The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park

01/14/2019

A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION!

THE FAMILY OF CAPTAIN WILL HAYS, USN RETIRED, AND PAST MUSEUM CHAIRMAN, PLANNED AND HELD A SURPRISE EVENT WE ALL ENJOYED!

His Honor Reception at The Veterans Museum took place on Saturday, January 12, 2019,

Museum photographer and Veteran, Barry Baron has posted all his pictures at his picture gallery on his website! You can download your favorites!

Quilts of Valor is a nationwide, grassroots community service all-volunteer group that makes quilts for our veterans and active duty service members. The Quilts of Valor Foundation was founded in 2003 by a military Mom. Since then the group has grown to over 7,000 members and over 250 registered groups, and over 141,000 quilts have been awarded to our deserving warriors. We award the quilts to recipients in various ways, some are awarded one-on-one and others are awarded in groups.

http://waveourflag.com/gallery/willhays/

12/07/2018

Today marks the 77th Anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Today we honor and remember those who rose to fight on that fateful day and we mourn those lost. To the men and women survivors of Pearl Harbor still with us today, we thank you for your valiance and sacrifice.

12/06/2018

Although it’s been almost a month, we still wanted to share these awesome photos from the big day, our Veteran of the Year Luncheon. Everyone across the board confirmed this was the best Veteran of the Year Luncheon to date. You can tell by the smiles that we had a great time with our veteran community. Congrats to our new Veteran of the Year, Matt Foster! Big thanks to Holly Shaffner for heading the VOY committee this year. Thank you especially to all nominated and all who bought a ticket to the big reveal! We could not do what we do without this great event each year! We hope everyone has a Happy Holidays and New Year! We’ll see everyone in 2019! .

11/30/2018

Join us Friday evening as our community partner, American History Theater debuts the last play of their season! Grab tix in event or pay at the door!

11/22/2018

106-Year-Old Pearl Harbor Vet Dies in San Diego

We, at the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park, are deeply saddened by the passing of a community hero and World War II veteran, Ray Chavez. Ray was the oldest living survivor of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, at 106 years old. Our current Facebook profile picture is of Chavez and fellow Pearl Harbor survivor, Stu Hedley. These two men are veteran community celebrities, standing front and center.

We send our deepest condolences to the family of Ray Chavez. His legacy will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him.

Ray Chavez, the oldest veteran survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, died in San Diego Wednesday, his loved ones confirmed.

11/14/2018

San Diego Veterans Day Parade

San Diego Veterans Day Parade
November 10, 2018 San Diego, California
Official images from parade featuring Spirit of 45 participants and interviews.
Thanks to Barry Baron, again!

http://www.waveourflag.com/gallery/veteran2018/

Official images from parade featuring Spirit of 45 participants and interviews November 10, 2018 San Diego California

11/13/2018

San Diego Veterans Magazine

This year we were honored to work with Homeland Magazine editor, Mike Miller, to debut a new publication at the Veteran of the Year Luncheon. "San Diego Veterans Magazine" will now be San Diego's premier Veterans' magazine, with Homeland Magazine expanding into a national venture. We hope everyone takes a moment to read a bit about our new San Diego County Veteran of the Year, and see what the new magazine has to offer.

A Veteran Magazine by Veterans for Veterans! www.San DiegoVeteransMagazine.com

11/12/2018

To our Veteran community, we extend our deepest respect for your courage, honor and sacrifice in serving this great nation. We are encouraged each day by the legacy of service built by our nations' Air Force, Marines, Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Wartime Merchant Marines. To all war eras and to all services, we thank you on Veterans Day and everyday, for what you have done for us.

We hope everyone is having a happy and safe Veterans' Day 2018!

11/12/2018

This Veterans Day we are proud to announce our 2018-2019 San Diego County Veteran of the Year, Marine Master Sgt. (RET) Matt Foster!! Matt is the Project Manager on the Global Hawk program at Northrop Grumman in Rancho Bernardo. Prior to his selfless service to the community he served a full career as a valiant Marine, including three tours of combat to Iraq. Foster’s determination to serve his fellow veterans within the community stood out in nominations, and we were proud to hand this “jarhead” this year’s Veteran of the Year Award! Congratulations, Matt! We look forward to this next year of your time representing and serving your veteran community as this year’s VOY!
Big thanks to all who made this great event possible, all our nominees and to all the veterans who attended this year’s luncheon.

11/09/2018

Ladies and gents, join us this Saturday, November 10 for our 3rd year hosting Bodhi Tree Concerts for their FREE holiday season's production of "All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914". Learn the story of World War I soldiers who laid down weapons to celebrate Christmas Day outside of the trenches. You can learn more about this event at https://www.sdopera.org/engage/taste-of-opera
Find out more about Bodhi Tree Concerts and their upcoming season at https://www.bodhitreeconcerts.org
And find out more about the Christmas Truce of 1914 here: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/christmas-truce-of-1914

11/06/2018

We are in heavy ramp-up to Veterans Day at the museum, as are many other organizations throughout San Diego! This is our favorite time of the year, because the community has their eyes turned to our many veterans. Join the City Parks and Recreation Department and the Senior Citizens Services as they present their annual Veteran's Appreciation Dance! Call to register and go cut a rug from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Balboa Park Club Ballroom! Come out to Balboa Park on Nov. 11 as well, to celebrate our veterans with music and art!

11/06/2018

A big thanks to the for coming to the museum for our Festivities! If you would like to come by and see City Guard Band and provide a much needed blood donation, Red Cross will be there to oblige! Stay until 4 PM to view our newly renovated downstairs art gallery and its inaugural art exhibit!

11/05/2018

Join us at the museum in Balboa Park at 4 PM on , Nov. 11, as our Poet Laureate, Alyce Smith Cooper, presents our inaugural art exhibit in our newly renovated downstairs art gallery! Come meet and enjoy the work of Artist and Navy Veteran, W.B., through Cynthia's Artistic Expressions. Soft opening for viewing is at 4, with program and reception at 6 PM, to include live music by The Bobby Simmons Trio! Dress is business formal, with military members or veterans encouraged to wear a dress uniform.

11/03/2018

PGK EVENT CANCELLED: We are sorry to report that we will not be featuring PGK Dance Project as part of our many Veterans Day activities, this year. We will still have a great day of LIVE music with The City Guard Band, our day culminating with our Poet Laureate, Alyce Smith Cooper, as she presents the inaugural art exhibit in our brand new art gallery. Come see the work of local artist and Navy veteran, W.B., featured through Cynthia's Artistic Expressions. Doors to the newly renovated space will open at 4 PM, November 11, Veterans Day, for show viewing, with a program at 6 PM. Formal business attire is the dress with military and veterans encouraged to wear Class A's.

10/31/2018

Women Veterans Success Program Workshop

Folks, TODAY is the LAST DAY that you can register to go to this year's Women Veterans Success Program Workshop! Last year's event was a huge success, inspiring women veterans across San Diego to not be afraid of their potential and strength!

10/26/2018

We’ve got to say a big, BIG thanks to Motorola and the Galvin Masters’ volunteers, who traveled to San Diego JUST to do some renovations on our gorgeous old building! For the last week, volunteers from across the United States, hosted by Motorola Solutions and The Red Cross, have provided some much-needed updates such as new carpet and new paint. The project was completed on Oct 24, followed by a Team Party with yummy street tacos! We hope everyone enjoyed their experience! We were honored to be one of Motorola Solutions’ charity projects 👍🏼

10/23/2018

This past Saturday, Oct 20, women veterans across San Diego gathered to share a meal, meet and greet and learn more about their military legacy during the 29th Annual Women’s Luncheon, hosted by Courage to Call. We salute our veteran and active duty sisterhood for their sacrifices, courage and strength. Thanks to all event planners, sponsors and participants for putting on such a great event again this year.

10/23/2018

This year we are pleased to partner with the The PGK Project and the San Diego City Guard Band for a Veterans Day steeped in the arts. Come enjoy a FREE plate of BBQ (first come, first serve), dance show and band concert! We'll top the day off with a much-awaited art gallery opening, hosted by our Poet Laureate, Alyce Smith Cooper. Follow our event below to learn more!

10/17/2018

Folks, we are having another great event with Absolutely American, Inc happening! Dont' miss this FREE opportunity to learn the ins and outs of career planning as you transition from the service to the civilian sector. For us veterans that can be tougher than we anticipate! Join us at 7 PM Oct 18 to learn more! Bring your spouse, payment documents and get ready to get better organized for your civilian future!

10/13/2018

Join The Military Order of the World Wars at the Spreckles Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park on Saturday, October 13, for the 62nd Massing of the Colors. This ceremony pays homage to those who fought for their nation; present and past, and for those lost upon the battlefield. Our own Executive Director, Sheldon Margolis, will be the keynote speaker for this event.

10/10/2018

Community Partner, American History Theater is looking for a strong female actress to play poetess and literary pioneer, Emily Dickinson. This show will debut at the museum on November 30 and run until Dec. 3. If you think you've got the chops, take a look at audition location and time.

Good luck to all who audition and we look forward to seeing you at the museum!

The American History Theater is proud to cast their winter show, "The Belle of Amherst". We are looking for a very strong actress, able to carry 2 acts. As a a one woman show, strong memorization skills are a must.

Auditions will be held at
2120 4th Ave on Banker's Hill
Monday, October 15th at 7 PM
Wednesday, October 17th at 7pm

Rehearsals run from thru November. The show runs November 29th- December 3rd. A small stipend will be given. Please come prepared with a short dramatic monologue. Please email [email protected] to schedule an audition. Include a headshot and resume if possible.

10/03/2018

Veterans Day 2018: NYC Gallery Art Show to Honor Military Veterans and Trauma Survivors

Take a moment to read about this very important art exhibit, "Depicting the Invisible" by artist Susan Barron. Barron selected 12 veterans and told their story through photography and other mixed media, which will soon be on tour through our great nation. She depicts veterans, not as invincible deity, but as vulnerable people who have learned the hardest of ways what "sacrifice" to your country means. Her traveling exhibit will debut in New York City. In January this exhibit will come to your Veterans Museum. Keep an eye on our Facebook to learn exhibit dates!
https://www.veteransnewsreport.com/2018/09/29/veterans-day-2018-gallery-nyc/

Military Veterans and Trauma Survivors Honored by Artist Susan J. Barron at NYC Gallery Show on Veterans Day

10/02/2018

Today we were proud to host some of our community’s most revered veteran and political leaders, as they kicked off this year’s Operation Dress Code in partnership with Courage to Call. This program seeks to help transitioning active duty and veteran women preparing for those first out-of-service job interviews. Now civilians, veteran women often realize they’re not sure what to wear professionally, out of uniform! ODC is here to help! Giant pink donation boxes have been dropped off throughout San Diego to collect new and gently used professional/business attire. We are a donation location. On Nov 3, The Dress Code Boutique will open for a day of helping veteran women dress for success. To learn more about Operation Dress Code or get registered for Boutique Day go to www.OperationDressCode.com

10/01/2018

POETRY AND DANCE IN CELEBRATION OF THE RENT PARTY--CANCELLED
Ladies and gentlemen, we are sorry to announce that our upcoming event "Poetry and Dance in Celebraton of the Rent Party" at the museum on Oct. 6, has been cancelled. BUT, do not get upset, we plan to execute the event at a later date. Keep up with our Facebook "EVENTS" section to see when the event is added again! Until then, brush up on our American black history and learn more about the Rent Era mainly on the streets of famous Harlem! Thank you to our patrons, members and especially our comnunity's veterans for supporting our mission of education through the arts.

09/28/2018

And they’re off! We hope these amazing heroes and their very dedicated “posse” have a wonderful time in our capitol visiting their war memorials. These incredible veterans will get the VIP treatment for a day and then fly back home to San Diego for a HUGE HOMECOMING! Stay up to date on the trip at Honor Flight San Diego!

09/28/2018

Vietnam Vets are able to thank those who saved their lives

Take a moment to read this write-up about how Vietnam Vets are now able to thank the medics and doctors who saved their lives on the battlefield. Through Connecting Vets, these important moments of healing are possible.

Vets wounded in Vietnam can now find the names of docs who saved their lives and limbs.

09/27/2018

We were proud to host K**I News ‘ Ali Wagner early Monday morning in support of the GI Film Festival San Diego, put on by KPBS for the last four years. The festival features short movie films and documentaries created by a veteran, or about veterans. KPBS collects films from all over SD and picks the best to showcase at the festival. This year there is no shortage of inspiration. Ali interviewed several of the filmmakers and film subjects, to learn more about the creation process, and how it was inspired. We were especially proud to host many heroic veterans, from one of the first African American Marines to serve, to the a war pilot being shot out of the sky over enemy lines. Curious to know more? To find out more about GI Film Fest debut locations, times and content go to www.gifilmfestsd.org. The festival kicked off last night and will feature/debut films in different locations across the city until Sept. 30.

09/25/2018

Is everyone ready for Operation Dress Code again this year? We get excited each year as we see the pink Operation Dress Code donation boxes get delivered to all their locations. We are always wowed at the fantastic clothes which are donated! Make sure to Save the Date, Saturday, November 3rd, for this INCREDIBLE event designed to give service member-to-civilian support to our community's women veterans! Find out more about how to donate or how to participate at www.OperationDressCode.com!

09/24/2018

We’re not far away from yet another incredibly emotional San Diego homecoming for our nation’s remaining World War II veterans and vets from the Korean War! We encourage all patrons, members and followers to come out and support what many say was the best experience of their entire life. Thanks Honor Flight San Diego for what you do for our nation’s heroes!

09/22/2018

Today we will have the second iteration of our Women's Woven Voices Military-Affiliated Workshop! We had a great turn-out last weekend and we’re ready to host these lovely ladies again! Big thanks to our veteran sister Billiekai Boughton for helping to bring this workshop to our museum and to Alexis Susan for the photos! We hope all our attendees have a great second day of weaving your life stories!

09/19/2018

Poetry and Dance in Celebration of the Rent Party!

Our ticket link is live, so grab your tickets for The Poet Laureate Presents: "Poetry and Dance in Celebration of the Rent Party" NOW! Come see us at 7 PM on Oct 6! We are proud to invite you to step back in time to the roaring 20s, a vibrant and rich time for our African American heritage. that rent parties were a creative (and fun, fun, fun) way a segregated black community raised their rent funds during this era? Join us in a celebration of that ingenuity and growth for our proud African Amercan heritage. Grab your tickets, follow our event and get ready for an evening of rich history and fun!

Join VMBP Poet Laureate, Alyce Smitth Cooper, as she presents Poetry and Dance in Celebration of the Rent Party! Take a step back in time to Harlem to the Rent Parties of the 1920's. These giant city parties were a creative and fun way for the segregated black crowd to bridge the financial gap for t...

09/13/2018

We want to take a moment today to say CONGRATULATIONS to Veteran community leader, Billiekai Boughton, and partners for helping San Diego become an official Women Veterans Network - Woven city! Are you a woman Veteran? Click the link and take a moment to learn more about what brings to communities and what it can bring to ours! Thank you, Billiekai and thank you, WoVen!
https://www.wovenwomenvets.org/about/

09/12/2018

Today we honor those lost during the terrorist attacks on our country September 11, 2001. We also honor all the lost service members who have fought in the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since that fateful day, our country has led the way in fighting the war on terror. Thank you to those who visited the museum today for our Patriot's Day Ceremony, and to our esteemed guest speakers. We will never forget.

09/11/2018

Mission 22

At the museum we know the price of war is great. The brave men and women who have served our country have sacrificed their time with family, their time at home and many have sacrificed with their own lives. The scars of service can number many and the pain of those scars can sometimes feel to heavy to bear. We have heard so many stories of Veterans lost to su***de within our old walls. Those deaths are almost more painful than the ones we lost at war, because everyone probably thought, "They are safe now. The battle is over". But for many a vet, the battle for self and sanity had just begun when they return. If you are struggling, there is help. You can always text chat with a fellow vet at Connect with them here: https://www.vets4warriors.com/connect/
You can reach out to (click below) or even call the Veterans Affairs Veterans Crisis Line:
1-800-273-8255
You are never alone. Fellow veterans around the world are waiting day and night for those who may be lost. Don't be afraid to reach out. ***deprevention ***de

Each day 22 veterans take their own life. But together we can win the war against veteran su***de. Join to let our vets know they have an army behind them.

09/11/2018

Concert Series At The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park - Westwind Brass

Have you come to one of the fantastic concerts at the museum by Westwind Brass? We've got another one happening this Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7 PM! Join us for "The Music of the Californias", a program that reflects the long and storied history of the “Golden State”. Enjoy music from the gold rush to the golden age of Hollywood, along with some fun and interesting history!
Grab tix at: https://westwind-brass.ticketleap.com/brassintheparkconcertseries/dates/Sep-13-2018_at_0700PM

Westwind Brass, the ensemble in residence at the School of Music and Dance, San Diego State University is proud to announce their upcoming concert series at The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park ! Brass in the Park Concert Series New for the 2018 Season! Westwind Brass and the Veterans Museum at Balboa...