Spring News from MAMF

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

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.

On April 15, MAMF will bring “Stray Dog” to the Albuquerque South Broadway Cultural Center as a prelude to the national Run for the Wall event. This documentary film shows how motorcycling offers transformational experiences to Veterans returning to civilian life after combat and calls attention to those still unaccounted for in far-away battle fields.

Both film programs are open to the public and free of charge.

In production for the summer are two print anthologies of first-hand accounts of Veteran and Veteran family members who reflect on war in “From the Front Line to the Home Front” and in “SHOUT,” a collection of stories by and about LGBT Veterans before and after “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on and after active duty. MAMF will distribute the anthologies without cost and schedule discussion groups around the state about the thoughts and experiences in the books.

Also this summer… converting combat uniforms to paper to garments, a transformational workshop to help Veterans heal from the horrors of war to the joys of creative experience.

Busy, yes; but still time to take part in Memorial Day observances in Sandoval County and Angel Fire and time to plan for events on Independence Day and Veterans Day.