july september 2020 - selfridge military air museum · 2020. 10. 2. · museums spad viii and a...

High Flight 1 July-September 2020

July – September 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 Wayne Fetty 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. Please drop off the written nomination or email it to [email protected]

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: Tom Demerly Jim Ashford Cole Watson Pam Horner

High Flight


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. Do not forget to get your “NEW DBIDS” card before your current one expires! (a) You will need to call Pass & ID, Bldg. 900, and make an appointment to renew your DBIDS card. Phone Number is: 586-239-4159. (b) Hours for Pass & ID are: Mon: 0800-1500; Tues thru Sat: 0730-1500 (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. 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). 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. Though our 2020 Season is winding down, we are desperately in need of weekend docents, so please recruit your family & friends to sign up as weekend docents for our 2021 Season. Remember, if we get enough volunteers to serve as Docents, we will not have to do so many days! Our special Tuesday/Friday teams could also use more volunteers. We have a ‘NEW’ Volunteer Coordinator who will be organizing/scheduling the docents for 2021, more on him under Museum Happenings!


Museum Happenings

Re-Dedication of C-130 for Lt. Col. Louis J. ‘Freighter Pilot’ and the Lt. Col. Louis J. & Susan E. Nigro Memorial

By Tom Demerly

Photos from the memorial for Lt. Col. Louis J. “Lou” and Susan E. Nigro, held in the Air Park at the Selfridge Military Air Museum on Sunday, 30 August 2020. A joyous yet solemn occasion.

A fitting tribute to ‘our’ Executive Director of 20 years (2000-2020). RIP, Lou & Susan!

The Selfridge Military Air Museum, Selfridge Air National Guard Base and 127th Wing Commander, Brig. Gen. Rolf E. Mammen hosted a re-dedication and memorial ceremony for former Museum Director and USAF/Michigan Air National Guard pilot Lt. Col. Lou Nigro and his wife Susan on Sunday, August 30, 2020. “He really dedicated his life to the men and women who called Selfridge their home,” Brig. Gen. Rolf E. Mammen, commander of the 127th Wing and of Selfridge, told the DVIDS military media outlet.

Sunday’s ceremony was hosted outdoors in the museum’s Air Park between two aircraft that Lt. Col. Nigro flew during his career, a Convair C-131D Samaritan and a Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Speakers at the ceremony acknowledged the significance of both Susan and Lou Nigro’s contributions to base culture and their dedication to the Selfridge community.


Museum Happenings (cont.)

Lt. Col. Nigro died on May 24, 2020, after a long illness. He had built a successful 35-year career as a member of both the Air Force and then the Michigan Air National Guard. Lt. Col. Nigro began his career in as an enlisted man before earning a commission and becoming a fully qualified tactical transport pilot in both the C-131D and C-130. Lt. Col. Nigro also served in several staff officer positions at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Lt. Col. Nigro became executive director of the Selfridge Military Air Museum in 2000. Following his appointment to the position he was instrumental in growing the museum’s large collection of artifacts and displays and expanding awareness of the museum while helping to lead several key restoration projects. Among his many contributions were adding new aircraft to the museum’s outdoor Air Park display area.

Paul Pochmara, a retired major general and current president of the museum’s board, told the DVIDS Hub network that Lt. Col. Nigro was integral to all aspects of the museum’s growth over the years. “Lou spent over 55 years at Selfridge with over 35 years in the military and 20 years as the full-time volunteer, non-paid executive director of the Air Museum. No other person epitomizes, ‘service above self’ more than Lou. He will be missed by all who served with him”. The Sunday, August 30, 2020 ceremony was originally planned for earlier in 2020, but had to be

postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.



Photos by Rob Sandstrom



Sicilian Tenors – God Bless America Tour

Sicilian Tenors Record Music Video at Selfridge Military Air Museum

By Tom Demerly

Popular operatic tenor trio, The Sicilian Tenors, visited the Selfridge Military Air Museum on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 to record a video of their performance of the popular Irving Berlin ode to the United States, “God Bless America”.

The trio, who have performed for audiences around the world with their unique operatic vocal interpretations of popular music, chose the Selfridge Military Air Museum as a backdrop for their latest video because of the unique displays in the outdoor Air Park at the museum that showcases almost 40 different types of military aircraft and vehicles, almost all of which have played a role in the history of Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The three singers in the Sicilian Tenors are Aaron Caruso, Elio Scaccio and U.S. Air Force veteran Sam Vitale. Several locations were used for the music

video production, with the primary location being on top of the left wing of the museum’s F-4C Phantom II. “We wanted to provide a setting that showcased the remarkable talent of these performers and also showed the grandeur and scale of the displays here at the museum”, said public affairs volunteer Tom Demerly about the video shoot. “These performers and their production crew are consummate professionals. We simply do our best to host them and let them do their performance and production. They’re among the very best in the business.” With the main video shot on the wing of the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II in the Air Park, the production crew also shot video of the singing trio at the museum’s Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, an aircraft still operational at Selfridge Air National Guard base today. The production included intro video shot inside the museum and panning shots with the group walking under the museum’s A-26 Invader aircraft. The video production of the Sicilian Tenors performing “God Bless America” that was shot at the Selfridge Military Air Museum can be seen on the Facebook page for the singing group at “The Sicilian Tenors” and also on the Facebook page for the Selfridge Military Air Museum.



Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Dedication

The Selfridge Military Air Museum participated in the rededication ceremony for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Hangar (the old VR-62 Hangar) @ Selfridge Air National Guard Base on Friday, 11 September 2020.

Photo by Tom Demerly : SPAD XIII and A-10 Thunderbolt II ‘Warthog’

On Thursday, September 10, 2020 volunteers from the Selfridge Military Air Museum, personnel from Selfridge ANGB, members of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and others gathered to rededicate the aircraft hangar where DHS operations are regularly staged from. The rededication ceremony included community speakers and the static display of the Museum’s SPAD VIII and a Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II from the 107th Fighter Squadron at Selfridge ANGB. The two static displays provided an interesting visual insight into and contrast of the long history and legacy of Selfridge ANGB and its tenant units. Also on display during the rededication was the museum’s popular M4 Sherman. Although the M4 Sherman was never actively operated by any unit based at Selfridge, the exhibit has become popular with visitors to the Selfridge Military Air Museum. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection perform the vital border security mission from their installation at Selfridge ANGB, protecting the Canadian/U.S. border with active security and safety air and surveillance missions daily from their installation at Selfridge ANGB.

Base Community Council Meeting

The Selfridge Military Air Museum hosted the September Luncheon and Meeting of the Base Community Council on Tuesday, 15 September 2020. More on this event next newsletter.


Museum Happenings

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 are

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 and the T-6 ‘Texan’. 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=gCoHEr0GNy4. 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/f/7tqvzq-maghaselfridge-military-air-museum?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-159966432152-8c49a1875e334fda&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B1137-update-supporters-v5b

Kroger Community Rewards Program

HELP Support the Selfridge Military Air Museum!

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. Directions for signing up with this program can be found on the Museum’s website: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/museum-fund-raising/

Amazon Smile:

For information about the Amazon Smile Program that the museum is enrolled in, check out the website: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/museum-fund-raising/

PRINTS FOR SALE IN GIFT SHOP and by SPECIAL ORDER

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCoHEr0GNy4

https://www.gofundme.com/7tqvzq-maghaselfridge-military-airmuseum

https://www.gofundme.com/f/7tqvzq-maghaselfridge-military-air-museum?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-159966432152-8c49a1875e334fda&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B1137-update-supporters-v5b




https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/museum-fund-raising/

https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/museum-fund-raising/


Li Museum Happenings (cont.)

proposed “new” hangar to house our beloved FG-1D Corsair 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’.

Our FG-1D Corsair, when it finally makes it out of Restoration, will be painted in the markings of USMC Squadron VMF 251, who 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.

Corsair over Grosse Ile ‘Miller Time’: Lt. Col. Don Miller’s flight to the Smithsonian F-4C ‘William Tell Final’

Prints of the Corsair over Grosse Ile are available in the Museum’s Gift Shop. Prints on Canvas of these aircraft are available as special order. Please see the Museum’s website at: https://selfridgeairmuseum.org. The Museum Gift Shop has coffee mugs to match or visit ‘the Shop’ on our website!

https://selfridgeairmuseum.org/


liMuseum Happenings (cont.)

From the Archives By Joseph N. Mazzara

CYRUS K. BETTIS, SELFRIDGE HERO

January 2, 1883 – September 1, 1926

To a man, those who knew Cy Bettis looked up to him as a kind friend, a patient mentor and one of the most extraordinary fliers of his time. He distinguished himself in the First World War as an excellent pilot and a trainer of other young pilots. After the war, he continued to prove his talents by winning the Mitchell Trophy, Mackay Trophy and ultimately, the most coveted of all, the 1925 Pulitzer Trophy for air racing. Nine months later he was dead. Cyrus Bettis was born on a farm in Carsonville, Michigan, near Port Huron, in January of 1893. He joined the United States Army in 1918, in time to do combat service overseas. From there, Lieutenant Bettis developed a keen interest in all things related to aviation. His deep knowledge base and quiet personality helped him to become a favorite of nearly all of the men he taught and those with whom he flew. His Selfridge Field colleagues cheered madly when he beat the favorite Al Williams in the 1925 Pulitzer Trophy race in New York, with a world record speed of 249.99 mph. One of the first to congratulate him was his friend Jimmy Doolittle, who just a short time later would, himself, beat Bettis’ record. In August of the next year, Bettis and two other pilots of the First Pursuit Group flew together from Selfridge Field to Pennsylvania to participate in Philadelphia’s sesquicentennial celebration. The other two fliers from Selfridge were Lieutenants John. J. Williams and Luther S. Smith. The trip to Philly went smoothly and the men entertained the Philadelphia crowds with their amazing flying skills. The return trip did not go as well. Flying home to Selfridge Field from Pennsylvania, the three men flew close together in a V-formation with Lieutenant Bettis at the point. At about 1:00 PM that Monday afternoon, the men ran into heavy fog about ten miles south of Bellefonte, PA. With the fog thickening, they could no longer stick together in formation. At one-point Bettis signaled to turn right, but only Smith saw him and followed. Williams, alone now, decided to fly low, beneath the clouds, where he followed a road and landed at Middletown, PA. Smith followed Bettis as long as he could and then, with Bettis out of sight, he decided to go high, above the fog. He navigated by compass and managed to land at Clearfield, PA. Both Williams and Smith took off later that day and returned safely to Selfridge Field, only to learn that their leader was missing.



Lieutenant Bettis had continued through the fog with zero visibility until his aircraft slammed hard into the side of the highly wooded Seven Sister Mountain area on the eastern slope of the Alleghenies. He later said that one of the plane’s wings had caught in a tree branch, lessening the impact of the crash. Nevertheless, Bettis was knocked unconscious for forty-five minutes and sustained several serious injuries including a broken leg, two broken jaws and many cuts and contusions. When he regained consciousness, he saw no one nearby and was not able to move. He called out for help many times, but there was no response. Soon he became thirsty and was able to collect rainwater in the palms of his hand. At about six o’clock, he heard airplanes circling overhead and assumed that they must be Smith and Williams searching for him. Night fell and there were no more airplane engines heard. Meanwhile, back at Selfridge Field, base commander Major Thomas G. Lanphier had authorized a search party to begin on Tuesday morning. Leaders of the party were, of course Lieutenants Smith and Williams who were most familiar with the areas and had the greatest motivation to find their lost friend. The search had not been successful, so when a second night fell, Cy Bettis knew that he would have to find a way to save himself. “I knew if I did not crawl out of there, I never would be found alive,” he later told hospital workers. The next morning, with a broken leg and two broken jaws, Lieutenant Bettis crawled to safety and dragged his shattered body out of the woods. Although the area was heavily wooded, it was fortunately well-populated as well. As he crawled out, he found himself on a roadway where two workers immediately came to his aid. Back home in Port Huron, Cy Bettis’ parents knew nothing of his plight. His mother only learned that her son was missing, from a local newspaper article, but did not tell her husband about it because he was ill. Still, she prayed for divine intervention to save her son. His sister, Ithrene Bettis, was notified by the Associated Press only after her brother was rescued. Lieutenant Bettis’ colleagues were overjoyed that he was found alive, and local newspapers carried headlines proclaiming “HEROIC BETTIS DEFEATS CRASH,” and “MISSING ARMY FLYER FOUND.” At that point Bettis was being treated at a local hospital in Bellfonte, PA., but he was soon transferred to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington DC. Being that none of his injuries appeared to be life-threatening, family, friends and colleagues all expected that he would be back to flying in no time at all. It was a terrible surprise to all when it was learned that Lieutenant Bettis had died at Walter Reed on September 1, 1926 of spinal meningitis. The airmen of Selfridge Field gave their friend and hero a fitting send-off. His body was returned to Detroit’s Union Station by rail and met by Selfridge personnel who transported him to Port Huron in a flag-draped hearse. As the funeral procession left Union Station, three Selfridge planes flew above, and were soon joined by nine others in formation to accompany Lieutenant Cyrus K. Bettis on his final journey. In his honor, Bettis Field in Pittsburgh bore his name and when the field was later repurposed, it continued to be called Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory. Joe Mazzara is a docent and researcher for the Selfridge Military Air Museum


Museum Happenings (cont.) Library Research Team, Archives & Uniform Shop: The Library-Archives Team Chief is still training and assisting the ‘NEW’ admin volunteer, Pam Horner so she is only in the Library-Archives a few hours a week. She is currently working on relabeling and photographing the artifacts that were changed out from the museum display over the past winter. Most of the Library-Archives volunteers have returned to actively volunteering at the Museum on Tuesdays with a few exceptions: Dawn Dobbelaer (pictured at left) will be volunteering in the library on Saturdays and will be rejoining our team on 12 September. Pat Williams is still staying close to home, though she may return soon. Joe Mazzara is continuing research and writing and organizing our information in our Aircraft Accident Files for the archives, a slow process! Frank Brown and Mary Lou Pearsall have returned on Tuesdays to continue where they left off pre-COVID-19. Steve Mrozek, our ‘NEW’ Curator is diligently working on revamping the SPAD Hangar display and going through our excess uniform collection. He will hopefully also be maintaining and updating the list of uniforms and artifacts previously maintained by Jerry Dressig who has stepped down as Uniform Shop Team Chief. Dick Soules, who recently retired from the Curator position is helping with the operation of the heat press to help update items for the display. Restoration Team:

Our Restoration Team is transitioning to a new team chief, Steve Sibal (back row, 2nd from right).

The Rohrbeck Story By Tom Demerly

Mr. Darrell Rohrbeck, 93, of Chesterfield Township, Michigan, was honored for his contributions and leadership as a volunteer at the Selfridge Military Air

Museum at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Mt. Clemens, Michigan on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Rohrbeck began volunteering at the Selfridge Military Air Museum in 1994. His efforts were instrumental in the museum’s complete construction of a full-scale, authentic reproduction of a SPAD XIII fighter, the same type flown by 15 of the 16 U.S. American Expeditionary Forces in WWI and by leading WWI ace, Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker. This SPAD XIII has become one of the leading attractions at the Selfridge Military Air Museum and is displayed with related artifacts in its own hangar on the museum grounds. During his career at the museum, Mr. Rohrbeck also lead a team in the ongoing restoration of a Goodyear Aircraft Corporation FG-1D Corsair WWII fighter. The historic aircraft was originally stationed at nearby Grosse Ile Naval Air Station. The Corsair restoration project


Museum Happenings (cont.) will also have its own dedicated display hangar on the museum grounds and is expected to be completed as early as 2022.

Without the selfless volunteer dedication and leadership of Darrell Rohrbeck, neither of these key restoration projects would have been as successful.

Meet Our “New” Restoration Team Chief Steve has been building model airplanes and rockets since grade school. He graduated with Masters and Bachelor’s degrees from Purdue University’s School of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering in 1976. While attending Purdue, he held faculty positions as both Research and Teaching Assistants, was a member of the Purdue Aeromodeller’s Club, and helped another student build a Rand KR-1 homebuilt airplane. After graduation, he began working for Bell Helicopter in Hurst, TX. His primary assignment was static stress analysis, composite material lab

testing, and flight test monitoring of a composite material main rotor blade for the Model 214B utility helicopter. This led to Bell receiving the first FAA certification of a composite material main rotor blade. He joined General Motors in 1978, where he was involved with structural analysis of chassis and body structures for future vehicle programs, plus noise & vibration testing at the Milford and Desert proving grounds. For his last 25 years at GM, he was an Engineering Group Manager of several Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) groups responsible for personnel development as well as the creation, training and execution of new CAE simulation techniques to reduce or eliminate hardware testing at GM’s six global engineering centers. He retired as a Senior Engineering Manager in 2014 after 36 years at GM. Steve joined the Restoration group in October 2014 and has worked primarily on the Museum’s T-6 and the FG-1D Corsair. He has volunteered to write regular reports to document the Restoration Group’s progress on the Corsair for the Marines since 2015. For the past five years he has served as a Mentor to local high school groups participating in The American Rocketry Challenge. He and his wife of 44 years, Teri, enjoy spending time with their 2-year old granddaughter, Katelyn, who lives nearby. Steve accepted the position as Team Leader for the Restoration Group in July 2020 following the retirement of Darrell Rohrbeck who served in that role for over 20 years. Grounds Team: The Grounds Team volunteers continue to work their magic and keep the Museum Air Park and grounds looking nice. Great job, Grounds crew!


Museum Happenings (cont.) Maintenance & Operations: Our Maintenance & Acting Operations Team Chief, Gerry Ridener, is taking it easy for a while due to some health concerns. Hopefully, all will be well with him soon and he’ll be able to return in the very near future. Until then, Roger Krings who retired as Assistant Director several years ago, and serves on the Museum Board of Directors, has stepped in to try to fill Gerry’s shoes. I am sure Gerry or Denise would be glad to hear from any of you while he is @ home. Air Park Team: The Air Park Team has been busy this season. So far, they have installed a set of drop tanks on the A-10 and one on the A-7D. Quite a bit of the team’s time has been spent repairing the equipment needed to prep and paint the C-130A. In time of Lou & Susan’s memorial, the team worked extra hours to get the nose, tail and left side of the plane is finished and the right side is being prepped for painting.

Cole Watson, Paula Cuneo, Jim Ashford

Bill Fields



A-7 Corsair II

C-130 Hercules

Other teams available to volunteer with for the Museum are the: Weekend Host Team (Docents), 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!!

http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org/



Please sign up today!



From the Director and Assistant Director We have appointed a ‘NEW’ Public Affairs Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator to head the Weekend Docent Team for the 2020-2021 Season. Please meet Tom Demerly; next time you see him roving around the museum and/or air park don’t forget to say hi! So next February if you are listed as a Weekend Docent look for a letter from the Museum or an email from [email protected] with the 2021 Season Calendar to sign up for your available dates.

Tom is a feature writer, journalist, photographer and editorialist who has written articles that are published around the world on TheAviationist.com, TACAIRNET.com, Outside magazine, Business Insider, We Are The Mighty, The Dearborn Press & Guide, National Interest, Russia’s government media outlet Sputnik, and many other publications. Demerly studied journalism at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. His military experience

includes being Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia (Cycle C-6-1) and as a Scout Observer in a reconnaissance unit, Company “F”, 425th INF (RANGER/AIRBORNE), Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU). Demerly is an experienced parachutist, holds advanced SCUBA certifications, has climbed the highest mountains on three continents, competed in the longest endurance events in the world including the Eco-Challenge and the Raid Gauloises, finished over 100 triathlons including seven Ironmans, visited all seven continents and has flown several types of light aircraft.

We have a “NEW”, fantastic Admin. Volunteer, Pam Horner. If you have not met her, please stop by the administrative offices in Bldg. 1011 and introduce yourself. Pam will be taking over the bulk of the administrative paperwork that our ‘beloved previous director’ used to handle single-handedly. Here is a bit of Pam’s history and experience, that helps to show what a ‘great fit’ she is to our team. Pam Horner worked for the Detroit District - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for over 34 years as a chemist and retired in July 2018. She also served as secretary for the Detroit Post - Society of American Military Engineers for

over 30 years. She is also an active member of the Mt. Clemens Power Squadron and serves as the current secretary. Pam is from Detroit, Michigan and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Chemistry from Wayne State University in 1979, a Master’s Degree in Botany in 1982 and Master’s Degree in Hazardous Waste Management in 1990, both from Wayne State University. Pam’s hobbies include sewing, rug hooking, and reading.

mailto:[email protected]



• Artifact Donations can only be accepted by the THE CURATOR (Steve Mrozek), THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (THAT’S Wayne Fetty), or THE LIBRARY TEAM CHIEF (Lori Nye). Please do not bring anything from your home or from others that is to be donated to the Museum unless you first come through one of the above! Then all artifacts are given to Lori Nye for accessioning into the system. Taking artifacts in through the ‘back door’ really makes accountability difficult after the fact. Thank you for your assistance to this matter.

Here is a little history on Steve’s experience for the position of Curator: With an enthusiastic interest in military history and an extensive career working with historical museums, Steve Mrozek joined the growing roster of volunteers at the Selfridge Military Air Museum last May. Steve’s museum career includes positions at the Detroit Historical Museum, the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as well as several local museums. He admits that it’s his interest in military history and past Army National Guard service that led him back to Selfridge. As an avid military historian with several books to his credit, he had served as the historian for the 82nd Airborne Division Association. It was also this interest which led him to the Army and a 26 years long career. As a paratrooper, Mrozek served over ten years in Company F, 425th Infantry, a Long-Range Surveillance unit stationed at Selfridge. Later attached to the 82nd Airborne, he deployed to Afghanistan in 2007. Last July, Steve became the new curator.

• MAGHA Membership: 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.

• PURCHASING FOR MUSEUM: For those of you who have our Museum Master Card number memorized or on a piece of paper, it has changed! See Wayne, Ed, Lori, or Pam for the credit card information and sales tax-exempt forms for purchasing local or online. Remember to plan your purchases in advance to give you the time to request from Wayne or Ed the sales tax-exempt form.

• 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 do not wait until the last minute to obtain the form.

• As a ‘thank you’ to our volunteers, the Museum supplies them with one 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 will order them & provide you with an invoice for just our cost for the shirt(s) requested. If you have not


Museum Happenings (cont.) received your ‘free’ shirt or need an additional shirt (at your cost) leave send an email to Barb Taylor, Gift Shop Team Chief @ [email protected] , and we will get it on order.

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.

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

• Restoring the FG-1D Corsair using industry-standard components continues. Expecting the Corsair to be moved out of Restoration by 2022, hopefully.



Michigan Activity Pass:

The Selfridge Military Air Museum has joined the Michigan Activity Pass. 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. 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. If you have never explored this website and used the Michigan

Activity Pass to locate a museum of interest to visit, it’s definitely something to explore!

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, 13 June 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/). If you have never participated in this Passport Program that was first offered in 2018, it is something to consider doing with your wife, children, grandchildren, or extended family members. Passports are “FREE”, though there may be a small cost to visit the various museums.

Editorial Board:

Executive Director: Wayne T. Fetty Editor: Lori Nye

Contributing Writers: Joseph Mazzara

Tom Demerly Steve Mrozek Pam Horton Steve Sibal

https://tln.lib.mi.us/map/


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july september 2020 - selfridge military air museum · 2020. 10. 2. · museums spad viii and a...

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