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The Red Mill Museum Village will host a Salute to Service weekend from June 20 to 23.
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“I am honored to have the opportunity to organize the Salute to Service this year, with special emphasis on the 80th anniversary of D-Day,” said Red Mill Museum Village trustee Joe Eggert, a Vietnam War veteran who received the Purple Heart. “I reached out to many individuals and organizations and am grateful for their support and look forward to a rewarding and memorable event.
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“Red Mill Museum Village has honored our military with special acknowledgment for their service to our country and I hope it will continue as a reminder to all the sacrifices made by many and who should not be forgotten.”
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Museum members, children under 6, veterans and active military members will be able to enter the museum free of charge.
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The weekend will kick off with a lecture by Brian Armstrong on June 20 at 7 p.m. in the Red Mill Museum Village Administration Building. Armstrong, a researcher, historian and author, will present Celebrities at War: Famous WWII Veterans.
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Three local veterans will be presented with handmade Quilts of Valor on June 22. This ceremony will take place in the Quarry Pavilion at noon followed by a 1940s USO-style show performed by Dawn O’Day.
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There will be a 21-gun salute led by the Spruce Run VFW Post #5119 on June 23, followed by an Echo Taps ceremony and a two-helicopter flyover featuring a Huey and a Blackhawk.
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There will also be representatives from military and veteran organizations as well as artifacts, vehicles, displays and reenactors from the Civil War, Korean War and both World Wars, with a focus on World War II, according to a press release.
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“We want to honor veterans and we want the community to be involved and feel connected to both the museum and our military history,” said Gina Sampaio, executive director of the Red Mill Museum Village.
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Sampaio said this year’s event will introduce an opportunity to submit photos of themselves or their relatives that have been in the service and the event will include stations to write letters and cards to active military members.
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There will also be information for veterans if they are not getting all the resources they need, Sampaio said.
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“Too many times, it’s easy to read history and forget there were real people behind these names and photos and stories we hear, so hopefully we can help humanize the experience and remind people that we should be grateful (for veterans),” Sampio said.