Unexpected Blessing

This Memorial Day marked the fourth year Pam and Neal Martin of Fredericksburg, TX, have hosted a gathering at their home in remembrance of those men and women who have sacrificed for our country. Each year attendees are treated to food and entertainment for a donation which is then used to help a small local charity.

This year the Martins involved the Nimitz Rotary Club by asking them to provide some of the best smoked brisket I’ve tasted and for names of organizations to consider for the gift. Wounded Warriors at Nebo ministry was one of several suggestions and ended up being chosen as the recipient of the very generous donation of which, 100% goes into the ministry.

Jimmy Culp, President of Nimitz Rotary Club
presents check to Sharon Massey and Dottie Pieper

Thank you all for your generosity. It’s only because of people like you that we can continue to help those who have sacrificed so much.

God Bless you!

Happenings

Back in Business – Almost

Don’t you just love Spring!!! Everything coming back to life and putting color back on the landscape. Considering the ‘deep freeze’ we experienced, this Spring is especially welcome.

Monday we had a very productive meeting with the Commander of the Soldier Recovery Unit and her team. We came away from that meeting with three (3) events tentatively scheduled and most important, with the support of the Colonel and her team. Most of our contacts are new to us but very supportive. In addition, the process of scheduling events and meeting military requirement will be easier than before once some logistics are worked out.

The Ministry Team normally takes vacation during June, July & August however, since we have had a year’s vacation, we will use those months to plan events for the 2021 – 2022 September – May Calendar. In addition, we are planning two (2) Day Events in June.

Needless to say we are excited to be “Back in Business”.

Happenings

National Museum of the Pacific, Fredericksburg, Texas

Current and upcoming happenings at the Museum
Release of ANF 2020 Annual Symposium recordings
Beginning today, video recordings from last September’s symposium titled Home Alive in ’45: Pivotal Decisions to End the War, will be released on a monthly basis. January’s installment is James Hornfischer’s keynote Revelation and Reckoning: Total War in the Pacific 1944-1945 based on his recent book The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific 1944-1945 (available in NMPW bookstore).

As the title indicates, Hornfischer traces the history of the U.S. campaigns on the sea and in the air that ultimately resulted in Japan’s surrender. CLICK HERE to view the Symposium video.

Facebook Live: African Americans in WWII
We often say that our victory in WWII took the efforts of our entire nation and our February Facebook Live highlights one of the many diverse dimensions of the war effort. On February 12, NMPW’s Living History team will present a livestream presentation in honor of our celebration of Black History Month. The program will feature Henry Crawford, historian and a frequent volunteer for our Living History reenactment programs to discuss the African American experience in WWII – not just in the Pacific, but also in Europe.
Friday, February 12 at 11:00 am
Tune into our Facebook page

Day of Remembrance
Our third annual commemoration of the Day of Remembrance will be held on Friday, February 19 with a virtual program. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which gave the authority to remove civilians from coastal areas in Washington, Oregon, and California during WWII. It led to the internment of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans who were forced to leave behind their jobs, homes, and everyday lives. They were sent to live in ten “camps” located in remote areas of the U.S. Some 20,000 Canadians were also interned in remote areas of Canada. It is important to note that no interned Japanese Americans were ever charged with crimes associated with WWII.

This year’s program includes a panel of speakers including Sam Mihara, an internment survivor of the Heart Mountain camp located in northwest Wyoming, the Counsel-General of Japanese Consulate in Houston, TX and a young, Japanese American film maker who produced a film about his grandparents’ experience of WWII. The panel will be moderated by NMPW Marketing Director Ruth Ann Hattori whose mother was also an internee in British Columbia during WWII.

Look for details to follow soon on our Events page: https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/events/

Exciting new Living History program coming in March
Beginning March 6, our Living History team will launch its Outpost programs. These 20-25 minute programs will feature not only Museum staff but also volunteers who will present stories and artifacts of WWII along with Q&A. These short programs will be hosted in the Memorial Courtyard providing plenty of fresh air and space for social distancing. They will be held on Saturdays at 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm.

The first series of themes are:
March 6th: Weapons of War
March 13th: Gear Up
March 20: TBD
March 27th: Navy Fighter Planes
April 3rd: Communications
April 17th: Uniforms

These programs are FREE and the public is welcome!

Happenings

Christmas Gift Cards

What do you do when you can no longer have weekend or day events but God still keeps sending donations your way? You find another way to bless the wounded, injured and ill. One of our board members, a medically retired Army veteran, suggested gift cards. After some discussion, we decided to use what would have been spent on the December family R&R weekend and buy gift cards. It was determined that we could buy 26 $300 cards so we put the word out to our contacts at Fort Sam Houston that we were looking for recipients. To qualify they had to be active duty, in treatment and financially challenged. Needless to say it didn’t take long to fill the list.

Meanwhile, we wanted to see if there were any local retired veterans struggling that we might be able to help. We checked several places and finally found what we were looking for at the Needs Council. They had 11 veterans who had applied for help so we looked at the budget and added them to our gift card list.

We ended up blessing 40 families with gift cards and still spent less than if we had had weekend events in October, November and December.

The day before going to San Antonio to deliver the gift bags I received a call from a board member. His granddaughter is an Air Force wife and works with dependents at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma. He had cards made by a group of children she had worked with thanking service members for their service (only in their words). Sharon & I took the cards and distributed them along with the bags and to anyone else we saw on base.

Cards made by children at Vance Air Force Base

While we were at Fort Sam, Jackie, Elizabeth and Tammi were delivering cards to the Needs Council Director.

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

More photos can be seen by clicking this link https://wwnebo.org/photos/wppaspec/oc1/lnen/cv0/ab54/pt1240 OR the Photos tab at the top of the page.

Happenings

New Newsletter

The third quarter is the end of our vacation/planning period (June-August) and the beginning of the next year’s event calendar (September -May) which is usually published in the September newsletter. However, with all the uncertainty surrounding social interaction, event planning is very nebulous at this time so no event calendar appears in this newsletter.

Enjoy reading on line or download by following this link N-L 9 20

All the pictures from the Nimitz Golf Classic are available by selecting “Photos” at the top of the page.

Happenings

You Can Make a Difference

The Eleventh Annual Nimitz Golf Classic and Auction is a major fundraiser of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation and benefits The National Museum of the Pacific War and our Wounded Warriors. Each year the event includes an auction, and this year we are going virtual! You can make a difference by participating in this year’s auction in support of Wounded Warriors at Nebo and the Fund-a-Need project – a New Children’s Gallery at the National Museum of the Pacific War. Please visit https://one.bidpal.net/nimitzgolfclassic to donate or bid on 50+ exciting items, such as memorable trips, unique experiences, and must have items!

Wondering how you will keep up with the amazing things going on Sept. 11? Visit the NGC website and bookmark the “Events” page!

Click Here to Visit the NGC Website

Happenings

National Museum of the Pacific War Honored by Connect2Texas

“NMPW has done an amazing job bringing their museum collections and resources to students virtually. Learn more by following this link

Connect2Texas Outstanding New Program Award_7.27.20rev

Happenings

Honor and Sacrifice

Today is Memorial Day. Millions of Americans will take time to remember and honor the service men and women who died in service to their country. Originally Memorial Day was know as Decoration Day. It was meant to honor the Union and Confederate Soldiers who died during the American Civil War (1861-1865). By the 1900s it had become a day to celebrate ALL American soldiers who died in any war while serving in the United States Military. It wasn’t until 1967 that it was legally named Memorial Day.

Sharon and I seek out different places to go on our morning walks. A couple of weeks ago we went to the Wildseed Farm just as it opened. It was early so we were the only ones there except for the workers. The fields of flowers were breathtaking but what really caught my eye is the monument (my word) they have put up honoring those who have served or are currently serving in the United States Military. It’s not something I expected to see amidst the wildflowers. Of course I had to have a picture of it and now I’m glad because I can share it with you.

Once the Memorial Day celebration (very low key this year for obvious reasons) is over it will be easy to fall back into our routines and the memory of those who sacrificed so much to keep this country safe and allow us to remain free can easily slip to the background in our thinking. So, I challenge you to make a conscience effort to continue to celebrate the life of those who died for us even after the official day of remembrance is over.

Taking that one step further, do you know the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day? Of course you do – one honors the departed while the other honors the living who have served. Many veterans sport caps depicting the branch of service in which they served or the war(s) in which they fought. They are proud of their service as they should be and so should we.

Here’s your second challenge: Tell that veteran you appreciate his/her service. It takes less than two minutes but makes them proud that you recognized and acknowledged their sacrifice. Watch their face when you speak to them. You will see expressions from surprise to pride and many more.

GOD Bless You, GOD Bless Veterans and God Bless America

Happenings

Peace in Trying Times

I don’t know about you but I have never experienced anything like this COVID-19 pandemic. The closest thing to it that I can think of is the polio epidemic however, it pales in comparison. In the late 1940s polio outbreaks in the U.S. increased in frequency and size, crippling an average of more than 35,000 people each year. There were travel and commerce restrictions and some quarantines. With the introduction of vaccines in 1955 and 1963, the number of cases fell to less than 100 in the 1960s and fewer than 10 in the 1970s. (source: cdc.gov)

That said, I’m using this post to share a devotional I read last week that seems very appropriate for this time and situation. It is taken from DAILYWORD A Unity Publication (dailyword.com). Reference 1 Kings 19:11-12

“The Hebrew scriptures tell the story of the word of the Lord commanding the prophet Elijah to “stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” As he waits, Elijah fails to find God as he endures a wind strong enough to split mountains, an earthquake, and then a fire. Then Elijah discovers God, in a sound of sheer silence.

Sometimes chaos surrounds me as I try to find the peace of God. Other times, the chaos may be inside me I persist in my efforts as I confront inner storms, fires, and earthquakes as I search for peace.

Like Elijah, I remain steadfast in faith, undisturbed by what is happening around me. I wait for distractions to pass. Peace is mine.”

Given the uncertainty we are all experiencing I found these words comforting-telling me to not panic. That God is in control and offers us peace; we just have to listen and accept it.

Happenings

Palm Sunday

HAPPY PALM SUNDAY!! Those of you who want to refresh your memory on what Palm Sunday signifies should read Mathew 21.

Usually our church celebrates this Sunday by holding Palms on the Platz services downtown Fredericksburg at the Market Platz. It’s always a joy to be worshiping outside and meeting the tourists who hear the music and join us. This year however, our service, like so many others, was live streamed so we could watch from home. The only good thing about that is that it is cold and damp outside.

Although the Wounded Warriors at Nebo ministry has had to suspend events for a while, we want you to know that we miss you and you are in our thoughts and prayers.

God Bless You