Cold War Veterans Blog

The Cold War Museum

Summer Update 2008

Over the past decade, the Cold War Museum has made great strides in honoring Cold War Veterans and preserving Cold War history. I am writing to provide you with a brief update on the Museum's activities.

I am pleased to announce that earlier this year we submitted our proposed draft of a lease for use of the former Lorton Nike Missile base to Fairfax County Park Authority for their review and comment. I am grateful to Mr. Christopher Barker from the law firm of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich, & Walsh (www.thelandlawyers.com) who contributed countless hours of in-kind work in preparing our proposed lease for submission to Fairfax County.

The Cold War Museum continues to work with the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC and the Atomic Bunker in Harnekop near Berlin, Germany to display temporarily some of its artifacts. The Cold War Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and has pledges of support for artifact loans from Smithsonian Air and Space, American History, National Portrait, and US Postal Museums. The Museum has chapters in Berlin, Germany and Milwaukee, Wisconsin staffed by volunteers.

The mobile exhibit on the U-2 Incident, the "Spies of Washington Tour," and related educational activities continue to generate interest and support. The mobile exhibit is currently on display at the ITOW Veterans Museum (www.itowmuseum.org) in Perham, Minnesota through October 2008. If you know of a museum that would have an interest in the exhibit, please send me an email. The educational Spy Tour of Washington (www.spytour.com) is now booking group tours online.

Initial planning has begun for Cold War Conversations III about the Prague Spring of 1968 scheduled for October 11, 2008 at South County Secondary School in Lorton, VA. The Museum is working with the Embassy of the Czech Republic to commemorate this important anniversary. Our Berlin Chapter worked with the British Berlin Airlift Association to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift in May 2008. There is a variety of sponsorship opportunities available in conjunction with these anniversary events as well as other Cold War Museum educational events and activities. Please email gpowersjr@coldwar.org for additional information.

If you know of friends or family members that would be interested in our efforts, share this update with them or encourage them to visit www.coldwar.org. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution and/or artifact donation. Your gift will help ensure future generations remember Cold War events and personalities that forever altered our understanding of national security, international relations, and personal sacrifice for one's country. Together we can make this vision a reality.

For more information, or to subscribe to our Cold War Times email newsletter list, please contact:

Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
Founder
The Cold War Museum
P.O. Box 178
Fairfax, VA 22038
www.coldwar.org