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Dear Patrons, Members and Subscribers,
Spring is in full swing at the Veterans Museum this April! This month we are very busy and we could not be happier! Firstly, we are very excited to honor our nation's military children during The Month of the Military Child. We've got a lot of cool stuff going on for the kids, to include a concert and student art show!
We will also kick off our Second Annual Theater Festival, "Vets at Home: A Collection of Short Plays". Our arts crew has been working hard on this project and we are looking forward to this three-day event! We were inspired to have show producer, Katie Turner, guest write an article for this month's Eagle! We hope you come out to support our own personal art project! The importance of the arts in the Veteran community continues to grow and we are proud to facilitate that in many, many ways.
We are also happy to promote our collaboration with Honor Flight San Diego. Honor Flight San Diego flies WWII veterans to Washington, DC to visit the memorials built for them, along with helping us to contact hundreds of WWII veterans every year to attend our annual Spirit of '45 day. They are in great financial need in order to continue with future "Tour of Honor" flights. Learn more about attending the event or how you can help down below.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not extend a gracious "Thanks" to all our tireless and dedicated volunteers. We could not do what we do without the time and sacrifice of those who want to help our mission grow and thrive.
We hope all our patrons, members and subscribers are enjoying the warm San Diego Spring. Have a great month and we'll see you at the museum!
Captain Sheldon Margolis
USN (Retired)
President and CEO
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What's going on at your museum?
(Museum events or museum partners)
- April 9: San Diego Children's Choir for Month of the Military Child (1:30 PM to 3 PM)
- April 9: Honor Flight San Diego Fundraiser at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club (5-9 PM)
- April 11-16: Student Art Exhibit in Partnership with Learning San Diego and DoDEA
- April 4, 11, 18, 25: Arts for All, Open Forum (3-5 PM lower level)
- April 16: Military Family Fun Day (noon-5 PM)
- April 21-23: "Vets at Home: A Showcase of Short Plays" (5-10 PM)
- April 24: International Holocaust Remembrance Day
- May 3: SAVE THE DATE-Living a Life of Abundant Health (6 PM)
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The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park Honors The Month of the Military Child With Concert by San Diego Children's Boys Choir and Westwind Brass and Student Art Show
Join us in April as we celebrate The Month of the Military Child with two special events. The San Diego Children's Boys Choir and Westwind Brass will present a collection of patriotic songs on Sunday, April 9 at 2 PM. Come enjoy these talented kids during this FREE event.
From April 11th - 16th, 10AM - 4PM - Arts for Learning San Diego, in partnership with DoDEA and the Veterans Museum will celebrate this special month with an exhibit of student artwork. We continue to support the talent, intelligence and tenacity of our community's youth.
Most other children don't have to worry about their parents leaving for long deployments or about moving every several years. Military kids learn early to be independent and strong and this month we honor them! We hope you will join us in honoring them this month as well!
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Honor Flight San Diego to host fundraiser at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club on Sunday, April 9 
Honor Flight San Diego had to sadly cancel their spring "Tour of Honor" trip to Washington, DC, due to lack of funding. We hope you will come out to help us make that right on April 9th for Honor Flight's "Legends and Legacies" Fundraiser!
Over 250 tickets have been sold and it
will be an evening of cocktails, dinner, entertainment and an exciting opportunity to bid on fabulous silent and live auction items. It's a fun way to give back to our rapidly dwindling WWII heroes.
The event starts at 5 p.m. and t
he program includes:
- Keynote Speaker: RADM "Mac" McLaughlin, USN (ret.) President and CEO, USS Midway Museum
- Emcee: Bob Lawrence, Former Channel 10 military reporter
- Music: Peter DeLuke and the Mellotones playing the music of Duke Ellington and other Big Band favorites
- Auctioneer: Vincent Zapien
And special appearances by WWII veterans!
There are currently 100+ Southern California WWII veterans on the waiting list and ready to go on "Tour of Honor" so their is an urgent need for this fundraiser. All proceeds from the event will directly support their next flight from San Diego. Honor Flight San Diego takes our veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit and reflect at the memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice. The three-day experience is at no cost to the veteran. Priority is given to terminally ill veterans and our most senio
r veterans, currently WWII era.
If you cannot attend the fundraiser and want to support their mission, you can:
- Donate an auction item for the silent or live auction
- Be a table sponsor for $1,000
- Sponsor a WWII veteran's trip for the next Tour of Honor for $2,500
- Donate to Honor Flight San Diego by going directly to their website by Clicking Here or by sending a check to: Honor Flight San Diego, 9423 Keck Court, San Diego, CA 92129
- Tell your friends and family about the fundraiser and the urgency to get these 90+ year old men and women to Washington, DC for their final thank you for their service.
There is no donation too big or too small and every dollar helps them get to the
$220,000 needed for the trip.
Honor Flight San Diego is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible.
To purchase tickets or a table of 10 or 12, go to: REGISTER!
For more information about how you can help support Honor Flight San Diego, email: info@honorflightsandiego.org.
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Veterans and Civilians Collaborate to Present "Vets at Home: A Showcase of Short Plays" (April 21-23)
By Katie B. Turner
On Tuesday March 21, the cast and crew of "Vets at Home: A Showcase of Short Plays" gathered at The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park (VMBP) to begin rehearsing the production. The team comprises a dynamic mixture of military veterans, veteran family members, and veteran community allies. While each participant has their own unique life experiences that have led them to this project, what unites them all is a commitment to raising awareness of the complex array of challenges veterans face when they return home, and a belief that the arts is a vital means by which to achieve this goal.
"Vets at Home" is a project created by VMBP Arts Director Anthony LoBue and Artist-in-Residence Katie Turner.
LoBue, known to many simply as Tony the Vet, is a senior, disabled, wartime veteran, artist, and advocate who believes passionately that the fine arts are a pathway to community healing and personal growth. He initiated the Artist-in-Residence program at the VMBP in fall of 2016. Since its inception, artists have offered classes in such varied areas as drawing, comedic improvisation, playwriting, and bronze casting. Each Artist-in-Residence is given great latitude in the classes they offer; LoBueasks only tha t they make their programs inclusive, offering opportunities for active military, veterans, veteran families, and community members to come together. "I think this focus on building bridges between communities is important," says Turner. "What Tony is building here is a wonderful way for everyone involved to find common ground and learn more about each other." "Vets at Home" continues this focus. The production features 13 short plays (ten minutes or less), and one original musical number. Out of those 14 performance pieces, half are written by military veterans and the other half by civilian playwrights.
Many of the actors and two of the directors are also veterans, adding a depth of experience and insight into the production that will benefit the civilian actors and directors as they interpret the material.
As its title suggests, each play in "Vets at Home" considers a different aspect of the veteran experience. Using comedy, drama, dance, and music, the plays address topics such as substance abuse, coping with the VA, and veteran reintegration. The styles of the plays are as varied as their topics, using such diverse forms as realism, monologues, and psychodrama. In "Break the Horse's Back" by Anna Renee Winget, for example, we see a female army veteran's inner demons literally come to life as she struggles to confront and overcome them. Other stories, such as "Going Home" by LoBue, use the form of the monologue to portray the intensely personal struggle of veterans contemplating suicide. Teresa Suarez, who plays the veteran character in "Going Home," feels that using art to discuss these difficult topics is crucial. She says, "We hope these stories will touch people. That's what art does. Programs like this are also therapeutic; by imagining, sharing, writing, participating, performing, expressing -or letting out repressed emotions, or by working behind the scenes, a creative outlet like this is wonderful for people to experience. When it has personal meaning, or touches a chord for the creator or for the audience, it makes it all the more powerful."
While many of the plays portray fictional events, several of the vignettes are based on the playwrights' real-life experiences. For Patrick Castaneda, a Vietnam combat veteran and author of three plays in the showcase, translating his wartime experiencesonto the stage has helped him process those events. Castaneda explains, "Over the years I have tried a number of methods for treating my disability. But of everything I have done, nothing has helped me more than being part of the theatre arts. Being part of the Veterans Arts Program as an actor, writer, and director has given me a new direction, a direction that doesn't include prescribed medicine alone." Even the fictional pieces have personal meeting for some of the performers. This is true for Felicity Bryant, who plays a daughter in the duet scene "Always." In this play, a father, who is a widower whose wife fell in the line of duty, is struggling to help his young daughter cope with her impending womanhood. This situation has personal significance for Bryant. "I am from a military family, my great grandfather to my mother, who served 16 years in the Marine Corps," Bryant says. "The short play I'm in has a special place in my heart, because my mom deployed to Iraq when I was in second grade. I know firsthand what it's like to go through what my character is feeling. It's personal for me. It's going to be personal for any vet who comes to see these plays."
Additional Information: Due to adult language and themes, this production is not appropriate for children.
For more information, contact producer Katie Turner by email at
katie@sandiegotheatrelab.com
or by calling
970-903-8924.
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Monday, April 24th is Holocaust Remembrance D
ay
The internationally recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
In honor of this day we bring you the story of the Lady Plumber in Warsaw Poland.
The Lady Plumber
Irena Sender was a Polish nurse, humanitarian, and
social worker who served in t
he
Polish Underground
in
German-occupied Warsaw
during World War II, and was head of the children's section of the Zegota, the Polish Council to Aid Jews, which was active from 1942 to 1945.
During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an ulterior motive. Irena smuggled Jewish infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried. She also carried a burlap sack in the back of her truck, for larger children. Irena also kept a dog in the back of her truck that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the children and infants noises.
Assisted by some two dozen other Zegota members, Sendler smuggled approximately 2,500 Jewish children out of the
Warsaw Ghetto and then provided them with
false identity documents and shelter outside the Ghetto, saving those children from the
Holocaust. With the exception of diplomats who issued visas to help Jews flee Nazi-occupied Europe, Sendler saved more Jews than any other individual during the
Holocaust.
The German occupiers eventually discovered her activities and she was arrested by the
Gestapo, tortured, and sentenced to death, but she managed to evade execution and survive the war. Irena kept a record of the names of all the children she had smuggled out in a glass jar that she buried under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived and tried to reunite the family, however most had not survived. Those children she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted.
In 1965, Sendler was recognized by the
State of Israel and late in life, she was awarded the
Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest honor, for her wartime humanitarian efforts.
P
olish Jews and children under guard, Irena in insert.
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 Irena Sender |
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Veterans Museum Celebrates Women's History Month With Women's History Night at the Museum
Last month we were very proud to honor the strength and perseverance of our military women throughout history. On March 23 we hosted Women's History Night at the Museum to celebrate all women who have leant their strength to the growth of our country.
Ann Hoiberg and Dr. Gail Harris, PhD, shared the history of women in the military from before the 20th century to present day. We are in an exciting time in history when women have finally gained the right to serve in any military occupancy they choose, to include the artillery, the infantry and even serve as Rangers. Just recently the Army Rangers welcomed three new female officers into their ranks. Women have come a very long way since the days of World War I and II, when the only occupations available to a woman seeking to serve in uniform were clerical roles and as nurses. Even many decades later, during Vietnam, women were still providing mainly nursing and admin support. Although it has been an uphill battle for women's equality within the service, things are more advanced than they've ever been. We believe our nation is on the right track to having an even stronger and more diverse military. As noted by our speakers, the only hurdle left for women in the service is for one woman to finally become a Navy Seal!
We also welcomed to the stage WWII Veteran, Evelyn Coy, who was part of the first group of WAVES to serve in 1942. LN1 Caneisha Fortner, active duty Navy serving with Command Legal, Naval Special Warfare Group ONE, served as our mediator. Amber Robinson, Operation Enduring Freedom veteran, shared her personal experience with PTSD and discussed the stigma surrounding women and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We were also happy to host CBS Channel 8, who did a great job covering the event.
We want to give a big thanks to all the women who took the stage to talk about their research and experience and to all those who came out to share their support of our nation's women heroes!
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The Veterans Museum Hosts the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservancy for a Night of Recitals
The museum was very proud to continue it's support of our community's budding musicians and performers during a collection of recitals on March 9. We hosted 48 students, the Debut Winds, the Debut strings, and their instructors during this event.
The students, dressed in black and white, and playing the Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, and Drums, all presented individual and group pieces to a packed crowd of admirers. The Veterans Museum is a proud venue for local youth events, to include Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, local high school choir groups and so much more.
Below are two short samples of Andres Tistoj and Andrew Waid in a viola duet and Emilia Cruz and Andrew Waid in a viola duet. We hope you enjoy and join us next time!
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| Emilia Cruz and Andrew Waid viola duet |
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Andres Tistoj and Andrew Waid viola duet 1 |
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Stories from the Archives:
ABF-2 Ciena Faeth US Navy
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Ciena Graduates Boot Camp 2007, she now continues to serve her fellow veterans as a civilian.
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Ciena Faeth, California grown, enlisted in the Navy in 2007, right out of high school in Atascadero, California. After boot camp, Ciena headed to Pensacola, Florida and completed Aviation's Boatswain Mate Fuels "A" school. She learned to operate, maintain, and perform organizational maintenance on aviation fueling and lubricating oil systems in CVs, LPHs, and LPDs, including aviation fuel and lubricating oil service stations and pump rooms, piping, valves, pumps, tanks, and portable equipment related to the fuel system; operate, maintain, and repair valves and piping of purging and protective systems within the Air Department's spaces aboard ship; supervise the operation and servicing of fuel farms and equipment associated with the fueling and defueling of aircraft ashore and afloat; operate and service motorized fueling equipment; maintain fuel quality surveillance and control in aviation fuel systems ashore and afloat; train, direct, and supervise firefighting crews, fire rescue teams, and damage control parties in assigned fuel and lubricating oil spaces; observe and enforce fuel handling safety precautions. After graduating "A" school she was assigned to the USS Ronald Regan aircraft carrier, where she would serve 4 years before going to Al Asad, Iraq for a year.
While deployed in 2008 on the USS Ronald Reagan, Ciena was refueling a jet on top of the carrier when she was then asked to fuel the COD that just landed. While walking over to the COD, Ciena got a huge surprise when her father Chief Petty Officer Faeth walked off and got to serve with her for several weeks out to sea. In 2011, she was picked for an Individual Augmentee billet to go to Al Asad Air Force Base, Iraq, as a Customs/Security Agent. There she would spend a year per forming anti-terrorism, force protection, physical security, and law enforcement.
Ciena left active duty in 2012 and continue working for her country with the Veterans Benefits Administration. She completed her education and obtained her Master's degree in Psychology and is pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology.
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Recent Donations to the Museum-April 2017
Jackie DeComa of Brea donated a 38" model of a Rhino Ferry (with vehicles), used by
Nav
y SeaBees during WWII, built by her father, Joe DeComa, Carpenters Mate 2/c. Take a look at the clip to the clip below to see a Rhino Ferry in a
ction!
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| Rhino Ferry in Action at Utah Beach, 1944
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What is a Rhino ferry?
Take a look at the photos and explanations, below!
Francisco Flores of Oceanside donated A U.S. Army Air Corps Flight Jacket with patches for: 13th Air Force and 372nd Bomb Squadron and a Navy comparing
pocket watch (Hamilton Company) with inscription on the back: Bureau of Ships U.S. Navy, comparing watch, 5G80-1941.
Stephanie Le Chevalier of Santa Barbara donated 10 books on WWII, eleven 16" records of U.S.Armed Forces Radio Recordings, a collection of Pearl Harbor artifacts, a WWII matchbook cover collection and documents and magazines from her father, Arnold Bauer.
Artifacts donated by Stephanie Le Chevalier belonging to her father, Pearl Harbor survivor Arnold Bauer, includes this 16" record played by Armed Forces Radio to troops overseas during WWII. A 40mm shell casing from the USS Arizona, 7 Dec 1941, examples from his collection of Navy ship matchbook covers and a collection of shrapnel collected from the attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. |
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David Menno of Ramona donated artifacts and correspondence from LT Oscar Marsh, USN.
Vincent O'Hara of San Diego donated a copy of his book on WWI: A Clash of Fleets.
San Diego Archaeological Center donated a book on military uniforms of the world.
Jeanne Smith of San Diego donated flags presented to her family for Joe L. Corraia, who was killed at 21 Battle of Heart Break Ridge in the Korean War, and her father, WWII veteran Otha Wallace Martin.
Geraldine Thornton of San Diego donated an 1860 English bayonet with scabbard.
Louise Warren McMinnville, Oregon donated Collection of photographs, documents, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and a scrapbook (covering the period 1868-1928) relating to the service of Brigadier General George A. Dodd, Calvary Officer, U.S. Army. Includes materials on the Spanish American War, Philippines, and the American incursion into Mexico 1916.
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Making Friends at the Veterans Museum!
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Director of Events, Alayna Stoner, with ND1 Eric Cornelison and dive suit
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This month the Veterans Museum was honored to make some new friends
through several fun events.
Thank you to ND1 (Navy Diver First Class Petty Officer) Eric Cor
nelison for allowing us to host the newly named "Dusty the Diver" from Naval Amphibious Bas
e Coronado LOGSU Dive Locker. WWII Mark V (mark 5) Diving are pictured on the left.
The University Club of Downtown San Diego hosts their Military Networking Happy Hour with special guest speakers on the last Monday of each month from 5:30-7:30pm. This time our Events Director attended the event to say hello and meet new people, and was impressed with guest speaker Captain Joseph Buzzella, Sector Commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego. Contact our Director of Events, Alayna Stoner if you would like to find out how to make more military and veteran friends at events@veteranmuseum.org !
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Creative Arts for the public - No skill required
6-9 p.m. Workshops: Free Bronze Casting!
Lower Level
Reservations required! Limited seating!
Only for Veterans, Military and Spouses
Courtesy of Veterans Art Project
RSVP: Steven Dilley
(760) 815-8868
steve@vetart.org
Every Tuesday
6-9PM Free Bronze Casting
[Only for Veterans, Military and Spouses]
Lower Level
RSVP: Steven Dilley
Veterans Art Project
(760) 815-8868
2nd Tuesdays Only
ARTS FOR ALL
11 a.m. - 1 p.m FAMILY FUN!
Main Hall
FREE! PUBLIC! All ages! No skill required! DROP-INS WELCOME!
Coloring Books,
MakeACard for VA Patients,
Puppetry,
Scavenger Hunts,
Storytelling a
nd more!
3-5 p.m. FORUM!
Lower Level
FREE! PUBLIC! DROP-INS WELCOME!
Ambassadors/MakeACard for VA Patients,
Artists in Residence,
Community Partnerships,
Fundraising,
Program Proposal,
Programs in Progress,
Promotion,
Public Relations,
Testimonials
VMBP 2nd Annual Theater Festival
6-9 PM rehearsal for:
"Vets at Home: A Showcase of Short Plays" \
LOWER LEVEL
Katie Turner, PhD Theatre
Artist in Residence
Showcase Producer
(970) 903-8924
katie@sandiegotheatrelab.com
Performance Schedule:
21-23 April 2017
7:30-9PM Friday
7:30-9PM Saturday
2:00-3:30 PM Sunday
Tickets @ $10. Suggested Donation
Visit our Facebook Page
@vmbpvetsathome
"Welcome to Digital Photography"
Main Hall
Free! Public!
6:30-8:30pm
Friday 28 April
Kevin Raquidan
Volunteer Artist in Residence
Photo Journalist
"
Paint Your Pet
"
Arts Programs Fundraiser
12-3pm
Saturday 29 April
Lovejoy Creations Studio 2690 Historic Decatur Rd, Unit 201, San Diego, CA 92106
Call for Interns & Volunteers!
Assistant Arts Director,
Ambassadors (Make-A-Card for VA Hospital Patients Program )
Artists in Residence (Literary, Performance and Visual),
Promotion,
Public Relations
AA "Tony the Vet" LoBue,
Arts Director
Contact: (cell) 619-806-2075 or via email at:
ArtsDirector@veteranmuseum
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New and Renewing Members: Thanks for Your Support!
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James Helt Family
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Thomas I. Jarrard*
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Betty and Lee Merwin**
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Al and Merry Padilla Family
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(* Life Member
** Dual Life Member)
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Football in April? The San Diego Enforcers play on April 22nd!
Did you know that we have a semi-pro football team right here in San Diego? They are the San Diego Enforcers and the team is comprised of first responders, law enforcement and military who play full contact football and raise money for charity. They are also reigning National Champions and have a dance team who has performed internationally!
This year The San Diego Enforcers selected Honor Flight San Diego to be their military charity of the season. Any funds raised this season will directly support sending WWII veterans on the next Tour of Honor flight. So "Save the Date" for April 22 and June 3 home games and their annual golf tournament on Friday, May 26!
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Courage
to Call to host food distribution
Saturday, April 8 and April 22 (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
Courage to Call in conjunction with Feeding America is doing a Food Distribution twice a month for all active duty, veterans, guard, reservists and their families. It will always be the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at locations throughout San Diego County.
This month's info:
April 8 - 1617 Mission Ave., Oceanside from 10 am to 1 pm
April 22 - 9465 Farnham St, San Diego from 10 am to 1 pm
To RSVP or to sign up to volunteer, email:
CouragetoCall@mhsinc.org
For more information about Courage to Call and their services click here >>>
Learn More!
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SAVE THE DATE! Leanne Harris Shares Tips For Living a Life of Abundant Health (May 3 at 6:00 PM)
Join us next month for a health presentation by Leanne Harris, sponsored by The Juice Plus Company. Harris will share some great life hacks for getting on track with food, exercise and more. She will explain the importance of prevention in your journey to avoiding disease and becoming a healthier you!
Doors open at 6 PM for networking and meet and greet and the event be
gins at 7 PM. For more information about registering, contact our Director of Events, Alayna Stoner, at events@veteranmuseum.org.
A healthier person is a happier person!
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GRID Alternatives is offering internships to Military Veterans!
GR
ID Alternatives, America's largest solar nonprofit, is offering Paid Solar Construction Internships. U.S. Military veterans and youth ages 18-24 are encouraged to apply.* Participants in this 11-week internships get hands-on experience installing solar power for local low-income families.
Interns will: * Install solar electric systems * Manage equipment * Conduct site visits and assist with permitting and inspections GRID Alternatives provides: * Step-by-step hands-on training *
Connections to solar companies that are hiring No experience necessary! Join us today! *Applicants must qualify as low-income. This program is a partnership between GRID Alternatives and the City of San Diego.
To apply, contact dcopino@gridalternatives.org Danyla Copino, SolarCorps Workforce Development & Volunteer Fellow dcopino@gridalternatives.org | 619.610.0164
For more information about GRID Alternatives, Click Here!
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STAY CONNECTED ON UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON OUR
SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
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Know someone who would like to see this email?
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The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park, 2115 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101
| (619)239-2300 |
info@veteranmuseum.org |
www.veteranmuseum.org
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