Author: MilitaryFamilyMuseum

The Turning Edge

Military Family Members, Military News, Museum News, Museum of the American Military Family

By Circe Olson Woessner, Director MAMF

The Turning Edge is an educational collaboration between the Museum of the American Military Family and Battlefield: Home, focusing on military families, traumatic legacies, and generational storytelling. 

The collaboration

Anita Sugimura Holsapple, filmmaker and founder of Battlefield: Home–Breaking the Silence and recipient of the SAMHSA Voice Award for Best Documentary Film, and I have launched The Turning Edge. This educational initiative honors and brings attention to the lived experiences of military families across generations. The museum’s commitment to preserving military family history complements Battlefield: Home’s focus on contemporary storytelling, fostering connection, and raising awareness. Anita and I see this partnership as a foundation for ongoing collaboration, based on shared values of preservation, dialogue, and service to military-connected communities. 

Why this matters

The Turning Edge explores the often-unspoken realities experienced by veterans, military families, caregivers, and communities affected by trauma, transition, and service. Few programs address military trauma from a familial and intergenerational perspective, and fewer recognize storytelling’s power to foster understanding and strengthen communities. Personal story is important. Storytelling can be curative.

The program

We have developed educational tools to encourage participation in challenging but necessary conversations. These include guided discussions, educational programming, community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration. For workshops, Anita has created a one-hour special edition of Battlefield: Home. This format examines identity, isolation, resilience, caregiving, moral injury, and the lasting human impact of war beyond the battlefield. Drawing from her background as the daughter of a Marine Corps veteran and a Nagasaki atomic bomb survivor, Anita connects personal experience with sociological analysis, emphasizing intergenerational and cross-cultural perspectives.

Who is the program for?

Even though it is based on military experience, our work goes beyond that by bringing individuals, families, and communities together to gain a better understanding of the way trauma affects people’s lives, their relationships, and their sense of belonging. Through film and guided discussion, The Turning Edge turns silence into conversations that promote understanding, compassion, and hope for military and veteran families, as well as those who support them.

​​Anita shares the program’s philosophy: “We facilitate conversations that transcend a single individual or community by sharing experiences that resonate across families, military organizations, education and healthcare institutions, as well as civilian communities. Our programs help audiences engage difficult realities with greater clarity, creating room for conversations around trauma, transition, caregiving, identity, military family systems, moral injury, PTSD, TBI, and human connection.”


Our logo explained 

In Zen art, the enso, or minimalist circle, is drawn with a single or double brushstroke representing enlightenment, strength, elegance, and the void.  The open center honors what’s left unsaid and creates space for dialogue, healing, and understanding.  

In storytelling, a “turning-edge” plot twist is a moment that shifts the reader’s perspective, making them rethink past events and revise their prior understanding. It can be symbolic, like a storm subsiding or doors bursting open. It can also be an identity change, when someone realizes they are not just one role, like hero, soldier, or victim. A turning edge can also reveal that people who seem like strangers actually have a deep connection.

The Turning Edge stands for what we do. The Turning Edge gives those conversations a continuing public platform. Through storytelling, we look at ourselves and our situations in new ways; silence turns into conversations that foster greater understanding, compassion, movement forward, and hope.

Our stories shape us; our choices change us. 

Connect with us

Join us in supporting veterans and military families by hosting a customized in-person or remote screening, workshop, or discussion in your community. For details or to schedule an event, please visit the Battlefield Home website and complete the contact form.

https://www.battlefield-home.com

 

 

 

 

“The Paladin” display in Weil im Schönbuch through May 2026

MAMF Overseas, Museum News, Museum of the American Military Family

Die neueste Ausstellung im Rathaus von Weil im Schönbuch ist das Ergebnis einer internationalen Zusammenarbeit zwischen kanadischen, deutschen und amerikanischen Künstlern. „The Paladin“ präsentiert Fotografien von Gemälden des kanadischen Künstlers Barry Smylie sowie kreative Beiträge von Ulrike Gotowicz und Circe Olson Woessner.

„The Paladin“ erzählt die Geschichte einer jungen Soldatin, die in der Ukraine im Einsatz ist. Herr Smylie steht seit mehreren Jahren mit ihr in Briefkontakt und hat drei Jahre ihres Lebens beim Militär in einer Serie von zwölf Gemälden dokumentiert. Mit seinen Kunstwerken möchte Smylie die Geschichte einer einzelnen Frau erzählen – wohl wissend, dass jeder Krieg noch viele, viele weitere unerzählte Geschichten birgt und dass es wichtig ist, nicht zu vergessen, dass die Situation in der Ukraine nach wie vor andauert.

Smylie erklärt:

„Das Land wurde durch den ständigen Krieg verwüstet … Der Hass hat sich verfestigt; der Wille zum Frieden wird immer wieder vereitelt … Angesichts der Realität von Leben und Tod unter Beschuss müssen wir uns daran erinnern, dass Soldaten echte Menschen sind.“

» Read more

Learning & Leisure in “Little America” exhibit and discussion in Munich, Germany

Events, MAMF Overseas, Museum News

On Saturday, May 9, 2026, MAMF members met some former UMMC and military-connected folks and toured the Münchner Kindl brewery under construction at the site of the former AAFES gas station in the Perlacher Forst housing area. While no longer a military installation, the many current residents want to preserve the housing area as a protected historical entity, keeping the look and feel of “Little America” alive and well in Munich. A brew master is building a brewery on the site of the former gas station, and hopes to start his first batch of beer at the end of 2026. We were honored to be invited to tour the building and meet the architects and volunteers working very hard to preserve local history.

On Sunday, we were at Giesinger Bahnhof cultural center and met photographer Elvira Auer, who has preserved the former University of Maryland buildings through her photos, and some of the authors who have contributed stories to our latest anthology, Servus!

MAMF Director Circe and Historian Karin Pohl presented on historical and cultural topics, and then the other authors shared some of their writings. Laura Seidel made a short presentation about the 1960 plane crash which killed 52 people, including 12 University of Maryland students. A representative from St Paul’s church (into which the plane had crashed) attended the program on behalf of the parish.

One of the day’s highlights was when David Fanelli played recordings of his opera-singer mother and shared an original US Bicentennial poster. We’d like to thank the wonderful team at Giesinger Bahnhof who hosted us, provided support, and were a welcoming presence.

To read more about the history of McGraw Kaserne and the UMMC, some of the faculty and students, as well as the tragic plane crash in Munich, purchase a copy of Servus!

https://www.lulu.com/shop/circe-olson-woessner-and-karin-pohl/servus/paperback/product-65jn7dn.html?q=servus&page=1&pageSize=4

MAMF’s two big programs in the Stuttgart area

Events, Museum News, Museum of the American Military Family, Museum Press, News

 

 

 

 

 

In April, Month of the Military Child, MAMF’s exhibit, Dear America, what military-connected children want you to know was launched at Stuttgart High School. Created by high school senior Emily Wheeler, MAMF Student Liaison and Career Practicum student, Dear America was the centerpiece for a month-long celebration of military children. All Stuttgart area schools submitted artwork, essays, and other items to the exhibit. On April 15, the was a huge “Purple Up” event and all the students who contributed to the exhibit were invited.                                                                                                To see all more of Dear America, as well as MAMF’s other projects, click this link. 

In May, MAMF collaborated with Canadian artist Barry Smylie and German artist Ulrike Gotowicz to display The Paladin at the library on Patch Barracks and at the Weil im Schönbuch town hall. Both displays run through the end of May 2026.

The jpeg files for Paladin artwork was generously gifted by Smylie to the museum, and people interested in purchasing some of the pictures should contact MAMF at info@militayfamilymuseum.org.

To see all of the Paladin files, visit Smylie’s website at https://barrysmylie.com/galleries/2025/Palidin/pages/gallery2.html

YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Military Family Members, Museum News, Museum of the American Military Family

In April 2026, we launched a new exhibit called “Dear America, what military-connected children want you to know.”  A high school  senior in a Career Practicum program, whom we had been mentoring for the school year, created the exhibit. Teachers and students from all the local elementary and middle schools contributed essays, artwork, oral interviews, and more to the exhibit. While most of the exhibit consisted of student work, that doesn’t mean it didn’t cost anything to produce. Overall, the exhibit and the mid-point community-wide celebration cost about $6,000.

As a small museum in transition, our budget is very limited. Our WorkSpace isn’t open to the general public yet, so we don’t receive revenue from visitor donations. Because the exhibit is outside New Mexico and the continental United States, we are ineligible for state or most federal grants.

We are grateful for those who support the Museum of the American Military Family. Without sponsorship from individuals and organizations, we could not continue our work or maintain our organization. 

This year, we are especially grateful for the people who supported “Dear America”: the Stuttgart Community Spouse Club, Kirtland Spouse Club, the Albuquerque chapter of the Military Officers’ Association of America, and all the teachers  and community leaders who funded decorations, goody bags, and reception catering supplies out of their own pockets.

Additional sponsors to museum programs were the American Legion Post 117 in Clovis, New Mexico, the Belen, New Mexico, Moose Lodge 1680, and Moose Lodge 2088 in Deming, New Mexico. Our board members regularly donate “time, talent, and treasure” to keep MAMF producing relevant projects and to provide meaningful work-study and paid internships for University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico college students. (In 2026, we provided 4 students with paid work opportunities.)

Because we are a small organization, our all-volunteer board is hands-on, handling editing, social media, mentoring, content creation, displays, accounts, and official reports. This keeps expenses low. We are a very “lean” organization!

Donations from individuals not specifically earmarked  for an exhibit or program can be used for general operating costs, to keep a roof over our head, the lights on, and friendly students employed. We are grateful for every contribution: checks, Facebook or PayPal donations, Facebook birthday fundraisers, anthology purchases, or new members through our “Friends of the Museum” program. Each gift supports salaries, rent, internet, insurance, display cases, and conservation supplies.  

Support MAMF by taking action—explore the many ways you can help:

To donate via mail, simply send a check to MAMF at PO Box 5651, Albuquerque, NM 87185.

Donate now via this PayPal link: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QF2CUTEPFNHWN.

Every dollar matters.

Join as a member by clicking here, or sponsor a day through our ‘Today is brought to you’ program—your commitment helps.

A fifty-dollar sponsorship pays 2 ½ hours of one of our UNM student workers’ salaries, our trademark renewal fee, or 6% of our monthly rent. A $250 sponsorship pays for our podcast platform for a year, our library space rental for a month, or 35% of our annual liability insurance. To sponsor MAMF please pay through our PayPal. 

Make your tax-deductible gift today—every contribution is appreciated. We carefully steward all donations to maximize impact. Thank you for your support.

 Your support for the only museum solely dedicated to the history and accomplishments of US military families is not only a show of appreciation for those who serve alongside their service member, but also a guarantee that their legacies and stories will be preserved and shared with future generations. 

MAMF invites your business to join our “Today is sponsored by…” program

Museum News, Museum of the American Military Family

Your Support of our museum is not only a show of appreciation to those who serve alongside their service member, but also a guarantee that their legacies and stories will be preserved and shared with future generations. 

 MAMF: Honors Military Families •Preserves their Legacies •Shares their Stories •Educates the Public.

In 2026, we invite businesses to join our “Today is sponsored by …” sponsorship program. Your sponsorship will help sustain our programs and provide students with access to history, education, and valuable work experiences. Your business can support MAMF by sponsoring us for a day or a week. Your contribution will fund operating expenses, program development, and student stipends.

 

  • Sponsor us for a day: $50 • Sponsor us for a week: $250

Why Support Us? As a sponsor, your business will be recognized on our Facebook, in our members’ newsletter, and, for week-long sponsors, on our Dear America exhibit sponsor panel, (or after February 25, 2026, at our “Host Nation Hospitality” program in Munich, Germany). Your business will also be mentioned on our MAMF MEDIA podcast sign-off for a year. Wherever possible, we’ll acknowledge your support in press releases and media outreach. Your sponsorship will have a lasting impact, as we will feature your sponsorship graphic (one or seven times, depending on level) in a dedicated Facebook album, allowing our followers to see all past and current sponsors. And, above all, we will be grateful for your support.

To sponsor MAMF, please pay through our PayPal platform and write your business name and URL in the notes section. We’ll do the rest! We thank you in advance for your sponsorship! https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QF2CUTEPFNHWN

 

With your help, we can make 2026 even better!

Museum News, Museum of the American Military Family

On “Giving Tuesday” many organizations will be asking you for a donation. We will be too.

So why donate to MAMF? What does our tiny museum with a handful of volunteer board members do? We have created this graphic to highlight some of our 2025 achievements and their impact on others.

When you donate to MAMF, you’re part of a cycle that honors military families, shares their stories, preserves their legacies, and educates the public.

2025 was a transitional year for us, and we hope to continue rebuilding in 2026. But…we absolutely cannot continue without your support. Please donate via our FB fundraiser https://www.facebook.com/donate/4224809454435746/

or  PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/QF2CUTEPFNHWN), or by check to MAMF, PO Box 5651, Albuquerque, NM 87185.

Your tax-deductible contribution in any amount is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Your MAMF team

1 2 3 … 27