Veterans Memorial Museum Foundation

10/09/2026

10/08/2026

Museum teenage (younger end) Volunteers RYDER and CRUZE, have been helping a local US Army Veteran of the 1st Air Cavalry Division, Viet Nam War; LEE ACKERMAN, move some heavy boxes at his house.

Selfless Service can take many forms...

10/05/2026

10/04/2026

One of the benefits the VMMF has gained over the years, has been the ability to recruit young Volunteers of middle to high school-age, to help care for the hallowed contents of the building, by performing a myriad of tasks. In return, we hope they develop character, a work ethic and discipline, as well as the important virtue of selfless service. Further, they learn an appreciation about the proud history of the United States Armed Forces, and the sacrifices of the individual service men and women.

Upon graduation from High School, the Volunteers have moved on to began their adult lives. Many entered the US Military, including Army Cavalry Scouts, Engineers, Tankers and Infantrymen. One Volunteer joined the US Coast Guard and is on a maritime Special Response Team, battling drug threats in the Caribbean, while his brother, a Miami University, Air Force ROTC Scholarship graduate is now a Major in the United States Space Force.

Other Volunteers have attended College or Technical School. Some are Machinists, EMTs, Engineers or soon to be Ph D Scientists (working in aeronautical research and development).

Additional Volunteers have secured stable jobs, raised families and gave back to their communuties.

A couple of our young Volunteers, have even obtained their pilots certifications.

On a beautiful, clear and chilly saturday morning, ten years after he started as a shy and quiet VMMF Volunteer, DENNIS now a young man, piloted a vintage 1950 Aeronca Airplane (65 HP), made primarily out of canvas and wood, around the countryside of Southwest Ohio, primarily between Waynesville and Germantown.

The Museum Curator had the pleasure to tag along, sitting behind DENNIS the Pilot, to observe the calm and professional skills he applied to effect a safe and beautiful flight. From taking off on the grass field, through orbiting around Germantown, (the Museum included) to the return landing, it was a smooth and relaxing trip. The flight brought back a plethora of memories of flying low over the countryside in Army and Air Force Aircraft, and the exhilarating effect it has on ones spirit.

Thank you DENNIS, you make the Museum proud, and good luck on all your endeavors.

10/02/2026

The Museum recently hosted the Ross Township High School History Classes of Mr. BENJAMIN BUEHNER. For almost 10 years Mr. BUEHNER (a former Valley View HS History Teacher) has been bringing his classes to the VMMF. The students were attentive and well behaved.

With one exception! Museum Volunteer KAY had baked a large pan of Chocolate Chip cookies deemed enough to feed the entire Class and Staff. Later the pan was discovered completely empty sooner than expected, and an inquiry revealed one hungry student admitted the cookies were so good, he ate seven of them...

Thanks to Volunteers Kay and Joe for assisting the students.

09/21/2026

Germantown and Farmersville Ohio, combine with the adjacent rural areas to form the Valley View School District. The District combines K-12 students under a new school building, located out in the country between the rolling cornfields.

The "Spartans" have an outstanding High School Football team, and arguably, for a relatively small school, are nearly unbeatable (multiple State Championships). The Spartans are the pride and joy of our citizens, and Friday nights in the cool autumn air at the stadium, full of loyal and encouraging fans, reminds us of the blessings of living in America.

It should be noted that the original Spartan warriors were a warrior class unexcelled in history, from the Greek State of Sparta, they were trained and conditioned from an early age to be fierce warriors. According to the annals of history, in 480 BC, 300 Spartan warriors defeated 10,000 Persian warriors at Thermopylae...a mountain pass in Greece, strategicay vital to the defense of Greece.

At last Friday nights Valley View High School Football game, the teams and the fans honored US Military Veterans. The Germantown Lions Club collected tips from the fans in the concession stand and the sizable proceeds were donated to the Veterans Memorial Museum Foundation.

Germantown resident GREG TROYER of the Germantown Lions Club presented the check to the Museum. GREG is a US Army Veteran of the 25th Infantry Division in Viet Nam.

Thank you to all involved and Go Spartans!

09/14/2026

LEE "LOREN" ACKERMAN of Franklin, Ohio, donated some personal effects to the Museum from his days of service with the 1st Air Cavalry Division in Viet Nam, 1968-69. LEE lived in Middletown at the time, and attended Miami University for two years before becoming bored and leaving school...he recalled being drafted into the US Army soon after.

LEE remembered in 1968, being on a Search and Destroy Operation in a heavily forested area, when his unit was ambushed by Communist NVA forces. After his unit was extracted, he felt pain in his chest area, and upon closer examination, located a large bruise. LEE then examined his am******on bandoleer, which had been slung over his chest, and contained r***e am******on magazines. He then discovered the fired enemy r***e projectile, lodged in his unused magazine, full of r***e am******on. LEE later mailed the magazine home to his Father as a souvenir, after removing the US 5.56mm rounds.

On 29 June, 1968, LEE was Wounded in Action by an artillery round, which dropped a tree on him, causing a head injury. After being medically evacuated to a Field Hospital, he was treated and released back to his R***e Company. In February 1969, LEE was evacuated from Viet Nam after suffering from Malaria: for him the War was over. LEE served for six more months at Ft. Knox, Kentucky before receiving his Honorable Discharge.

LEE worked as an Electrician, at the ARMCO Steel Plant in Middletown, before retiring. An avid collector of antiques, a student of the history of President Abraham Lincoln and well versed in the Holy Bible, LEE is quiet about his service in Viet Nam.

Thank you for your service LEE...

09/14/2026

Last week was a tough week, with a great personal family loss, and culminating in the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attack on the United States.

The attack by Islamic Radical Terrorists killed almost three thousand Americans, the majority civilians. The scale of the surprise attack in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylania, took the lives of more Americans than the sneak attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor in 1941. The initial 9/11 casualties, were followed by the sacrifices of the members of the US Military the Global War on Terror, which today after 25 years, is still operating in this capacity to protect our homeland and people. The US Military has lost thousands of Wounded and Killed young Americans, in this seemingly never-ending campaign. Not to be forgotten are the thousands of First-Responders who were sickened from the residual effects of the attack sites, many succumbing to fatal illnesses...

The horrific attack effected every living American citizens sense of decency, security, safety and freedom, but galvanized a unity among freedom loving people of all nations; a stand would be made against the dark ideology of terror, death, destruction and anarchy...

Between September 11, 2001 and March of 2004, the Museum's old grump of a Curator, was involved operationally in the 9/11 response, both domestically and overseas. Memories of the unknown, doubt, anger, pain, suffering and misery are intertwined with memories of duty, intestinal fortitude, sacrifice, valor, hope, justice and pride, good and evil, but foremost-God. Those memories will never go away but are softened by the progression of time...

Father Time has taken a toll on the old body and mind, but not the spirit...The Curator on the anniversary of 9/11 last week went up to the Germantown Metropark, in the quiet solitude of God's nature, and tormented the physical body on the hills and trails to help process the flood of memories from that dark time of uncertainty...

It is hoped that this time in our American history will be maintained by our schools and institutions, to ensure the story of 9/11 is passed down to all future generations of Americans. It truly was a time of great uncertainty and darkness, but was countered by courage, hope, and light...

09/14/2026

A couple of young Museum Volunteers pointing out some updates to the Major General DALE SHAFER and CONNIE GREEN display room.

Two wooden display models of WWII Fighter Aircraft were added to represent the Aircraft flown by these Germantown Ohio, Fighter Pilots...

DALE flew P40s early in WWII, while CONNIE flew P47s.

Thanks to SAMUEL, CRUZE and RYDER for their efforts in this endeavor...

08/29/2026

Some of our recent visitors included Middletown, Ohio residents CHRISTY and JAY COTTERMAN. JAY is a proud Veteran of the US Army 1975-78, stationed at Schweinfurt, Germany during the Cold War. JAY served as a Tank Crewman in a Battalion of the 64th Armored Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division Mechanized.

From Kettering, Ohio, we received ZULITH, ARIA and JEREMY SEXTON. JEREMY served in the US Army for almost 13 years, including assignments in Germany as a Military Policeman. They were accompanied by family member ALAN GREEN of Germantown.