Roll Call! - Pennsylvania Military Museum

Roll Call!
Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum
To protect and preserve, for future generations, the legacy of Pennsylvanians who served in the military of the
United States, and to support the Pennsylvania Military Museum and the 28th Division Memorial Shrine.
www.pamilmuseum.org
Spring 2015
Front Lines
Friends President’s Report
John Wainright
[email protected]
During this year the Friends of the PA
Military Museum will embark a program
entirely new to our organization. Together
with the Military Museum we will jointly
engage in a strategic planning exercise. The
exercise is expected to take place during
2015 and last about six months. It will
initially take place at the Board of Directors
level. However, there may be aspects of
this process where we’ll ask the Friends
membership to participate. Our goals for
this exercise include: (1) define the Friends
role in the long term future of the museum;
(2) identify future fundraising opportunities;
(3) increase the number of visitors to the
museum; (4) create relationships with
corporate sponsors; (5) identify policies that
will ensure the long term sustainability of
the museum. During this exercise we will
most likely be conducting interviews with
interested parties (stakeholders). This will
require interaction with the Friends
membership.
Out of this exercise we hope to generate an
action plan to realize our goals and a
schedule (timeline) for implementing this
plan. Specifically regarding the Friends
organization, this planning process will also
review our board organization and our
available skills. The purpose of this aspect
of the exercise will be clearly define our role
and to optimize board performance. We’ll
keep you informed as the Military Museum
and the Friends work through this process
and will probably be asking for your help to
make our action plan.
An event that continues to gain popularity is the annual Pearl
Harbor Remembrance Day Tribute. Penn State ROTC candidates
participated, impressing several dozen visitors. We received
excellent coverage by the Centre County Gazette, Centre Daily
Times and WTAJ
Some happy guests mug for our facebook pages during Kids Day
Would you like to write an article for the newsletter? If so,
we would welcome your contributions. Please send the article or your idea about an article to
Al Turgeon
at
Roll Call
Page 2
Inside View
Site Administrator’s Report
I am writing this as Tom Wolf is becoming Governor of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
With a new
administration the first question on the mind of all PHMC
employees is how will PHMC and our sites fare under a
new Governor. That got me thinking this really was not
the real question. The real question is why do we have
PHMC sites and what guarantees that they will continue
to exist?
Some of you know I spent a few years working for the
National Park Service. I used to teach a class on
Philosophy of the National Park Service Law Enforcement
for the Seasonal Law Enforcement Program at Hocking
College. I used to start that class asking the students why
do we have National Parks and what guarantees that they
will exist. I realize that the answers to the NPS question
are the same for the PHMC questions.
I could get into a lengthy discussion of the Pennsylvania
History Code and how that makes the Commonwealth
legally responsible for the preservation of our sites and
cultural resources but that will be a little value. The
answer is very simple. We have these sites and museums
because the people value them and instruct their Senators
and Representatives to fund them. There are no
guarantees that PHMC will continue to fund these sites at
their present levels and I can point to places like Daniel
Boone, Fort Pitt, Bushy Run, etc. to prove my point.
We submitted the Annual Agreement between the Friends
of the PA Military Museum and PHMC for approval for the
2015/16 budget year this past week. I realized the budget
for the 2015/16 fiscal year for the Friends has changed
very little in the 4+ years I have been here. I also realized
that the Friends as an organization has changed
fundamentally very little since I have been here. Yes we
have become extremely better at the processes of being
an efficient organization and that was a wonderful step to
the positive. However, the challenges facing the Friends
in 2015 are greatly different than 5 years ago and the
Board must change to meet these needs. The idea that
the state is responsible and will take care of it needs to be
buried and never heard again.
This spring we will start to work on the Strategic Plan for
the PA Military Museum. We are also starting the
planning for the new museum exhibit. Both of these will
have major impacts on the direction and the future of this
site. There are huge decisions in front of this organization
and our approach to each decision is critical. I personally
feel that this site must have a curator to be fully
successful and was told point blank the Commonwealth
will not fund one. I personally feel the museum does not
have the space, objects, and funding to interpret the
themes of the Spanish American War to the present. I do
not expect the Commonwealth to address more space,
increase the collection, or increase the funding. It is also
not my place to make all of these decisions.
So anyone up for a change? We need some good dreams
and dreamers. We need to rally the masses to support
our cause! We need to find new ways to address issues
and concerns. The days of the Commonwealth being
responsible for everything are gone and the Friends must
decide how much they are willing to do to maintain and
improve this museum.
Chuck Smith, Site Administrator
[email protected]
Roll Call
Page 3
Museum Educator’s
Desk
Joe Horvath, [email protected]
We closed out the 2014 year with close to one
hundred children and their parents attending the biannual “Kids Day Dress-up & Discover!!” on
November 7th.
Many thanks to volunteers Deb
Baier, Jim Snyder, Ron Lenox, Mike Siggins, Tom
Master model maker Mike Siggins shows one
Stoner, Jess Tkach and Matthew Enderle. They spent
of his award winning displays on Kids Day
the day manning the dress-up and education stations
throughout the museum. The success of this event
The inaugural World War One
has encouraged us to add two out-door venue days
talk on gas warfare by Ron
on July 4th and August 15th when the kids may pose in
Lenox
closed
out
the
one or both of our “for-use” jeeps.
educational programming for
the year. Ron will present
this program again in the
spring during a weekend minisymposium on World War
One that is currently in the
planning stages.
Volunteer USMC SGT Jim Snyder adjusts the
uniform of an 8th Air Force pilot during Kids
Day
A busy spring of programming is anticipated with
April featuring two Army Air Corps personnel talking
about their World War II experiences followed by the
ever popular “Kids Day” which has been expanded to
four events for the season.
Please visit our website and facebook pages to keep
up-to-date about happening events.
Volunteer Mike Enderle discusses World War
One automatic weapons with Kids Day visitors
Page 4
Roll Call
Museum & Grounds Events
Wednesday, March 4th, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 1st 7:30 p.m.
Richard Koontz Memorial Lecture
Richard Koontz Memorial Lecture
“Penn State’s Participation in the Great War—WW I”
Speaker: Michael Bezilla
Michael Bezilla holds a doctorate in the history of
technology from Penn State and recently retired from the
University .Donation requested.
“Remembering World War II, a Pilot’s Journey”
Speaker: John F. Homan
Army Air Forces pilot John F. Homan discusses his
experiences during World War II.
Donation requested.
Saturday and Sunday, March 7th and 8th.
Charter Day Weekend
Museum reopens to the public on Saturday, March 7th,
with an Army Signal Corps Movie Madness Festival.
World War One is the topic beginning at 10 a.m. with the
film "Crusaders of the Sky" featuring American pilots
serving "over there." Immediately following is the U.S
Army production The Big Picture biography of General
Black Jack Pershing who commanded the American
Expeditionary Force in France. The Signal Corps action
continues at 1:30 p.m. with WWII newsreels of "1st US
Army-Aachen to the Roer"; "The Enemy Strikes", and
"Crossing the Rhine." The festival ends with a short tenminute piece of raw camera footage titled "Battleground
Aachen" showing the city of Aachen ten years after the
war. Regular admission rates apply. On Sunday 03/08,
Charter Day, there will be Free Admission to
commemorate the granting of the Charter from Charles II
to William Penn which founded “Penn’s Woods” in 1681.
Museum hours on Sunday are Noon to 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 18th, 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 21st., 1:30 p.m.
DOCUMENTARY: “You Enter Germany – Bloody Huertgen
and the Siegfried Line”
Between September 1944 and February 1945 thirteen U.S.
Army divisions fought for control of a 50 square mile area
of dense forest along the German border. It was the
longest single battle in American history and largest defeat
of the U.S. Army in Europe. This 2007 German production
tells that story with veteran’s interviews and archival
footage. (104 minutes). Donation Requested.
LECTURE
“AIR WAR: A First Hand Account of Combat and Capture “
Speaker: Bob Baker
Retired Air Force SGT Major Bob Baker of Mapleton, PA
recounts his World War II experiences as a B17 flight
engineer, gunner and German prisoner of war. Regular
Admission Rates Apply.
Saturday, April 25th, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Kids’ Day II: Dress Up and Discover!!
The first of four events where kids of all ages get to try on
the field gear and head gear from the museum education
collection. Bring cameras and pose for pictures in the
museum theatre. Visit education stations in the galleries
for more fun discoveries throughout the day. Regular
Admission Rates Apply.
Roll Call
Page 5
Friends of the PA Military Museum
2014 Membership List
Dustin Allgeier
Carl Amick
Joel Anderson
William Anstett
Edward & Margaret Augustine
William Babcock
Robert C. Baldwin
Robert Barry
Bruce Bazelon
Hon. Kerry A. Benninghoff
Michael Procanin Bernosky
Kelly Biggs
Col. & Mrs. Douglas Braendel
Christopher Brennan
Edward G. Buss
Bill Campbell Jr.
Frank Capparelli
James & Ann Carras
James R. Caum
William Cawthern
James M. Ceriani
Jay B. Claster
Ronald Coder
Charles & Emma Cole
Rep. Scott Conklin
Governor & Susan Corbett
Senator Jake Corman
Bob & Sandy Coyle
R. Scott & Rita Culbertson
Michael & Lorraine D'Angelo
Janet L. Deno
Terry Devenay
Dowling/Lindau Family
Rod Egan & Family
Troy Feldbauer
Nicolas Fernandez-Medina
Heather Fleck
Rodney Fletcher
James Fong
Richard & Francis Fonner
Travis Foster
Arnold Gasche
William Glidden, NYARNG
Howard Gregg
Ginger Grieco & Jim Bloom
Carl Hacker
Susan E. Hanna
Rep. Michael K. Hanna Sr.
Jack Hargleroad II
Annie Harvey
Bill Hatchner
Lynn & Julianne Herman
David & Cathy Horner
Michael Horst
Robert L. Hunt
Adrienne & John Hunter
Richard Ingram
Harold Isenberg
Robert & Virginia Jensen
Thomas Johns III
Robert Johnson
Marilyn Jones
Charles Kayhart
James Kegg
Chandra Kendall
Earl M. Kesler & Family
Anthony Kibelbek
Walter Kilareski
Walter King
James Y. Kuhnert
Jim & Denise Lanning
Bill Leech
Stanford Lembeck
Ronald Lenox
Leland Lester
Terry Lindquist
Bruce Lingenfelter
William Loop
James Lynch Jr.
Mary MacDonald
John W. Mahusky
Linda Marshall
John Zach Mateja
Stanley P. Mayers Jr., M.D.
Steve McClaskey
James McGuire
T. Bryant Mesick
Gene & Dorinda Metzgar
Calvin Miller
Janyce Mose
Mark & Sylvia Neely
Fielder Newton
William Newton
Gary Onsum
Brenda Parks
John Partner
George Pelipesky
Patrick Proffitt
James Rayback
J. Corey & Laura Reeder
David G Rhoades
Richard Rogers
Mark Rother
Anthony L. Rupert, Sr.
Philip Sauerlender
John Saylor
Thomas Schmuhl
Steve & Connie Schroeder
Grant Sherritt
Woody Snyder
Gil & Dottie Steele
John Stevens
Robert Struble
Steven Swistak
John Telford
Donald & Marcile Tressler
Al Turgeon
George Vraneza
John Wainright
Daniel Ray Walker
Maj. Michael Westman & Maj.
Susanne Shearer
Ilene White
Thomas P. Wieczorek
Sarah E. Wilson
Col. Wilbur E. Wolf, III
Roger Mark Wright
Roll Call
Page 6
Ridgway’s “Sailor with a Charmed Life”
By Jim Bloom, CPT, USN, Retired
the blockading frigate St. Lawrence
when a mysterious schooner fired
at her. St. Lawrence battled the
schooner and ran her aground.
She proved to be a Confederate
privateer just beginning her first
cruise against northern merchant
shipping. None of St. Lawrence’s
crew was lost in the running battle.
Admiral James H. Gillis
James Henry Gillis was born in
1831 in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, a
town his father and great-uncle
founded only 9 years earlier. Like
many landlocked young men even
today, the US Navy held a measure
of allure. The prospect of a life at
sea, a far cry from that of the
Pennsylvania frontier, so attracted
Gillis that he sought an
appointment
to
the
Naval
Academy. Midshipman Gillis was
posted to duty aboard a supply
ship which, during an 1858
expedition to Paraguay, lay in
Montevideo harbor. A sudden
violent storm rocked the bay
sending a nearby Argentine ship to
the bottom. Gillis and crewmen
from his supply ship dove to the
rescue at the height of the tempest
to save many of the Argentines.
Not an American was lost.
By the outbreak of the Civil War
Gillis had been promoted to
Lieutenant. On July 28, 1861, he
was serving off Charleston aboard
As the Civil War was winding down
Gillis had risen to his own
command, the Union ironclad
monitor
USS
Milwaukee.
Persistent Confederates outside
Mobile, Alabama, continued to
fight from the Spanish Fort on the
Blakeley River opposite the city. In
March of 1865 Milwaukee was
ordered to intercept the fort’s
supply line, but in cruising to the
area a violent explosion rocked the
monitor’s stern. She sank quickly,
the victim of an underwater
“torpedo,” though her bows
remained afloat long enough for
every one of her crew to escape.
Sailors are a superstitious lot, and
it hardly escaped attention that no
sailor had been lost from a ship
upon which Gillis was serving,
despite
some
harrowing
adventures. The year 1868 found
him commanding the paddlewheel
gunboat USS Wateree. As she lay
in the harbor at Arica, Peru, on 13
August,
an
estimated
9.0
earthquake shook the town.
It was shortly followed by a 40-foot
tsunami that viciously flung Wateree
two miles up the harbor and left her
stranded upright on dry ground, 430
yards from the water’s edge. But
her flag was still flying, and again not
a man was missing! Our other Navy
ship present at Arica, USS Fredonia,
was not so lucky, being smashed to
bits in the disaster and suffering 27
of her crew drowned.
Now widely known as the “sailor
with a charmed life,” Gillis continued
to command Navy ships and
squadrons for several decades.
Many a sailor was all too happy to
serve under such a lucky captain!
He was promoted to Commodore
(one star) in 1887 and continued on
active duty until reaching the
mandatory retirement age of 62. He
lived in well-deserved respite until
1910, still celebrated for his magical
fame.
Truth be told, there was one sailor
killed while serving with Gillis,
though he was ashore at the time.
Boatswain Tait waited on shore by
the captain’s gig for a working party
that had been sent from Wateree
moments
after
the
1868
earthquake. He and the gig were
caught by the tsunami that
followed. Recognizing his sure fate,
Bo’sun Tait boldly waived the
American flag in a final tribute to his
watching shipmates as he was swept
away!
Roll Call
Page 7
These license plates are the perfect accessory for any
vehicle – show your military affiliation and pride! All
license plates are metal, measure 6” x 12”, and are
priced between $5 and $7 dollars. A variety of styles,
for the Army, Navy, Seabees, Marines, Coast Guard,
Air Force, and National Guard are available. Blue
Star and Gold Star Family plates are also in stock.
--------------------------------------------------Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum
Annual Membership Application
(Memberships run on a calendar year, through December 31.)
Individual $30 _____
Family $45 ______
Additional Donation $______
FULL NAME ________________________________________________________
(Please complete NAME information as you wish to be recognized, including title.)
ADDRESS__________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP_________________________
TELEPHONE (_______)____________________ E-MAIL______________________________________
Your e-mail address will never be sold or shared with anyone. It will only be used for communications from the Friends, for sending
material such as the Friends newsletter.
Please send completed form and payment to Friends of the PA Military Museum, P.O. Box 160A, Boalsburg, PA 16827. Make
checks payable to “Friends of the PA Military Museum.” If you have questions, please contact the Friends at (814) 466-6401, or
e-mail [email protected]. Thank you for your support!
FRIENDS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:
John Wainright
[email protected]
Vice-President:
vacant
Friends of the PA Military Museum
P.O. Box 160A
Boalsburg, PA 16827
Web: www.pamilmuseum.org
Bob Barry
Dick Ingram
Walt Kilareski
Bruce Lingenfelter
Vern Metzger
Corey Reeder
Dave Rhoades
Chuck Smith
Gil Steele Jr.
Al Turgeon
Site Administrator
Chuck Smith
[email protected]
Museum Educator
Joe Horvath
[email protected]
Museum Office
(814) 466-6263
Friends Business Office
Ann Carras
[email protected]
(814) 466-6401
The PA Military Museum is
administered by the Pennsylvania
Historical
and
Museum
Commission in partnership with
the Friends of the Pennsylvania
Military Museum. Learn more at:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/
portal/server.pt?
pen=512&mode=2&objID=1426.
Pennsylvania Historical
and Museum Commission
300 North Street
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-3362
Governor
Tom Corbett
PHMC Executive Director
James Vaughan
NEWSLETTER
SUBMISSIONS
Please send military and
museum related news for
this quarterly newsletter to
Al Turgeon at [email protected].
Items for the next newsletter
are due April 24, 2015.
Front Desk Help Needed
We still could use some help with staffing the front
desk of the museum. The job entails greeting museum
goers, ringing up admissions, and doing sales for the
Museum Store. Hours are flexible. It’s fun, and easy!
Contact Bob Barry ([email protected]), Friends
volunteer coordinator, if you can help.
Hours of
Operation
and Admissions
Wednesday—Saturday:
10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.
Sundays:
12:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m.
Admissions
Adults 12-64: $6.00; Senior Discount:
$5.50; Youth 3-11: $4.00; Children under
3: Free; Friends members and uniformed
military personnel receive free admission.
Visit the PMM Website:
http://pamilmuseum.org/
For schedule updates, visit:
http://pamilmuseum.org/Events/ScheduledEvents.html
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/