,
Happy 4th of July museum members and supporters! I hope that you are finding cool ocean breezes as the summer heats up. Last month was a "hot" month for us with the rebranding of the new museum name, the General Cardenas bust dedication, BentProp Project presentation and a myriad of ceremonies, meetings and even dance lessons at the museum. All of that in three weeks as we were closed for a week to have the museum cleaned from stem to stern.
 
I sincerely thank all the volunteers who helped to remove the displays and after Waxie Sanitary Supply cleaned every vertical and horizontal surface, the volunteers who brought everything back into the museum. We could not have done it without you! 
 
We are not slowing down any time soon and July and August are shaping up to be exciting months as well. The new flooring in the Vietnam gallery is being done this week and we are making preparations for our largest event of the year - Spirit of `45. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII and we will commemorate it in style.
 
As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns. We look forward to your next visit to the museum!
                                                                                        Captain Sheldon Margolis 
                                                                                        USN (retired)
                                                                                        Executive Director 
What's going on at your museum?
  • July 4: Revolutionary War movies and documentary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • July 14: Free Tuesday admission to the museum for San Diego County residents
  • July 14: Arts for All (2 to 4 p.m) and Arts for Veterans (6 to 8 p.m.) 
  • July 29: July 30 marks the 70th anniversary of USS Indianapolis being sunk by Japanese torpedoes. Museum to host discussion at 6:30 p.m.
  • Aug. 9: Spirit of `45 Ceremony and Celebration
  • Aug. 19: Members meeting, social and grand opening of Fallen Heroes exhibit 
  • Aug. 15-29: "Remember Our Fallen Heroes from California" exhibit 
  • Sept. 11: 14th anniversary of 9/11. Museum to host special event.
 
Last month
Veterans Museum places exhibit at Del Mar
Del Mar Fair-3

Sketches by James L. Brown

 during WWII.
Fair
The Fair partnered with the museums from Balboa Park to commemorate the Park's Centennial Celebration.  The Veterans Museum was invited to provide an exhibit for the Home Hobby and Collections section at the Del Mar Fair.  We provided  a collection of "Trench Art", artwork and loaned them our WWI era Navy Sewing Machine for display as part of the textile and quilting section.  The Fair, and our exhibit,  run through the 4th of July.
 
Del Mar Fair
Trench Art Display.
Del Mar Fair-2
WWI Navy Sewing Machine.

 
General Cardenas Bust Dedication 
The B-24 bomber has a pilot and that pilot has a permanent home! We had a dedication ceremony to permanently affix the General Cardenas bust in its rightful place with the Liberator bomber he flew in World War II. The bust represents all the air and ground crews who made missions successful. The dedication ceremony was held on the 71st anniversary of D-Day and was fitting to honor General Cardenas and the legacy he has left in history. 
BentProp Project Presented 
We had an informative presentation on a nonprofit organization that is committed to finding WWII remains and artifacts in Palau. The discussion was well-attended and we will have them back in upcoming months. 
july-fourth-sparkler.jpg
This month
Independence Day!
The museum is open and will host a series of revolutionary era films and documentaries from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.   

 
USS Indianapolis Presentation July 29 at 6:30  p.m.
On July 30, 1945 the USS Indianapolis was struck by Japanese torpedoes and sunk at sea. It was the worst American naval disaster of World War II. We will have a special guest speaker to talk about the event and its significance in history.

Save the Date!
Spirit of '45 - Coming Aug. 9th
This year is the 70th Anniversary of "The Greatest Generation's Greatest Day" - August 14, 1945 - the day World War II ended.  Please join us in this nationwide celebration that honors WWII veterans for their service and sacrifice and celebrates their achievements. 
 
In addition to a formal program and live music and dancing, veterans will be on deck to share their stories from WWII.  Last year we had 1,000 people attend this event including 200 WWII veterans who came to San Diego via Honor Flight!
 
If you would like to help with planning, promotions or day-of volunteering, contact D aniel DeMarco at (619) 569-6230 or via email: dan.demarco1@gmail.com .


 
"Remember Our Fallen from California" Exhibit - Coming Aug. 15th - 29th
The museum is honored to host a traveling exhibit titled, "Remember Our Fallen from California." The exhibit has 720 fallen men and women from California who died from injuries sustained in war zones since Sept. 11, 2001.
The exhibit was created in November 2010 by Bill and Evonne Williams of Omaha, Nebraska. Their eternal hope is to honor the memory of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, to provide comfort to friends and family of the fallen, and to remind others of the tremendous cost paid by some.
The museum will host a grand-opening and unveiling ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 6:00 p.m.
The exhibit costs $1000.00 for the viewing. We are looking for groups or individuals to help sponsor this exhibit. If you would like to donate specifically to this display, please call the Executive Director at (619)239-2300. 

Click here to view more info about Remember Our Fallen
 
San Diego Honor Flight Comedy Night - Comedy for a Cause
Coming Aug. 15th
The museum is happy to help spread the word for a very worth cause in August. San Diego Honor Flight is hosting a comedy fundraiser at the San Diego Yacht Club.  On deck will be a social hour with music by Steve Ybarra and the band Indian Joe and the Chiefs , dinner and comedy show presented by Veterans of Comedy. The comedy group, whose members are all military veterans, have appeared before thousands on both national and international comedy tours.


 This event is being launched to raise funds, as well as bring awareness to the vital mission of HFSD. Proceeds will be used to fund the October 2015 Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. and help keep the HFSD mission alive for WWII heroes.

 

Tickets will go on sale July 10. For more information, contact Honor Flight at  

(800)-655-6997 or email at [email protected]

 

 
Ralph Rasmussen in Vietnam
Veteran Spotlight 
Stories from the historian
(Contributed by Rick Appleton)
Ralph Rasmussen was out on patrol with the 11th Cavalry Regiment, B Troop in Vietnam in 1967-68.

Like so many Vietnam veterans, Ralph Rasmussen joined the Army in 1967 right out of high school rather than wait to be drafted. His training went through the usual pattern: Fort Lewis, Washington followed by a stint at Fort Polk Louisiana to get the feel of fighting in the tropical heat and humidity. Then it was off to Vietnam landing at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon.

 

In his story Ralph described a typical mission. "They were basically . . . just go out and look for trouble, you know. It was a search and destroy. If they had information that there might be the enemy building up in certain locations, then we'd try and go find them. And that was it. We'd wind up maybe hundreds of miles away from our base camp. We'd just kinda meander the different directions and you know, find a spot that looked . . . we would have to knock down enough trees and clear an area."

 

Ralph had more than his share of close calls, received several wounds, fought in the Tet Offensive, and lost several close buddies. Upon reflection about his service in Vietnam, Ralph expressed it this way. ". . . You know, sometimes you don't think about certain instances on a daily basis . . . I won't say it was a good experience but it was definitely . . . it was a learning experience that didn't do me any harm, because, I mean, I think it made a better person out of me . . . ." Ralph is certainly not alone with these sentiments, and like so many, is modest about his many acts of bravery.

 

Ralph's story, along with a half dozen other accounts from Vietnam veterans, can be read in the museum's library. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

 

If you would like to record your personal story to be transcribed and sent to the National Archives, call the museum at (619) 239-2300 and make an appointment with Rick and his team.
Museum News
Amazon Smile Supports the Veterans Museum with Donations
Did you know that you can support the Veterans Museum every time you shop online at Amazon.com by signing up with AmazonSmile?  It is a simple and automatic way for you to support the Veterans Museum  at no cost to you. By signing up and shopping at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the Veterans Museum.

To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device with your existing Amazon.com account or create a new account.  You will need select the charity of you choice and we encourage you to type in and select the Veterans Museum and Memorial Center.  Amazon will remember your selection and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation to our museum.

You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.

 
Welcome New Volunteers!!
Without our volunteers we could not operate. THANK YOU to each and every volunteer who has helped to keep the museum running!
This month we welcome Lyn Leader who can be found welcoming guests and working in the Gift Store and Brian Sims who will be our IT guru.
And we need more volunteers!  
Whether you help for a project or a set day and time each week, we know that we can find a job that fits you. If you or your organization would like to help, please contact Diane at (619)239-2300.
Click to view volunteer positions and download an application
Arts for All and Arts for Veterans
The second Tuesday of every month, Tony the Vet holds two free sessions. From 2 to 4 p.m., children and families are invited to make cards for veterans and view a free puppet show.
 
From 6 to 8 p.m., our museum hosts free creative art classes (literary, performing and visual arts) for 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 via email at [email protected]  

 
Recent Donations to the Museum's Artifact Collection  

Richard Atiland of Ramona, CA donated two photos of Vietnam

Dental Equipment
WWI era dental equipment donated by Marcy Beaty.

era Riverine PBRs and three unit patches.

Marcy Beaty of San Diego, CA donated a collection of early WWI era Dental artifacts including a dental chair, and equipment now on display in our Military in Balboa Park exhibit.

Michel Burke of San Diego, CA donated 24 framed prints on the military history of the National Guard

Robert Cardenas of San Diego, CA donated photographs and DVDs of his WWII service in the B-24, and the flying wing aircraft.

The Central Coast Veterans Museum of San Luis Obisbo, CA donated a partial set of Navy Signal Flags from a WWII Aircraft Carrier.

WWI Barr & Stroud Rangefinder used for machineguns, donated by Jack Evans.

Jack Evans of La Mesa, CA donated a 1941 Navy Binnicle, a WWI infantry rangefinder, and a large collection of Navy and Navy Aviation artifacts from WWII through Vietnam eras.

William Frazier, Sr. of St. George, UT donated a 40mm Bobors shell and projectile, now on display at the Museum's Trench Art Exhibit at the Del Mar Fair.

Sal Gurrola of El Cajon, CA donated a trench art beer stein made from the driveshaft of a Huey Assault Helicopter in Cam Rhan Bay, Vietnam 1971.

William Halm, Jr. of National City, CA donated his Navy SeaBee uniform.

Richard Hanway of Las Crusas, NM donated a Vietnam Print.

The Lawrence Jewish Community Center of La Jolla,
CA donated 58 books to our military history library.

Karyn Newbill of Simi Valley, CA donated her father's WWII Merchant Marine and Army uniforms, two of which are now on display in our main gallery.

Walter Rutherford of San Diego, CA donated a Yearbook of the 6th Bn, 31st Infantry from Vietnam, and six issues of the 9th Infantry's Vietnam Newspaper from the 60s-70s.

Dog Tag Machine
Graphotype Dog Tag Machine donated by Mike Whitington.

Lorraine Van Cleave of Chula Vista, CA donated a book and four DVDs on WWI to our Military History Library.

Jessiy Villalobos of Lemon Grove, CA donated a photograph of two women serving with the 101st Airborne in Kuwait, 2005.

Mike Whittington of O'Brien Lock and Key, San Diego, CA donated a Vietnam era Graphotype Dog Tag Machine.
Welcome New and Returning Members! 
Deserea Brockness
 Laurie Craycraft Family
Arthur Dioli*

Edward Estrin 
Elynda "Lyn" Leader

Jack Lyons 
Daniel Martinez, III
 Julio I. Perez
Jonathan Soeun

 * Life Member 
 
Come View Our Current Exhibits
 
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 Women's Military History
5 Murals by Richard DeRosset

 
Padres Veterans Appreciation Cards
The Padres are supporting military and veterans by distributing Veterans Appreciation cards. The cards are good for 25% off any ticket and then 50% off any ticket on Military Sundays. It is good for up to 20 tickets when shown at the ticket window.

So how can you get a card? Cards are being distributed through veteran-related organizations. You can pick up a card at the Veterans Museum, County Veterans Service Office, Veteran Center in Liberty Station, VA Oceanside Clinic and Veterans Assoc of North County.

 

The museum is open 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Sunday to get your free card! Just swing by, show proof of service and ask in the gift store.

 

Big thanks to the Padres for they do to support the active duty, veterans and families!

 

 
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 | [email protected] | www.veteranmuseum.org