President's Message

OregonFAST, an internet provider in Florence (and, I might add, a strong supporter of our museum effort) has purchased a computer program for the Museum which is noted nationwide as the "premiere" data base for museum projects. This new system will be maintained on the OregonFAST server and be accessible to the Board of Directors from any computer site. Included in this package is a membership database, archives database, and a multimedia-website program. OregonFAST is also hosting a new museum website which we plan to open for public access in the near future. This website will provide you with information about current and upcoming activities at the museum as well as providing the general public with information about the museum. We thank the owners and staff at OregonFAST for their aid and support in getting our Museum computer systems established.

We are making progress toward creating this museum, OUR museum, which will bring tourists to our community, and tourists spend money on meals and lodging. It will also instill a sense of pride in the veterans who live or visit here. It will be a history textbook for our young people, giving them an opportunity to learn about and understand that freedom is NOT free. These are all things that are good for us as individuals and good for us as a community. THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Thomas F. "Sam" Spayd, Board President
Oregon Coast Military Heritage Museum

Building Update!

We have submitted our application to the City of Florence for both a Conditional Use permit and a clearing permit, and have received a laundry list back of additional items they need to proceed. We hope to be able to get those back to them in the next few weeks and are still aiming to clear the property and begin ground breaking before the summer is over. Watch for progress on the site over on Kingwood, next to the Florence Municipal Airport!

Director's Reports: Directors Greg Freeze & Cliff Harvey

The Audit Committee met to review the accounting procedures and financial reports of OCMHM. During the review, no major flaws were uncovered. In fact, the Audit Committee was quite impressed with the elaborate procedures associated with the handling of cash receipts. "It is unusual to find a nonprofit organization handling the cash as well as the OCMHM." stated Greg Freeze, one of the two Audit Committee members. "I was impressed with the signoffs performed by two board members for each cash receipt." stated Cliff Harvey, the other Audit Committee member. Based on the solid accounting procedures for cash receipts, the committee had to look elsewhere for improvement suggestions. Mr. Freeze stated, "We came up with a few suggestions for improvements, but most were based on making it easier for the OCMHM board to understand the financial statements so that we could better plan for the future of the organization." With the solid review of the Audit Committee, the board is free to focus its attention on growing the funds needed to begin clearing the land and erecting the building.

Reprinted from the Siuslaw News By Cal Applebee

At 92 years of age, Edith Shain, the nurse in the iconic "Times Square Kiss" photo, passed away last month. That photo, which represented the ending of World War II on August 14, 1945, is one of the most published photographs in Life magazine's 74 year history.

Although surrounded by some controversy over the years, Time magazine and Alfred Eisenstadt, the famed photographer who snapped the picture that celebratory day, agreed she was the real McCoy back in the 1980s.

In later years, Shain joined ranks with veteran (and Veteran) actor Hugh O'Brian to become National Spokespersons for an organization dedicated to commemorating that date - the Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive effort. "Anyone who has seen the photo of me being kissed in Times Square on August 14, 1945, knows where I was on the day World War II ended! That was nearly 65 years ago, but I still remember how our whole country rejoiced at the news that there would be peace!" she stated when she signed on with the movement.

The national movement comprised of a coalition of organizations and individuals and is striving to achieve three objectives during it's year-long campaign: - to call on Congress to designate the second Sunday of every August as a national day of remembrance; - to raise public awareness about the 65th anniversary of that momentous day; - and to collect first hand memories of those who experienced August 14, 1945.

Locally, the Oregon Coast Military Heritage Museum has signed on as a partner with the national organization. Museum Board President Sam Spayd stated "The basic tenets of this national effort are right in line with the mission of the Oregon Coast Military Heritage Museum - to 'honor our Veterans by Educating our Public' and raise awareness of the service and sacrifice of not just those brave Veterans of that 'greatest generation,' but also of those at the home front as well."

Although the local Museum's focus is broader than just WWII military heritage, the Board feels that the efforts to collect the memories and educate the public are extremely well matched to their mission. The OCMHM is planning on an event here in Florence for Saturday, August 14, 2010 in conjunction with the national effort.

To learn more about the Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive effort, you can visit their website at www.spiritof45.org, and to learn more about the Oregon Coast Military Heritage Museum, you can visit their website at www.kilroycorps.com.

From Time Magazine, November 29, 1943

"SEAGOING JEEP: From grinning Navy men the U.S. Army finally found what had happened to a missing jeep. It had been parked on a dock in a West Coast port hard by a submarine. Next day both submarine and jeep had gone. To newspaper ads, asking for information leading to recover of the little car, the Army got no reply. The reason: the submarine's crew had dismantled the jeep, stored it in various nooks and crannies below. It was handy to have around. When the sub hit port the pieces were lugged ashore, the jeep was assembled, the crew had free transportation."

NOTE: If you are receiving this Newsletter in hardcopy and have an email address, please let us know so we can save cost of paper and postage. Simply email your address to: militaryjeeps@q.com and let us know you’d like to switch to electronic!

As you know, an undertaking like the creation and building of a museum in our community to honor the Veterans around us is a huge undertaking that requires a huge amount of money. To that end, we thought we would share a little information regarding donations. A recent survey conducted for non-profit charitable giving shows that approximately 80% of Americans donate to charities each year and of all of those donations, 92% are cash, and 8% are other assets, such as bequests through wills and being named beneficiary in an insurance policy. However, there are other ways to donate under that 'charitable giving' theme that are not that commonly known, and they can provide not only a greater financial benefit to the non-profit or charity, but they can also result in a greater tax advantage for the donor, and that is the donation of securities. If you would like to learn more about this way you can help us create this memorial to our Veterans, please contact your financial advisor, and have them contact us!

Please use the form in this newsletter to join the ranks of those who, like the legendary Kilroy of WWII, will be there ahead of all others. When our museum is built, your name will appear on a plaque with your fellow Corps members! You can join the Kilroy Corps for as little as $20.00, or join the ranks of the Century Corps for $100.00, and in addition to your name on the plaque, you will receive a name badge identifying you as a member of this prestigious group!

(Please make your check out to: Western Lane Community Foundation)

Name:_____________________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________

City:_________________________________State:_____________Zip:_________

Phone #:____________________ Email:__________________________________

Are you a Veteran?__________ Of which Branch:____________________________

Interested in providing items for display? Yes or No __________