego donated photographs from his service in Destroyers and Vietnam.


David Richter was standing on the fantail of the USS New Jersey when she fired a broadside during a family cruise off Long Beach in 1988.   Cover your ears folks.... 
Valarie Gerken Rios of Chula Vista donated a book "Building Bridges to Victory" about an Army Combat Engineer Battalion's WWII service in Europe.
Joanne Thompson of Paradise, CA donated four books: 1) "My First and Only Vacation" her father's USMC memoirs of WWII in the Pacific,  2) "Oceans of Love" a collection of WWI letters, 3) "Escape with a Silent Roar" the stories of three WWII pilots, and "The Ship that Never Was" the story of the Navy Armed Guard and the US Merchant Marine in WWII.
Leo Willets of San Diego donated a brass plaque from the USS Constellation (CVA-64) from 1974-77. 
Ilene M. Young of Seal Beach, CA  donated the WWI citations and medals for a relative, Hal Eugene Martin, who served as a Hospital Apprentice US Navy in WWI and was awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Good Conduct Medal and WWI Victory Medal, and French Fourragere for service at the front with the First Battalion, Sixth Marines.
 
Hal Martin's Navy Cross, Silver Star, Good Conduct (four awards), & WWI Victory Medal with 3 Battle Stars and Overseas Bar.

Hal and the Sixth Marines were also awarded the French Fourragere which is worn on the left shoulder of the uniform. 
 
New and Renewing Members
                                                          
Hal Berry  Shirley Brenon Family 
Roland Champaign*  Jennifer & Gardiner Champlin Family  
Anne Greenstone Family John Plough
John Will   
                     * Life Member                           

Click here to Become a Museum Member
 
Current exhibits at your museum
 
The Military & Naval Hospital in Balboa Park
  WMHR
Women's Military History Exhibit
Vietnam Vientam
Vietnam Remembered Retrospective
  • Vietnam Remembered: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective
  • Presidio to Pacific Powerhouse: The Military in Balboa Park 1915 to 1945
  • "Hold at All Costs"  - The last battle of the Korean War
  • World War I
  • China Burma India
  • World War II
  • B-24 Gallery
  • Iraq
  • UDT-SEALS Operations Past & Present
  • San Diego's Medal of Honor Recipients 
  • Dennis Schoville Vietnam Veteran
  • USS Orleck (DD-886)
  • Adam Sustackek, U.S. Coast Guard - Search and Rescue
  • Women's Military History
  • 5 Murals by Richard DeRosset
  • USS Missouri & Japanese Surrender Ceremony - Sept. 2, 1945

 


World War II Heroes returned from Washington, D.C. and got the homecoming they deserved!  

  
Approximately 1000 supporters came to Lindbergh Field on Sunday, May 1 to welcome home southern California WWII heroes. Honor Flight San Diego took 76 veterans on a whirwind trip to visit their memorials in Washington, D.C. In the span of three days, veterans are flown to D.C. at no cost to them, visit the National WWII memorial, Lincoln, Vietnam and Air Force memorials and witness a changing of the guard ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and then fly home Sunday.

For many of these veterans it is their first trip to see their memorials and for some it will be their last. One WWII vet summed it up to a reporter at the airport, "It was the best weekend of my life!"

To view the news story  Click here!

To see how you can help send a veteran to D.C., or be a guardian or volunteer:  Click here!
Know someone who would like to see this email?
To donate to the museum:
The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park, 2115 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
| (619)239-2300 | info@veteranmuseum.org | www.veteranmuseum.org