OREGON MILITARY MUSEUM 10101 SE CLACKAMAS ROAD CAMP WITHYCOMBE CLACKAMAS, OREGON 97015-9150 Phone (503) 557-5359 Fax (503) 557-6713 March 2-April 14, 2011 CURATOR S REPORT from TRACY THOENNES COMPLETED: All vaults have had their six month maintenance completed. We resolved some weapons accountability issues with the Center of Military History. Phone lists and emergency contact lists were updated. The paint color for the Walker M41 Bulldog was determined. It is next in line for restoration. Ms. Legg attended two seminars: Working with Major Donors and Grant Writing. Provided Tour for ORNG Regimental Historians. Picked up a wonderful donation in Brush Prairie, Washington. This U.S. M1 wheeled mount for the M1917 Browning watercooled machine gun was rescued by donor Stanley Sarkinsen from a Beaverton blackberry bramble years ago. The mount dates from circa 1932. At left, is an image of a couple of them in use by Company M, Third Battalion of the 162 nd Infantry, from the 1939 Oregon National Guard Annual. UPCOMING FUNDRAISING EVENT BENEFITS MUSEUM: Planning is underway for the 9-11 Dinner and Fundraising event to be held Saturday Sept. 10, 2011. The proceeds go to four recipient organizations: The Historical Outreach Foundation on behalf of the Oregon National Guard s Military Museum, Responder Life, Citizens Crime Commission, and Public Safety Chaplaincy. The amount of proceeds to each recipient is determined by the number of tables sponsored by their representatives. The event marks the 10th anniversary of 9-11, and honors first responders and military personnel to thank them for their service. Companies and individuals are being asked to sponsor tables, and may choose from five sponsorship levels ranging from $911 to $20,911. Table sponsors receive two places at their table and provide seating for four first-responder couples to attend free of charge. Attendees will enjoy a night of honor, tribute, music, and special programming. For more information, please contact Development Director Ms. Jo Ellen Legg at 503-557-5359..
April 11-15 is VOLUNTEER WEEK. The OMM Volunteer and Team Luncheon is today at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Clackamas, where we recognize our volunteers contributions. A HUGE thanks to those who gave 2,852 volunteer hours, valued at $59,464. Our humble thanks also go to event SPONSORS: Mr. and Mrs. Lee Flegel of Redmond, Clackamas NAPA Auto Parts Store, Mr. Ryan Smith (owner of Oregon City s Verdict Bar and Grill), and the Clackamas Old Spaghetti Factory! This c1944 image shows front-line combat unit Company D, 186 th Infantry on leave in Rockhampton, Australia, enjoying a little rest and relaxation at a Golf Tournament. Many of these young men came from Oregon City and had gone to high school together. PENDING: A warm welcome goes out to our new 20-hour a week intern Jason Ross. Jason is a Portland State University graduate student with approximately two years to go to complete his dual Masters degrees in Education and Library Media. His experience includes a Museum of Natural History internship in Manhattan, one year teaching English in Korea, and two months as a film programming director / lecturer on rural sustainable culture in Chile and Peru. Welcome Aboard Jason! Top priority is still exhibit development for the 41st Infantry Division AFRC. We have completed the exhibit design concept review, and are now approaching a 95% final design and firm artifact list. So far, we have narrowed things down to approximately 80 pages of text, labels and captions. Most of these facts and figures must be researched and confirmed as factual and true. There also are about 150 artifacts and 150 graphic images, such as those at right. We strive to find the quintessential objects and images that tell the 41 st Infantry Division s story, that will withstand permanent exhibition in terms of preservation. Processing donated artifact and loaned scrapbooks continues. Since January 1, we have had 22 donations (6 pending), with a total of 170 objects catalogued so far. One of the pending donations contains over 100 objects. The U.S. M4A3 Sherman tank and the Japanese Mitsubishi Type 95 Ha-Go tank are getting final touches in preparation for their new home at the AFRC s front doors. Fundraising and campaign planning, creating budget projections, and identifying prospective donors continue forward with meetings, a new brochure, a fundraising event with the Blazers this past month, and more meetings. Thanks to AGI personnel for their help. Working with Salem s Mission Mill Museum for their upcoming exhibit, Tools of Survival: Weapons of Oregon History. Several requests for community participation have been received and are on hold until we resolve manning needs for the Museum Detachment. No issues with heaters or roofing this month. Crossing fingers. The loan renewal process is winding down now with the majority of borrowers responding. We will begin the whole process again in October. Curator Thoennes is transitioning from being an EGS contractor to Federal Technician.
Question of the month #1 Can you identify any of these men? The photo was taken about April, 1942 in Seymour, Australia. The men are all from the 41st Infantry Division and all were Portland Policemen! In the first row, seated on the right is Carl V. Shoemaker, Sr. In the second row, fourth from left (blonde) is Bud Lewis. Can you identify anyone else? Question of the month #2 Can you identify this practice projectile, circa 1880? It is from a recent donation from the Oregon Air National guard Explosive Ordnance Disposal team. Absolutely no literature on this round has been found, by them or by us. Note the odd cuts in the driving band, denoting it is a practice round. Extremely heavy, it measures 16.75 high x 6.13 diameter.
FEATURED RECENT DONATIONS Donor: the Oregon Air National Guard EOD team These Mark II U.S. grenades, (inert of course), show the evolution of World War II paint schemes. Yellow paint on ordnance usually denotes High Explosive (HE). In 1942, that s how the serrated cast iron body of Mk. II grenades were painted. But the yellow was easily seen by the enemy, so existing grenades were over-painted olive drab (OD). The center example shows the old yellow color coming through where the OD has worn off. By 1944, the standard was a small yellow ring at the grenade s neck. (The center grenade is from a 2009 donation from Leonard Moe, Company B, 772nd Tank Battalion, attached to the 44th Infantry Division, a liberating unit that freed 3,000 POWs at Bad Ord, Germany. The grenades at right and left were donated by the Oregon Air National Guard EOD team.) Three new macro artifacts have arrived from the EOD team as well, after being tested to ensure each is inert. These are a 13 inch semi-armor piercing (SAP) projectile, dating circa 1898, and two 10 inch SAP projectiles, dating from the same era. Combined, they have a total weight estimated at 3,500 pounds (those are really big bullets)! The 10 inch rounds were used in coastal defense, and the massive 13 inch round was used only on the U.S.S. Oregon and the two other Indiana-class battleships, the U.S.S. Indiana and the Massachuesetts. No one knows how the 13 inch projectile came to be where it was found. It was discovered on its way up a conveyor belt (in the background of the image on left) at the scrapyard of Schnitzer Steel in Portland. It was about to be shredded into many tiny pieces and loaded on a boat bound for Singapore. The Air Guard EOD team was called in and the round removed from the site. Later, all three projectiles were tested, by detonating a shaped charge in the fuze plugs, and all were determined inert.
At left, the U.S. Naval Historical Center s image of the Battleship U.S.S. Oregon s two massive 13 inch guns rising above rough seas. Below is a Library of Congress photo of the U.S.S. Oregon s 13 inch gun breeches in their turret, taken between 1896 and 1901, but probably in 1898 just before the Battle of Santiago. The photo is by Edward H. Hart. CALENDAR/IMPORTANT DATES: April 14 Volunteer and Museum TEAM event April 15 Retirees Council meeting and luncheon speaking request April 27-May 3 Thoennes on leave May 3-May 12 Legg on leave May 12 Table display, Capitol Lawn, Historic Preservation Month Fair May 19 Armed Forces Day with the Guard at the State Capitol May 21 Camp Withycombe Living History Day /Armed Forces Day May 23-27 IPAS (environmental inspections) May 30 Memorial Day at Willamette National Cemetery. Museum Closed. July 27-28 Tentative - The Great Oregon Steam-Up, Antique Powerland, Brooks, Oregon August 8-12 National Guard Museum Training Course August 22-26 U.S. Army Museum Training Course Sept 16 The 41 st AFRC building dedication Sept? Oregon National Guard Senior Leadership Conference, Camp Rilea JUST BY THE NUMBERS: Research Requests this period: 8 requests, not including AFRC exhibits Total Donations since January 1, 2011 22 donations Processed donations 16 donations with 170 objects catalogued Pending donations 6 donations, one contains more than 100 objects. Scrapbooks/photo albums scanning 5 albums completed, one more to go, with more than 1,000 images Exhibit text, labels and quotes 80 pages Images and graphics for AFRC exhibits approx. 150 Artifacts for AFRC exhibits approx. 150
Here are a few images from one of the scrapbooks we are digitizing, from Roger Schofield, Service Company, 186 th Infantry Regiment Collection: DATA LOGGERS: PERIOD: February 28, 2011 March 31, 2011 Museum Standards: Stable temperature and relative humidity are needed to preserve historic artifacts, photos & documents. The goal is to maintain 68 F and 50% relative humidity (RH), except vaults RH should be at 40%. Temperature and/or RH should not swing more than +/-5 within a 24 hour period, since these swings are what cause major deterioration. Green highlights indicate when and where standards were met. Yellow highlights indicate violations of standards during the time period listed, by being off goal (too hot or cold, too high or low RH). Outside Temperature High 63, Low 31 Quick Look: Fluctuations of more than 5 or 5% occurred within a 24 hour period this many times: Collections: 0 of 32 days Uncatalogued: 0 of 32 days Vault 6101-2: 1 of 32 days Art Storage: 11 of 32 days Drill Floor Stage: 12 of 32 days Vault 6410: 0 of 32 days Garment Storage: 13 of 32 days Vault 6101-1: 1 of 32 days February 28, 2011 March 31, 2011 LOGGER NO. LOGGER LOC. HIGH TEMP LOW TEMP AV TEMP HIGH RH LOW RH AV RH 2307219 Collections 73.06 68.93 70.81 41.49 28.86 35.07 2307220 Art Storage 72.37 68.59 70.32 47.93 29.96 37.10 2307221 Garment Storage 69.96 63.46 66.51 52.29 34.76 41.98 2307222 Uncatalogued 74.45 72.37 73.32 40.80 25.08 32.81 2307223 Drill Floor Stage 69.11 57.10 66.00 50.54 32.68 39.94 2307224 Vault 6101-1 66.37 63.28 64.28 45.10 38.52 40.27 2307225 Vault 6101-2 70.82 68.08 69.13 43.48 32.20 36.76 2307226 Vault 6410 69.28 65.85 67.29 40.69 37.38 39.04