AMEDD MUSEUM FOUNDATION
MONITOR
|
|
|
|
Message from the Chairman of the Board |
Dear Members and Friends of the AMEDD Museum,
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the Autumn 2021 edition of your Monitor. And what an Autumn it has been! Our biggest news is that the Secretary of the Air Force has accepted the Foundation's proffer of Phase I of our Capitol Campaign- the construction of a public entrance to the Museum. This is a long-awaited and absolutely essential element of our strategic plan to make the Museum accessible to the public and especially to inform and educate school children about the contributions of military medicine to our nation. Special thanks to COL (Ret) CEM Maxwell for his amazing persistence in the face of adversity, and commitment of time and energy to this mission; and to the other members of the Executive Committee for their dedication and support. It has been a long slog but we continue working to strengthen and enhance all aspects of the museum to ensure that the story of the AMEDD is passed on to every new member of the AMEDD family and every visitor to Fort Sam Houston.
We are excited to present the story of another AMEDD Historical Notable, CAPT (Ret) James A. Ferguson, DVM, MPH, PhD, who overcame historic obstacles of time and circumstance to become a US Army and US Public Health Service Veterinary Officer and ultimately, a long serving Dean of Tuskegee School of Veterinary Medicine. On another note, we are saddened to report the recent loss of two icons of the AMEDD, MG (Ret) Bill Moore, and Col (Ret) Tom Jackson. MG Moore completed more than thirty years of service to the AMEDD, including Commanding General of Brooke Army Medical Center and Commandant of the Academy of Health Sciences. He was a man of courage and conviction, a gentleman and a scholar, a physician, soldier, researcher and teacher beloved by many generations of AMEDD Officers. Col Jackson was an outstanding visionary, an AMEDD officer who lived an exemplary life of service and was respected and admired by all who knew him. He is best remembered as a helicopter aviation pioneer, a MEDEVAC pilot, member of the DUSTOFF Association, and one of the last remaining members of the Solo Pilots Association. He entered the Service in 1959 and served on Active Duty for twenty-six years. He continued to serve following his retirement, was deeply engaged in civic and service organizations, and is fondly remembered with deep appreciation as a generous contributor and Member of the Board of Directors of the AMEDD Museum Foundation. His notable contributions of time and treasure, including, perhaps most proudly, the acquisition of an H-19 helicopter, are evident every day to visitors to the MEDEVAC Display and Aviation Pavilions. Tom Jackson will always be part of the AMEDD Museum and the AMEDD.
After months of COVID- 19 restrictions, the Museum is once again open for visitors. We continue to look for a few good men and women willing to put their collective shoulders to the wheel. Please let us know of your interests and willingness to volunteer. We have a job for everyone! The Foundation is grateful to all the volunteers who make our Museum come alive. To all our unnamed volunteers, and to our donors, thank you for your service and contributions to the Foundation and the Museum. Our success would not be possible without your dedication and support. Special thanks to the volunteers who conduct Saturday tours for future generations of Army Medics, who, by the way, continually surprise us with all their generosity. Thank you for being a part of the AMEDD family and for your continuing support of our Foundation and Museum.
- - BG (Ret) Daniel F. Perugini - Chairman of the Board
|
|
This month we feature Chelsea Morris Hepp, a volunteer in the Museum's collections department |
|
Monitor: Tell us a little about yourself- where were you raised, where were you/what have you done before arriving at the museum?
CMH: I came to San Antonio by way of Hampton, Virginia where I worked as the registrar of a military history museum and taught undergraduate courses at Christopher Newport University. So, working with the AMEDD Museum's collection feels like home! When I'm not volunteering at the museum, I am
busy completing my graduate degree in the history department at Texas State University.
Monitor: How did you find the museum?
CMH: When I moved to Texas, I actively looked for a museum where I could volunteer. I knew I wanted to find a way to continue working with collections while I was in school. Since I had previous experience working with military collections, I started looking at small local museums that fit the bill. When I found the AMEDD museum, I was intrigued. I didn't have much experience working with medical collections, but I was more than willing to learn.
Monitor: What aspect of your work are you most excited about?
CMH: The AMEDD Museum has such a fascinating collection. Every time I come to the museum, I'm always surprised by the things I get the chance to work with, and what I learn when I'm there. I know COVID has had an impact on visitation to the museum, so I'm excited to contribute to ongoing object research projects, in the hopes that visitors have the opportunity to see and learn about some of the amazing pieces in the collection when they next visit the museum. At the moment, I am working on identifying and photographing items in the collection for the museum's database.
|
|
Monitor: What is your favorite exhibit?
CMH: While I love all the exhibits at the museum, I am particularly interested in women's history so one of my favorite pieces on exhibit is the uniform of Margaret Bailey, an African-American nurse who served during World War II. I think the role of African American women in the Army Nurse Corps is something that deserves more attention, which is why I am so glad her uniform is on exhibit.
Monitor: What's up with the elephant? Will she be joining the foxes in the Museum courtyard?
CMH: I love elephants! In the photo above, I'm the elephant, Kitty, at The Preserve in Stonewall, Texas where I spent a glorious day giving elephants at the sanctuary a bath!
|
|
|
On September 7th, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force approved the Foundation's offer to enhance the AMEDD Museum's value to the military and the nation. Specifically, the Foundation's offer contains Phase 1 elements of the Capital Campaign- the creation of a public access portal and improved fencing around the grounds. A public entrance to the Museum- through which visitors will not have to engage normal Joint Base security requirements for access- has been of particular importance and interest to the City of San Antonio as an additional tourism draw. |
|
" On behalf of the men and women of the United States Air Force, I want to thank the Army Medical Department (AMMED) Museum Foundation for offering to donate the construction of facilities and improvements at JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX, to the United States of America as a gift. The proposed improvements will enhance the abilities of the existing museum to educate military members, their families, veterans and the public on the contributions military medicine has made to our country, as well as the sacrifices of our military medical personnel over our nation's history. The United States Air Force is enormously grateful for your latest act of kindness that continues the distinguished legacy of the AMEDD Museum Foundation. Thank you for your enduring support of our members of the Armed Forces." -- Rober E. Moriarty, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations. |
|
Museum to Host
Ft Sam Student Art Show
|
|
The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Museum and the AMEDD Museum Foundation will host an AMEDD Art Show for a month beginning in mid-January, featuring AMEDD-related artwork from Robert G. Cole Middle and High School Students.
Submissions will be accepted by art teachers at the schools from November 1, 2021 through December 10, 2021. Submissions of paint, drawing, sculpture, graphic design and photography will be accepted. Students are welcomed and encouraged to come visit the museum for inspiration. A list of the AMEDD Corps and a brief description will be provided for them to learn more about the AMEDD.
Once works are collected, the museum will host the gallery display beginning January 17, 2022. Award night for the winners in each grade level and overall winner will be announced February 18, 2022. This will be presented in person and through a Facebook live with a link to invite family and relatives who live away from the FSH area.
The Museum may select certain artworks for long-term display if they are outstanding representations of the AMEDD and capture the esprit de corps of the force. This will be arranged between the student and the museum should they be selected. Prizes will be arranged by the Foundation. Anyone interested in sponsoring prizes or having any questions may contact Ms. Courtney Knapp, 210-226-0265, or Courtney.knapp1@outlook.com.
|
|
AMEDD Historical Notables |
|
James A. Ferguson, DVM, PhD (1938-1998), left the segregated town of Rochelle, Georgia to graduate from Tuskegee School Veterinary Medicine in 1960 and join the US Army Beterinary Corps. After earning a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University, Ferguson served as member of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's (WRAIR) Field Epidemiology Survey Teams (FEST) in Vietnam 1967-1968. These teams were attached to the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam. The personnel were Special Forces qualified in order to ensure their ability to work autonomously within the country.
Ferguson served 16 years in the U.S. Army and then 12 years with the U.S. Public Health Service, retiring at the rank of Captain (O-6). He returned to teach at his alma mater, Tuskegee University, in 1989, and in 1991 was appointed Dean of the University's School of Veterinary Medicine. Ferguson served on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study Legacy Committee, which sought to preserve the memory of an unethical government study of black sharecroppers, while finding ways to move beyond it.
In 1993, Ferguson was awarded the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States James A. McCallam Award for outstanding accomplishments in medicine and health. When he died in 1996, the CDC renamed their research fellowships for minority students in his honor, which is now known as the Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program.
-- Mr. Andy Watson, AMEDD Regimental Historian
|
|
Remember the Foundation at End-of-Year |
|
How does the Capital Campaign affect you? Your museum is attempting to document and display our collective contributions to Army Military Medicine by creating an external entrance to the facility for public access without requiring passage through the installation's access control points.
We have a unique opportunity because one of our grants is a matching federal grant of $498,000. We have matched a large portion, but we need your help to match the remaining $278,000. This means every dollar you donate is matched by the federal government, making your dollar go further than before.
A donation of any mount helps share our history and heritage with the world. Thank you for considering your AMEDD Museum in your planned giving for 2021.
|
|
More Community Engagement |
|
Foundation Development Manager Courtney Knapp has been expanding the Foundation's social media presence via a number of Military and Family Readiness Center (MFRC) engagements- most recently by participating in the Joint Base San Antonio Trunk-or-Treat on October 22 and an "Eye Spy" activity for children. The Foundation reached 12,000 followers on newly built Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
During the Exceptional Family Member Program Halloween Howl Down and Resource Fair, Angel and Skylar Kelly, Dustin and Courtney Knapp and Museum Director George Wunderlich distributed candy to 500 cars, using the MFRC's theme of accessibility for those with special needs. Every car received a flyer about the Foundation and Museum as well as ideas for accessible technology in their own home.
The "Eye Spy" at the museum encouraged students and kids to visit the museum in costume and find eight decorated vehicles, including helicopters, ambulances, and the tank across the street.
If you use social media, you are invited to follow the Foundation at the following links:
Facebok.com/ameddmuseumfoundationinc
Instagram username: @ameddmuseumfoundation
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/ameddmuseumfoundationinc
|
|
Visit the AMEDD Gift Shop |
Did you forget to stop by the gift shop before leaving the museum? No need to worry! You can check out the AMEDD's Gift Shop website. |
|
|
Would you like to receive eNews? |
|
|
|
If you text JoineNews to 42828, you will be asked to supply your email address and will begin receiving it immediately. If you forward this email to a friend, then they can click on the photo to join the mailing list.
You may also send your email (hopefully enclosed with your capital campaign donation!) to AMEDD Museum Foundation, PO Box 8294, San Antonio, TX 78208.
|
|
New subscribers will be digital unless there are special circumstances. We hope that you will become emissaries of our mission by forwarding your digital version of the Monitor to anyone you think might be interested. |
|
Remember to share the eNews with your friends! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
