Category: Military Family Members
2016 –A Year of Change!
Looking back at the past year, I am so amazed at what our small, but mighty, board has accomplished. As the Director of the Museum, I was honored to be asked to write a monthly military family-oriented column for the Kirtland Air Force Base Nucleus.
We began 2016 in our rented space on the second floor of the Bataan Military Academy, and some of the girls from 66 Pinups and Heels did a photoshoot in MAMF and that resulted in some pretty spectacular photos with the girls and a mention in a magazine not usually associated with museums.
In February, some of our board met up with Joe Condrill, founder of the Overseas Brats organization, as he hosted a regional get-together in Cervantes restaurant in Albuquerque. We made some new local Brat acquaintances and caught up with old friends.
As a Vietnam Commemorative Partner, along with the VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, we hosted a program, Heroes & Hueys. We honored our Vietnam Veterans and showed the film, In the Shadow of the Blade. Speakers included Lt. Governor John Sanchez, Secretary Jack Fox, General Andrew Salas, VA Medical Center Andrew Welch and MAMF Operations Director Joseph Baca. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department flew in its Huey helicopter and landed it on the parade grounds at VA. MAMF board members passed out commemorative pins and sprigs of rosemary “for remembrance”.
In May, we supported our board member Jan as she rode all the way across the country-from California to Washington DC, as part of Run For the Wall and join Rolling Thunder on Memorial Day. She took one of our Flat Stellas with her and posed with lots of wonderful people all across America. In conjunction with RFTW, we showed the film, Stray Dog, at the South Broadway Cultural Center. Over the summer, I became the Midway Route Coordinator for the New Mexico leg of RFTW. It is a huge responsibility, and I could not do it alone, so I have a great team in Jan, Bill, Dean and Firecracker helping—as well as all the folks involved in RFTW across the country.
Board members Joe Baca and Lisa Pino represented MAMF at the Memorial Day ceremony at the Sandoval County Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, and my husband and I went up to Angel Fire to attend the ceremony up there.
In June, we moved our museum to a new location in Tijeras, NM. Tijeras is about 7 miles east of Albuquerque and is where Route 66 and scenic byway NM 14 intersect. Our museum is right next to New Mexico landmark Molly’s Bar. In fact, our museum is in the former home of Molly, the bar’s founder. During her life, Molly was a vibrant figure in the community and as a Justice of the Peace, conducted weddings in her home—our current building.
We continued Molly’s tradition of hosting meaningful, happy ceremonies in her home by hosting a naturalization ceremony in October. 7 Military spouses became US Citizens in our museum in a moving ceremony. Local businesses provided refreshments and decorations. We plan to host more of these ceremonies in the future.
We added many artifacts to our collection—we received hundreds of artifacts from various DODDS schools and a fabulous collection of memorabilia spanning four decades from a former DOD teacher. We acquired quite a few books for our library, and many locals in the Tijeras area have been dropping off family items to display.
In the fall, we hosted the Patriot Ride motorcycle run, as well as some disaster preparedness workshops. We started our “Mid-Month Movies” series. It will continue throughout 2017 with a different movie each month.
On November 5, we opened our fourth exhibit, GI Jokes: A (Somewhat) Light-hearted Look at Military Life. It was hosted at the Albuquerque Special Collections library. Up for a month, it closed in early December.
Fellow University of Maryland Munich Campus (UMMC) alum Alexander George and I edited a compilation of memories from dozens of students who attended the UMMC. Proceeds from the book, Eins, Zwei, G’Suffa: Memories from Munich Campus will go to the Museum.
MAMF Writer-in-Residence Paul Zolbrod worked with veterans, active duty, and military family to compile stories for the museum’s anthology From the Frontlines to the Home Front: New Mexicans Reflect on War. Thanks to a grant from New Mexico Humanities Council, in early 2017, the museum will host reading and discussion groups throughout New Mexico.
On November 10th, MAMF’s military family memorial was delivered to its location in Santa Fe, and Paul Silva, our special projects “guru” will begin to convert it into a wonderful tribute to military families. Veteran artist Dominic Ruiz created panels for the project, using photos submitted from hundreds of military families.
As a board, we met formally quarterly, and, informally, almost daily in our special Facebook Group.
In recapping our events, I hope that you, the reader, will appreciate what we do, and will support us as we start the new year. Without continued monetary support, we will have to curtail the programming and exhibits we have become known for.
There are many ways to support us: sign up for Amazon Smile, or Smith’s Rewards. Use Goodsearch as your search engine or donate money through our GoFundMe account. Buy a copy of Eins, Zwei, G’Suffa or download our military brat inspired Christmas song, graciously recorded by the Winsor Trio. Proceeds from the download will go towards helping us fund a summer media camp for teens in 2017. We always appreciate receiving a check in the mail or a having a new member sign up. We also have the “Buck a Brat” fundraiser through the end of 2016 to raise money to buy metal dandelion sculptures for the memorial.
There are so many ways to help MAMF—and any contribution, big or small, will be appreciated so very much. All of our programming is free to the public and as is admission to our museum—but in order to pay the rent and keep the lights on, we depend on people to help us achieve this.
Upcoming Events for 2017 (Funding dependent):
- February: Winterfest in Angel Fire
- Dedication of Military Family Memorial
- March/April: From Fatigues to Flags: Transformational Papermaking Workshops
- May/June: Host Nation Hospitality exhibit about food and tourism in Japan, France and Germany
- Fall/Winter: Schooling with Uncle Sam: One Teacher’s Travels exhibit under consideration
- Also:
Creation of SHOUT-an anthology of LGBTQ Service members and their Families - Media Summer Camp with Media Artist in Residence Jose Ponce
So as we end 2016 and look towards 2017, we are hopeful and resolved in our mission of telling the stories of America’s Military Families.
On behalf of MAMF, we wish you a happy, prosperous and safe 2017.
A Busy Three Days
November 10th and 11th were very busy for the museum! On the 10th, our Memorial house was delivered to Santa Fe, where Paul Silva, our Projects Manager will begin to transform it into a fitting tribute to Military Families.
On the 11th, our friends at UPS moved a shipment of artifacts from AOSHS, an archive in Wichita, Kansas to be housed at MAMF as a special collection.
Also on the 11th, Director Circe and her husband attended the Sandoval County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Veterans Day celebration.
And on the 12th MAMF started its Dandelion Challenge! Stay tuned for more info!
GI JOKES: A SOMEWHAT LIGHTHEARTED LOOK AT MILITARY LIFE opened in Albuquerque
GI JOKES runs from 11/5/2016-12/2/2016 at Albuquerque’s Special Collections Library . MAMF Spouse Liaison Stacy and MAMF Director Circe set it up on November 4th.
The exhibit opened to the public on November 5th. After it closes, it will be available to travel and then it will be on display in the Museum of the American Military Family& Learning Center’s permanent location.
Circe Olson Woessner and Allen Dale Olson
Stacy Marinaro
GI Jokes
We’d like to thank our sponsors: Dominic Ruiz Graphics, Buzzy’s Stickers, Total Learning Curve Books, Comic Warehouse, Kaufman’s West, Rio Grande Credit Union…we so appreciate you.
A Bit about MAMF & Route 66
A little bit about Route 66 and Tijeras, where our museum is located.
U.S. Route 66 also known as the “Will Rogers Highway”, the “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road”, was one of the original highways within the U.S. Highway System. It was established in 1926. It originated in Chicago, Illinois, and ran through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before ending at Santa Monica, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).
US 66 served as a major path for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and the road supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. US 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, and it was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985, after it had been replaced in its entirety by segments of the Interstate Highway System.
US 66 covered 380 miles (610 km) in New Mexico and passed through many Indian reservations in the western half of the State. East of those reservations, the highway passed through Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas. As in Arizona, in New Mexico, U.S. 66 paralleled I-40.
Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona have been designated a National Scenic Byway of the name “Historic Route 66”, which is returning to some maps.
Musical Highway
In October 2014, the village of Tijeras gained national attention for a nearby “musical road”, a two-lane stretch of U.S. Highway 66 with grooves in the roadway (rumble strips) arranged to cause the sounds of the song “America the Beautiful” to be heard when vehicles drive on it at 45 mph.
Tijeras is the southern gateway to the Turquoise Trail and the mountain communities along its path. Two canyons come together at Tijeras, the Spanish name for scissors. Tijeras Canyon, leads west towards Albuquerque, and Cedro Canyon, leads south to the Manzano Mountains as The Salt Mission Trail. The area was first inhabited by pueblo Indians, living in a pueblo whose ruins can be seen behind the US Forest Service station. Stop at the Cibola National Forest headquarters, one mile south of Tijeras on NM 337 for information and brochures on the area’s recreational opportunities. Visit Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site behind the office. Tijeras is dotted with shops, cafes and access to hiking trails.*
Military Family Museum in Tijeras, New Mexico
THE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN MILITARY FAMILY & LEARNING CENTER (MAMF) is located next to the famous landmark, Molly’s Bar, at 546 B State Highway 333. It opened its doors to the public on July 9 2016.
MAMF, founded in 2011 as an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization, is a Vietnam War Commemoration Partner and a partner in the development of the New Mexico National Guard Heritage Center. It manages Operation Footlocker, a mini mobile exhibit that circulates throughout the United States to help honor military children and their families.
*Most of this information came from Wikipedia
Some other links:
http://www.newmexico.org/listing/?lid=32589
MAMF Has Moved to its New Location on Route 66!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2016
For additional information: Dr. Circe Olson Woessner (505) 504-6830
THE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN MILITARY FAMILY (MAMF) IS ON THE MOVE
Old Route 66 is getting a new tenant. The nation’s only museum dedicated to the mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, spouses, and other family members of those who serve and have served in America’s military is settling in at the I-40 interchange with Tijeras. Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Circe Olson Woessner, says the move is going well, “and we plan a grand opening at 3:30 p.m. on July 9.”
Till last summer, MAMF was an on-line presence, but last July set up temporarily in the Bataan Military Academy yet continued providing programs in various venues, to include Explora, the Balloon Museum, the National Nuclear Museum, the South Broadway Cultural Center, the Special Collections Library, the Veterans Memorial Park, schools, and patriotic ceremonies around the state. Its Operation Footlocker mobile exhibit program travels throughout the country and its Flat Stanley and Flat Stella programs follow military families around the world.
“Like everything we do,” Woessner said, “our move to Tijeras is done by volunteers. We are an all-volunteer entity with no paid staff, and our programs and classes are supported by grants, donors, and volunteers, and they’ve all been packing, carrying, unpacking, cleaning, and painting to get us ready to open next month. All of our Directors and Advisors are volunteers.”
Woessner said the new facility will have an artifacts/exhibit area, a library, a crafts room, and a gift shop. “We’re in a house,” she said; “the former home of Molly who established the historic destination bar bearing her name, so as visitors walk in they’ll see what could be the home of a military family that makes a new home every two or three years.”
Exhibition panels describe the various elements affecting family life in the military and the kinds of schools military children attend around the world.
“We’ll be open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,” she said, “and we’ll be free to the public.” She said there’s plenty of free parking and praised the attractiveness of the Tijeras Pass leading some seven miles east of Albuquerque along Old Route 66 (Central Avenue), including the “Musical Road.”
The Museum of the American Military Family (MAMF) is at 546 State Highway 333 (Old Route 66), Tijeras, NM 87059. Tel: (505) 504-6830; info@militaryfamilymuseum.org; P.O. Box 5085, Albuquerque, NM 87185. www.museumoftheamericanmilitaryfamily.org.
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Home Front Salute: May
By Circe Olson Woessner
Although May is often described as the “merry month of”– if you are military, this happy month has its somber side.
The Friday before Mother’s Day is Military Spouse Appreciation Day, and in this year’s proclamation, President Obama said, “We honor the spouses of those who have left behind everything they know and love to join our Nation’s unbroken chain of patriots, and we recommit to giving military spouses the respect, dignity, and support they deserve.”
That sentiment is appreciated—
Because of their unconventional lifestyle, many military spouses become independent and self-reliant.
Marine wife Stacy Marinaro recalls, “I remember a particular bad deployment. I was strong and silent and didn’t shed a tear at the bus depot while the buses carrying all our beloved, brave men drove off. I remember other wives mad at me that I didn’t cry. Well, it was my 4th time after all. My Family Readiness Officer came to my aid and stood up for me saying, that it was ‘ok that she’s not crying because she is a seasoned wife’. I kind of liked that term.”
Many military spouses are also mothers, and they deftly maneuver their families through unique conditions.
Military daughter Marilyn describes her mother fondly, “My mom was a WWII vintage, hauling kids from one end of the earth to the other, birthing children overseas, in dusty, remote duty stations, jungles and frozen tundra. Enduring seasickness, inoculations for God-knows-how-many exotic diseases, keeping our shot records, school records, silk kimonos, pets, bicycles, treasured toys (despite household goods weight restrictions—some of her stuff had to be left behind; it wasn’t nearly as important as her kids’ stuff).”
James Kenderdine remembers his mom’s courage, “My mother did not take the Army’s offer of evacuation during the Berlin Airlift (1948-49). She said, ‘I can stay the winter, no matter how bad it is.’ Watching her learn to shoot an MI carbine was fantastic, and to this day, I can still clearly see the image of her carbine, with a 20 round clip in it, round in the chamber, hanging by its sling next to her and dad’s bed.
This year, on May 8th, Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-E Day, fell on Mother’s Day. This day traditionally marks the end of World War II in Europe, and is both somber and joyful.
On the home front, anxious families eagerly awaited the arrival of their loved ones.
A WWII wife describes her husband’s homecoming to their small New Mexico pueblo, “We didn’t know he was coming. He took the bus from Albuquerque and got off on the highway behind the hill. Our two children were outside playing, and our six-year daughter saw him and went running to her dad, but the littlest one ran away. I guess he didn’t know his dad.”
In 1949, Louis Johnson, the then US Secretary of Defense, announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. It was a time to pay tribute to men and women who serve in the United States’ armed forces.
It was that sentiment that had Vietnam veteran, Larry “Wolfman” Hurtado, create a Memorial honoring two of his friends who died in Vietnam. Located in the town of Bernalillo, the Sandoval County Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial consists of a high wall listing the names of New Mexico veterans, many who have paid the ultimate price. The memorial is a special place– a place for reflection, a place to hold ceremonies, to honor the dead, the missing, and Hurtado has built it with support from other veterans, friends and schoolmates. He is proud of the grass roots involvement in the project.
Currently, the Museum of the American Military Family is creating a memorial to honor 400 years of American Military Families’ service to America. Fundraising is underway and we plan to unveil it in the fall of 2016. (You can see more information on our website about this initiative.)
This Memorial Day, make it a point to go to one of the many local ceremonies happening across New Mexico and reflect on the true meaning of the day. As the names on the wall are read, or the somber music plays, remember the sacrifices of our service members –and those of the mothers and fathers, spouses, sons, and daughters, who loved and supported their loved ones—and lost them too soon.
MAMF continues to raise money and enthusiasm for the Military Family Memorial
Years ago, MAMF began designing its memorial honoring military families. Since then, people have donated a little over $5,000 towards the project. Originally, MAMF wanted to convert one of the seven military housing units it had been gifted into the memorial, but has since determined that those houses will prove too costly to renovate and rehabilitate for the project.
MAMF has redesigned its memorial, incorporating original artifacts from the historic Kirtland AFB houses. They have commissioned an Albuquerque firm to create 3D dandelion sculptures, which will be unveiled later this summer.
Here’s a rough sketch of the memorial building honoring those who “kept the home fires burning…”
The Memorial will be placed with the New Mexico National Guard in late 2016, thanks to the generous donations of individuals, businesses and organizations. It will take an additional $10,000 to bring this Memorial to fruition. If you’d like to help MAMF create this unique tribute to the countless men, women and children who serve alongside America’s heroes, please click here to donate, or send a check to:
MAMF, PO Box 5085 Albuquerque, NM 87185 . We are a 501c3 all volunteer nonprofit and your donations are tax deductible.
Thank you!
Honoring All Military Moms–
May 6, 2016 is Military Spouse Appreciation Day! Let’s Hear it For our Military Wives & Moms!
Cheryl Grinstead, my mother, joined the United States Air Force as a WAF (Woman of the Air Force) in February 1966, and was granted an honorable discharge in August 1967. She is a member of the American Legion and a lifetime member of the DAV.
The Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center has an all volunteer board, many of whom are or were military spouses or military moms– Thank you Stacey, Cheryl, Circe, Sue, Caroline & Jan for all your sacrifice & service! Our Brat Media Manager sent in this photo of her military mom–
“After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, she received technical training as an Inventory Specialist at Amarillo Air Force Base in Texas, where she was the honor graduate in her class and was stationed at Randolph AFB in Texas, assigned to the Base Supply Financial Office. While at Randolph, she met and married my father, William Grinstead. After becoming pregnant with me, my mother was honorably discharged from the Air Force. She was only on active duty for a little over 18 months, and I have always been very proud of my mother’s service, particularly that she was part of the legacy of women in the early years of the Air Force. Women were fully integrated into the Air Force in 1973, but until that time, WAFS only accepted 4,000 enlisted women and 300 female officers per year. My mother was in very elite company who helped to pave the way for the generations of women who have served since then. I’ve also been very proud of her role as a military spouse, the often unsung heroes of our military – at every base we were stationed, my mother provided support to the families by volunteering for Family Services, or the American Red Cross, or Girl Scouts, as well as being active in the Enlisted Wives Club. In fact, she is also still an American Red Cross volunteer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nnRDnUW_V0&feature=youtu.be
MAMF Director Circe and her husband Bill at the Army Ball in Redstone Arsenal, AL
Spring News from MAMF
BUSY TIMES FOR THE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN MILITARY FAMILY (MAMF)
A Commemoration Ceremony for Vietnam Veterans: “Heroes and Hueys”
A Documentary Film Program” “Under the Blade
Production of Two Anthologies
A Workshop: “Paper Making – a Healing Transformation”
In partnership with the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, the Museum of the American Military Family (MAMF) will co-host a New Mexico ceremony on March 29 as part of a national observance of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. It will open at 10:00 am with a flag line and color guard, continue with tributes to Veterans by Lt. Governor John Sanchez, Cabinet Secretary Jack Fox, and Brigadier General Andrew Salas, and conclude with a special showing of the documentary film “In the Shadow of the Blade,” which depicts the 10,000-mile journey of a battle-scarred UH-1 helicopter from Southeast Asia to America to tell the stories of Veterans and their families who also served. Thanks to the Bernalillo Sheriff’s Department, visitors will see and climb aboard a restored Huey of the kind featured in the film. » Read more