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WASSUP???

January – March 2020

VOLUNTEER AWARD WINNERS Volunteer of the Quarter Awards: Attention Team Chiefs, though award winners have

not been selected over the last couple of years, please keep on submitting your choice for Volunteer of the Quarter and Volunteer of the Year according to the following schedule. To all Team Chiefs, please make your nominations for the Volunteer of the Quarter awards to Lori Nye no later than (NLT) the 15th day of March, June, September, and December. If we do not receive nominations by the date above of each of the specified quarters, we will not name a Volunteer of the Quarter.

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NEW VOLUNTEERS

We are continuously blessed with new people volunteering their time to help us here at the Museum. Since the last issue of the WASSUP, we have not added to our team of volunteers. The Museum is always looking for a “few good men & women” to add to our team. New volunteers joining our team since the last newsletter are:

LONG-TERM MUSEUM VISITORS PASSES

For those who do not use a Government ID card to access the Base, a revised list of volunteers has been sent to the Base Access Control Officer for the new Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) card that will allow you access to the base. This list includes the name of volunteer’s spouses, if applicable, or the parent/guardian of volunteers who have not already reached driving age. The Air Force-mandated background check on the individuals

listed will be accomplished, at the Visitor’s Center when the DBIDS card is issued. When you come thru the Gate, just show them that card. They will scan the bar code on the back, and you will be on your way. THINGS TO REMEMBER: (1) DBIDS cards will be issued ONLY to the persons on the validated list allowing them access to the Base; (2) If your spouse needs unescorted access to the Base to drop you off or pick you up, he/she will need to get his or her own DBIDS card. The DBIDS cards were requested for the current period, BUT if you picked up a new DBIDS card before the expiration of the old one, the new one will expire one year after the issuance of the new one. (3) Keep your eye on that expiration date as they are not all the same. Do not forget to get your “NEW DBIDS” card before your current one expires!

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(4) Your Social Security number will be required to be confirmed before your DBIDS card can be issued, so you will have to present either your physical Social Security card or a copy of a physical IRS Form (such as a W-2) to confirm that number.

DBIDS cards are issued at the Vehicle Registration desk in the Visitor’s Center north of the

Main Gate at the intersection of M-59 and Jefferson Avenue. NEW HOURS: Hours are generally from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Monday and from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday thru Saturday. Due to staffing limitations, the Visitor’s Center is closed the Saturday before a Federal holiday, Sundays, Federal holidays, and on Saturdays and Mondays for lunch (time varies depending on their workload). It is recommended that you call before you try to get your pass, regardless of the day you plan to arrive. Their phone number is 586-239-6849. DBIDS cards have been requested solely for participation in Museum activities, the performance of Museum business at other on-Base locations, and transportation to/from on-Base eating establishments. Do not use this pass for any other reason!

Please, please, please! Recruit your family members and/or friends to

volunteer @ the Museum. We are desperately in need of weekend docents especially and our special Tuesday/Friday teams could always

use more volunteers.

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Museum Happenings

Museum Fundraising Efforts:

Partnership with Texas Roadhouse, Chesterfield Township

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

Monday, April 20th

“Howdy pardner, how about enjoying a great steak dinner and at the same time support the Selfridge Military Air Museum? Take the enclosed coupon to The Texas Roadhouse on 27050 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield Township, present it to your server and 10% of your total bill will be donated to the Selfridge Military Air Museum.” Or, visit the Museum’s website and download the image to your hone or print it off to take with you.

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Museum Happenings (continued)

To All Volunteers:

The following email was sent to MAGHA members regarding Lt Col Louis Nigro:

As some of you might know our Executive Director, Lou Nigro has had significant health issues. It has been difficult for him to exercise the responsibilities of the position at the high standards that he sets for himself.

We are soliciting applications for selecting a new Executive Director of MAGHA. As with all our volunteers this position is without pay. The job involves significant time for running a volunteer group of about 60 but it comes with flexible days and hours. Strong skills in administration are required. For anyone interested please submit your interest by 5 April 2020 along with a short resume. Email your interest to the MAGMA Board, pockpa@sbcglobal.net. Please include your address and telephone number.

Lou Nigro has served with distinction for 20 years. As the result of his outstanding leadership as Executive Director we have grown while he preserved the history of Selfridge and the Michigan Air Guard. Without fanfare or seeking recognition he has devoted his retirement life to serving our needs. He has been a dedicated, “Great American”. We owe him much.

Paul Pochmara, MGAHA Board President

Note: The Museum has also received a directive from the Base and the USAF and the Museum will not be opening on 4 April as planned. Our first day is 16 May 2020. Please look over your scheduled dates and let Lori know at librarianlori@yahoo.com, if you are able to give us additional days 16 May 2020 to 31 October 2020 in lieu of any dates that you may have signed up for in April and early May. We have some open days with little or no coverage: C-130 – 23 May; Gift Shop/Cash Register & Inside Floater – 25 May (Memorial Day); Inside Floater – 13 & 14 June; 20-21 June; SPAD Hangar – 4 July; Inside Floater – 5 July; Gift Shop/Cash Register – 11-12 July; Inside Floater – 11 July; Flight Training Room – 11 July; C-130 – 18 July, 26 July; 8-9 August; Flight Training Room – 8 August; C-130 – 15-16 August; Gift Shop/Cash Register, C-130, Flight Training Room – 30 August; Inside Floater – 5-6 September; C-130 – 27 Sept; 4 Oct; Inside Floater – 11 Oct, 18 Oct; C-130 – 25 Oct; Flight Training Room – 31 Oct. Also, processing DBIDS and visitors’ requests for passes have been temporarily suspended.

Please revisit your availability days and help, if you can!

Selfridge Retirees Meeting

The Selfridge Military Air Museum will once again be hosting the ‘Retirees’ luncheon and meeting in July. Please plan on joining us for a great time in the Museum’s Air Park. Check out our website (http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SelfridgeMilitaryAirMuseum/) for additional details closer to July.

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

Base Community Council Meeting

The Selfridge Military Air Museum is on the calendar to host the September Luncheon and Meeting of the Base Community Council. Check out the Museum’s website (http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SelfridgeMilitaryAirMuseum/) closer to September for additional details.

New Exhibits Come to the Selfridge Military Air Museum By Ed Kaminski

New exhibits have come to life at the

Selfridge Military Air Museum this winter. Some

new volunteers have stepped forward to work on

expanding the various displays. Two new additions

to our already comprehensive exhibits deal with the

role and mission of the Security Forces at Selfridge

throughout the years. The dedicated team led by Ed

Kaminski includes former 127th Security Force

member MSgt Dan French and former 927th Security

Force member SSgt Tom Griese. Extensive photos

presentations complement the 4 mannequins dressed

in period correct uniforms as worn by the Security

Police/Forces from the time that the Air

National Guard assumed operational control of

Selfridge in 1971 to the present time.

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

Going along with the changes to our exhibits, MSgt Clara Kamman and MSgt Lynn

Conlen have put together a ‘Women at

Selfridge” exhibit highlighting the role that

women played here at Selfridge. Mannequins

show the women’s dress uniforms of the 4

branches of the service as well as their role

here at Selfridge. Various memorabilia

enhance the exhibit.

New photo displays further enhance the

museum’s stories of the Tuskegee Airmen at

Selfridge in WW II, the role of Selfridge

during WWII as well as some of the notable

airmen who served at Selfridge throughout

the years.

If you haven’t been to the museum since last

year, come on back. There’s a lot of new things to see and experience.

Go-Fund-Me

The Selfridge Military Air Museum has launched a “Go-Fund-Me” initiative to raise funds for improvements to the Museum’s infrastructure. We’re hoping that we will be able to build a “new” home for the USMC FG-1D Corsair that is currently being restored by our restoration team. Please help if you can!! For more information, watch the video by clicking on the link below or copying and pasting the link into your URL bar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bRupDKhHHU&feature=youtu.be. If you’re interested in helping us out with this project, you can make a donation by clicking on this link or by copying/pasting the link into your URL bar: https://www.gofundme.com/7tqvzq-maghaselfridge-military-airmuseum.

CORSAIR PRINTS

With our eyes on a future home for our beloved FG-1D Corsair that is currently undergoing restoration by our team volunteers, we have available in the Gift Shop or through mail order using the order form from our website prints or Giclee canvas of ‘Corsair Over Grosse Ile’ for sale. The Museum is still in need of funding for the advancement of the proposed “new” hangar to house our beloved FG-1D Corsair

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

and T-6 “Texan”. These prints and canvases would make a great addition to your military art collection in your ‘man cave’ or ‘she-shed’.

Corsair Over Grosse Ile

USMC Squadron VMF 251, flew the Goodyear-produced FG-1D Corsair from Grosse Ile Naval Air Station from 1946 through 1950. In 1950, the unit was activated for the Korean War. Before deploying to Korea, VMF-251 converted to the Douglas A-1D Skyraider. Our “restored” Corsair will bear the markings of VMS-251 as it appeared while assigned to Grosse Ile.

Items available for purchase in the Gift Shop or by mail using the order form from our website, CLICK HERE are:

➢ 13”x19” Color Print on Paper = $10.00* ➢ 18”x30” Color Print on Canvas = $100.00** ➢ *Please add $5.00 S&H plus sales tax for print mail orders ➢ **Please add $10.00 S&H plus sales tax for canvas mail orders

‘Miller Time’

“Lt Col Don Miller’s flight to the Smithsonian’

Items available for purchase by mail using the order from our website, CLICK HERE are:

18”x30” Color Print on Canvas = $100.00**

**Please add $10.00 S&H plus sales tax ($6) for canvas mail orders

F-4C ‘William Tell Final’ Items available for purchase by mail using the order form from our website, CLICK HERE are:

**Please add $10.00 S&H plus sales tax ($6) for 18”x30” Print on Canvas = $100.00**

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

From the Archives

By Lori Nye

The Selfridge Military Air Museum recently received a box of photos from William Perkins that had belonged to his father Roger Perkins who was a member of the 107th Observation Squadron during World War II. A few of the photos have been scanned with many more waiting to be uploaded to our database of photos.

Perkins Cologne Cathedral with Rhine River and Ludendorf Bridge in background

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

Perkins Cologne Cathedral

(close-up)

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

F-6B Photo Reconnaissance

version of the P-51.

Markings on the fuselage

are of the 107th Tactical

Reconnaissance Squadron

(TRS). Pilot and ground

crew members were not

identified.

Ludendorf Bridge

at Remagen over

Rhine River.

Though German

attempts at

demolition failed,

subsequent attacks

eventually

weakened the

bridge & it

collapsed into the

Rhine River, killing

& injuring many

Americans

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Museum Happenings (cont.) Library Research Team:

Though the team chief for the library has been temporarily relocated for the last seven plus

months, the Library Research team is continuing its work on the digitization of the photos and

documents in our multiple file cabinets and the creation of an index of our archival holdings.

Regular volunteers, Pat Williams and Mary Lou Pearsall are the dedicated ones working on this

project. The rebuilding/revision of the library’s book inventory, which was started by Lori last

summer was temporarily suspended as Lori took over administrative details in our Executive

Director’s absence, but with the addition of the Library Team’s New Volunteer: Dawn

Dobbelaer, who will be volunteering on Fridays, the book inventory is back-on-track. So, stop

by to welcome Dawn to the team when you get a chance!

Joe Mazzarra was temporarily detailed to assist with research for their ‘Women in the

Military’ display, but now he is back to tackling the project of organizing and filling in the many

holes of the Museum’s Archives on Selfridge-related aircraft that were involved in accidents

over the years. Joe will be spending many hours perusing the newspaper files and vertical file at

the Mount Clemens Public Library.

The museum’s website https://selfridgeairmuseum.org underwent a major revision

during the last few months of 2019. If you haven’t visited it recently since it went ‘live’, please

check it out. Soon we will be adding a ‘shopping cart’ to help you register for ‘special events’ or

purchase the prints that we’ve had done for fundraising efforts.

The Library Team lost one of their own this year, long-time volunteer Bernie Weideman,

went home to be with the Lord. Bernie started volunteering in 1999 and was active until about

2017. For many years he controlled the book collection and maintained the listing of what the

library held on its shelves. His family held a beautiful memorial and luncheon at the First United

Methodist Church, Mount Clemens, Michigan. Reading his biographical sketch of his life, was

like sitting in the library at the museum and listening to him talk. His family listed the Museum

library as a beneficiary for donations because Bernie just loved coming out and spending

Tuesday mornings with the crew of volunteers there. RIP, Bernie!

Restoration Team:

Restoration continues on the FG-1D Corsair at a steady progress by the Museum’s team of

experts. The Board of Directors and Museum Team Chiefs previously approved the building of

a hangar to house our restored FG-1D Corsair and T-6 ‘Texan’, and the Board of Directors

recently approved the release of funding to start the progress of the “new” hangar.

Grounds Team:

The Grounds Team volunteers will be gearing up soon for another busy season of grass cutting,

bush and shrub trimming, and weeding the flower gardens on the museum grounds. The Grounds Team also recently lost a long-time volunteer: John Neubert. John started volunteering

in 2002. RIP, John!

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

Other teams available to volunteer with for the Museum are the: Weekend Host Team, IT,

Maintenance, Air Park, and Visual Information. So, looking for something to do in your spare

time, consider filling out a ‘Volunteer Application’ from the Museum’s website

(http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org) and starting your career as a Tuesday/Friday volunteer or

a weekend docent. Come on, join our team!!

Volunteers Needed! Please recruit your friends & family to volunteer as a weekend docent in the

Gift Shop, Flight Training area, SPAD Hangar, or as an Inside/Outside floater.

Their volunteering will continue to promote the history of the Air National

Guard @ Selfridge and the history of Selfridge Air National Guard Base for the

next 100 years. We’re also looking ‘for a few good men & women’ to serve as

volunteers on the Tuesday & Friday gigs, but our weekend docents really need a “boost” in

numbers!!!!!!!! If volunteering as a weekend docent, standard procedure is about 10 days per

season, but if you can only give the museum four, six, or eight, don’t let that stop you from

applying. We may have funds to keep the Museum operational, but without volunteers, we don’t

have a Museum! You can obtain the Volunteer Application Form from the Museum’s website

http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org, or call the Museum Director and he’ll send you the application

(586-239-6768; or email: info@selfridgeairmuseum.org. If you can recruit friends and family,

to volunteer as a weekend docent or on one of our Tuesday/Friday group of volunteer teams,

here are the areas where we desperately need help. Look for the areas with an asterisk *.

Please sign up today!

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

Michigan Activity Pass:

The Selfridge Military Air Museum has joined the Michigan Activity Pass. These passes will be

available at your local public libraries for a 7-day check-out period. The pass will be: Buy one

Adult, Get One Child (ages 4-12) Free. Check the Michigan Activity Pass website:

https://tln.lib.mi.us/map/ for locating the Museum’s available pass for our 2020 Season beginning

4 April through 25 October.

If you haven’t checked-out the ‘Michigan Activity Pass’, you really are missing some

wonderful opportunities. There are some really great places to visit for free or with reduced

prices with the pass.

COMING SOON: Michigan Activity Pass will be rolling out a ‘Mobile Pass feature’!

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Museum Happenings (cont.)

Macomb County Heritage Alliance

Passport Program

The Selfridge Military Air Museum participated in the Alliance’s ‘Passport Program’ at its debut

a couple years ago. The Alliance has restarted this program and passports should be ready to be

picked up at the Selfridge Military Air Museum during our ‘open season’, which begins on

Saturday, 4 April 2020 through Saturday, 31 October 2020. So, grab your Passport and travel

through history by visiting the local area’s museums and historical sites. For more information

on the program, visit: (https://www.macombcountyheritagealliance.org/). Obtaining the Passport booklet is ‘free’, however, some of the locations may charge an admittance fee.

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EDITORIAL This is where our beloved Museum Director would get his chance to vent. Please do not take these ramblings personally…

• I’ll say it again and keep saying it until everyone gets the word! ONLY THE CURATOR (DICK SOULES), OR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THAT’S ME) CAN ACCEPT A DONATION TO THE MUSEUM! Do not bring anything from your home or from others that is to be donated to the Museum unless you first come thru me or Dick! We keep getting stuff that I have to back door thru the review, acceptance and inventory process and it’s getting a little old trying to figure out what happened and when after the fact.

• For those of you who have our Museum Master Card number memorized or on a piece of paper, it has changed! See me or call me and I’ll share it with you.

• Please consider becoming a member of the Michigan Air National Air Guard Historical Association (MAGHA). Membership in our parent organization is certainly not a requirement to be an Air Museum volunteer, however, the membership donations we receive are a significant part of our yearly income and provide us with the financial wherewithal to reimburse you for purchases you make on our behalf and to fund needed improvements to our operation. We presently have over 110 volunteers on our rolls and over 50% have chosen not to become members of MAGHA. Please consider joining our Historical Association…a membership application is on the last page of this newsletter.

• For those of you that purchase from Grainger, we now have our own account instead of sharing the Base Supply account. Our account number is 884941782.

• If purchasing for the Museum, please remember to get the tax-exempt form from the Museum office, to avoid paying sales tax. Please plan accordingly and don’t wait until the last minute to obtain the form.

• If I sometimes seem a little frazzled or annoyed, please forgive me as I sometimes feel like I’m getting ready to fall into my full plate. I can’t begin to count the number of times that a conversation begins with “Wouldn’t it be great if we…” and “we” usually translates to me!

2020 GOALS It never ends…

• Purge our storage areas of assets that are excess to our future needs, a long-term and ongoing effort.

• Training more of our “full-time” volunteers on aircraft corrosion control.

• Training our weekend hosts

• Cataloguing, digitizing, and filing historic photos.

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• Building the ‘NEW’ hangar to house the restored FG-1D Corsair & T-6 ‘Texan’

• Restoring the FG-1D “Corsair” using industry-standard components. The “plan” is to restore portions of it in Bldg. 1007 for final assembly in Bldg 1045. Expect the Corsair to be moved out of Restoration by 2021, hopefully.

GOLF SHIRTS One of the ways we say “thank you” to our volunteers who do more than just say they want to volunteer and then either don’t show up or come in one time and then leave is to provide them with a golf shirt in a size of their choice with the Museum logo and their name embroidered on it. The initial golf shirt is free. If additional or replacement shirts are needed, we’ll order and mail them to you with an invoice for just our cost for the shirt(s) requested. It’s hard to keep track of who wanted a shirt (some don’t) and who received one already, so until I hear to the contrary, I’m going to assume that all of our current volunteers have already received their shirt. If my assumption is incorrect, and it probably is, please call the Museum phone, 586-239-6768, leave a message for Barb Taylor, Gift Shop Team Chief, and we’ll get it on order.

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Kroger Community Rewards Program

HELP Support the Selfridge Military Air Museum!

REMEMBER, if you haven’t already registered your Kroger Card in support of the Selfridge Military Air Museum, please consider enrolling in Kroger’s Community Rewards Program

TODAY! Kroger Community Rewards Program: This program will link purchases made with your Kroger’s Plus Card to the Selfridge Military Air Museum so that a portion of the sale is donated back to the Selfridge Military Air Museum.

Please note — Once you have enrolled in the program and identified the nonprofit

organization of your choice, you do not need to re-register annually.

Step by step instructions if you have never registered online 1. Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com

2. Create an account by entering your email, a password and your zip code.

3. Select your preferred store location.

4. Click on the “Create Account” button.

5. Enter your Kroger’s card number and your last name.

6. Click the “Save” button.

7. At the bottom of the next screen, click on the “Enroll button”

8. Enter in your contact information.

9. Click on the “Save” button.

10. In the “Find Your Organization” box, enter the number LI431 and click “Search”.

11. Click on circle/dot next to “Selfridge Military Air Museum”.

12. Click on the “Enroll” button. You are now registered to support the Selfridge Military Air

Museum.

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Amazon Smile:

For information about the Amazon Smile Program that the museum is

enrolled in, check out the website:

http://selfridgeairmuseum.org/support_AmazonSmile.htmClick on the

link here in order to sign into

If you already have an Amazon account, then log in to your account

with your email/user name and password from the link on the museum’s

website. If successful, you should receive a notice saying “Thank you”

and that your purchases will be in support of the Selfridge Military Air

Museum. If you need to create an Amazon account, click on the link to

“create an account”. You will need to have an email account to

participate and have the following information to fill in: Type your

name, email, retype your email, create a password, and retype your

password. If it all matches, click “Create Amazon Account”.

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile purchases to

the charitable organization of your choice.

The Selfridge Military Air Museum says, “Thank You

for Your Support”!!

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MAGHA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

I believe that my support for the goals of the Michigan Air Guard Historical Association and the

Selfridge Military Air Museum will attest to my commitment to the Michigan Air National Guard,

Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and the thousands of dedicated men and women who have

served our great nation and the State of Michigan. I wish to demonstrate this commitment by

becoming a member of MAGHA as follows:

NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

PATRON MEMBERSHIP ($1,000.00)

SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP ($500.00)

LIFE MEMBERSHIP ($250.00)

REGULAR MEMBERSHIP ($25.00)

DONATION ONLY

RANK & NAME __________________________________________________________________

UNIT OF AFFILIATION (ONLY ONE PLEASE) _______________________________________

MEMBER OF THE MI ANG (YEARS ONLY) FROM ___________________ TO ____________

ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________

CITY ____________________________________________________________________________

STATE ___________________________________ ZIP CODE ___________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS _________________________________________________________________

HOW WOULD YOU PREFER TO RECEIVE YOUR NEWSLETTER (check one)

BY EMAIL BY US MAIL OFF THE WEB SITE (www.selfridgeairmuseum.org)

Complete your payment information below and mail to: 27333 C St, Bldg. 1011, Selfridge ANG Base MI 48045

WE appreciate YOUR support of MAGHA. REMEMBER your membership donation is 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

MICHIGAN SOLICITATION LICENSE NUMBER: MICS 26603

O Check #__________ dated _______________ enclosed. Checks should be made payable to “MAGHA”. Please charge my: O VISA CARD O MASTER CARD O AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD O DISCOVER CARD Account # _______________________________________________ Expiration Date _______________________________________CVV: ____________ Signature: ____________________________________________Zip Code: _____________