Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center

East Mountain Veteran/Family Collaborative partners with the National Veteran’s Intermediary; hosts community events 

By Circe Olson Woessner

The East Mountain Veteran/Family Collaborative, hosted at the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center in Tijeras, has become one of nearly 100 local community partners nation-wide that make up the National Veterans Intermediary (NVI). The NVI is an initiative of the Bob Woodruff Foundation.  

The East Mountain Veteran/Family Collaborative is comprised of representatives from veterans’ service organizations, business leaders, clinicians and educators working together to support veterans and their families through education, networking and community awareness. 

Locally, the collaborative will sponsor quarterly military/family community resource events, military spouse monthly luncheons, “lunch and learns,” and other workshops, as well as focusing on, and addressing, the concerns of rural veterans. Nationally, the collaborative will engage as a member of a larger ecosystem working collectively to improve the lives of veterans and their families. 

Air Force veteran Harold Murphree joined the collaborative because he wondered if his fellow East Mountain veterans shared the same concerns he did, and if, so, how could he help them. WWII/Occupation Army veteran Allen Dale Olson says he’s involved because the collaborative has the potential to unite community members and their resources in resolving common concerns and helping civilians see the uniqueness of military family life. Psychologist Natalie Williamson saysshe wants to give back to the community to honor and uphold the legacy of her brother SSGT Miguel Gonzales Jr. “He dedicated his life to protecting and serving God, Country, and all people. I know that if Miguel was alive today, he would say ‘you done good sis’.” 

The East Mountain Veteran/Family Collaborative will be hosting a military/family and community resource day at the museum on Thursday, August 22 from 11:00-4:00. Local veteran organizations, Department of Veteran’s Services representatives, the Children’s Grief Center of New Mexico, the New Mexico Grief Center, Albuquerque Public Schools, and local businesses and voter registration will be on site. This event is free and open to the public. 

The Museum is located at 546B State Highway 333, Tijeras, NM 87059. For more information about the collaborative or the resource day, contact the museum at 505-504-6830.  

Starting on July 14, museum visitors will enjoy “GI Jokes: A (Somewhat) Light-hearted Look at Military Life”, which will be on display in the museum’s education and performance gallery. GI Jokes is one of the museum’s rotating exhibits and will be on display through October. 

Created by historian and Army veteran Ron Panebouef and military spouse Stacy Parrott, the display includes works by more than a dozen prominent writers and artists. Panel art was designed by Army veteran Dominic Ruiz. 

Visitors, besides enjoying a smile or a chuckle or a nostalgic memory and perhaps shedding a tear, will also learn the origin of some of our most popular daily expressions and colorful military phrases. Comic book fans will appreciate the cover art, comics, and graphic novels on display.

The exhibit was sponsored by Kaufman’s West, Comic Warehouse, Rio Grande Credit Union, and TLC Books. 

The Museum of the Military Family is open Saturday through Wednesday 10:30-5:00

For Immediate Release

            NASHVILLE, TN—May 2019—The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) proudly announces that the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center in Tijeras, New Mexico,  is the recipient of an Award of Excellence for  its short film, “Love Song for the Dead”. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 74th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. 

“Love Song for the Dead”is a short 10 minute-long documentary film which weaves together military family stories and original music, creating a compelling musical reflection of the sacrifices of New Mexico’s deceased service members. It was a collaboration between the museum and a film intern from Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM.

This is the second award in as many years for the museum. Last year it received the  2018 Albert B. Corey Award, which is “named in honor of a founder andformer president of the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH), it recognizes primarily volunteer-operated organizations that best display the qualities of vigor, scholarship, and imagination in their work. The Leadership in History Awards committee presents the Corey Award at their discretion.”

This year, AASLH is proud to confer fifty national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history. Presentation of the awards will be made at a special banquet during the 2019 AASLH Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, on Friday, August 30. The banquet is supported by a generous contribution from the History Channel.

The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievement in the field of state and local history, but also bring public recognition of the opportunities for small and large organizations, institutions, and programs to make contributions in this arena. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, contact AASLH at 615-320-3203, or go to www.aaslh.org.

The American Association for State and Local History is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH provides leadership, service, and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all people. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, and maintains numerous affinity communities and committees serving a broad range of constituents across the historical community. The association also sponsors an annual meeting, regional and national training in-person workshops, and online training.

The Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center is an all-volunteer  501 (c) 3 non-profit entity and recognizes , honors  and serves the families who stand beside our nation’s soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen. It serves as a forum for the spouses, children, parents, grandparents, and others who have loved and supported a member of the military. It is a repository of stories, letters, documents, and photos of military family members throughout our nation’s history. The museum honors the countless men, women, and children who serve beside America’s service members. It tells their stories, which sees history through a different lens—and it draws attention to their unique culture and needs—and shows the good and the bad side of military life.  

###

To register:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-AZtJHrXevH8G2V948EJN0wKGHfAoZkwqvUZFGYCYqpt9_w/viewform

546B State Route 333, Tijeras, NM  87059

info@militaryfamilymuseum.org                (505) 504-6830                                

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center (MAMF)

For additional information: Dr. Circe Olson Woessner, Executive Director: 505 504-6830

April 28, 2019

Still Shouting – Memories from Inside the Closetopens in the MAMF Galleries at 10:30 am on Sunday, May 5 as a follow-on to the Inside Outexhibit which won the 2018 prestigious Albert B. Corey Award given by the American Association for State and Local History, gaining national recognition for the Tijeras museum.

Still Shoutingis the history of the LGBT military veterans before and after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” both while on active duty and upon returning to communities back home. MAMF has also published an anthology – SHOUT! Sharing our Truth –of first-hand stories  by LGBT veterans and veteran family members. A reader posted on the MAMF website that “This is an important collection of personal narratives… that are emotionally compelling… an important document of voices that matter.”  

Both exhibits have been created in collaboration with the Veterans Administration Medical Center LGBT Program offices , Sandia National Labs Pride Alliance, Kirtland AFB Gay-Straight Alliance and American Veterans for Equal Rights. 

Military uniforms, re-purposed into works of art, will be on display in the new MAMF Performance and Meeting Space, and, as the MAMF Director says, “the exhibit will share with the public unique stories that have not often been told.”

All seven MAMF galleries will be open during this show so visitors can see presentations on “A Military Kid’s Life,” “The Military Spouse – We Also Serve”; “Addiction and Recovery”; “Coming Home”; “Pride”; “Loss”; and “Schooling with Uncle Sam” – a look at the world-wide school system operated by the Department of Defense.

Admission is free, though donations are welcome. Hours are 10:30 to 5:00 Saturdays through Wednesdays. MAMF is on Old Route 66 (Central Avenue) seven miles east of Tramway (Interchange 175 off I-40), right next to Molly’s Bar.

                                                            ### 30 ###