RELEASED BY:Lt Col. Greg Hapgood

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
OFFICE:   (515) 252-4582
CELL:       (515) 971-6385
HOME:     (515) 986-5725

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

JOHNSTON, IOWA…
 

*PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE FOR MEMORIAL DAY*

MEMORIAL DAY BREAKFAST AND WHO RADIO SHOW “VAN AND BONNIE” AT IOWA GOLD STAR MILITARY MUSEUM

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum will host a public open house and complimentary military breakfast on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, from 5 a.m to 4:30 p.m. The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is located at Camp Dodge, 7105 NW 70th Ave., Johnston. Admission to the Museum is free and there is no cost for the military breakfast.

Van and Bonnie from WHO Radio (1040 AM) will broadcast their morning show live from 5 to 9 a.m. at the Museum. Their guests will include numerous veterans, Gov. Tom Vilsack, and Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis, the Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard.

The “S.O.S.” (“Stuff on a Shingle”) breakfast will be served from 5 to 9 a.m., or until supplies run out of the genuine military recipe of chipped beef gravy on toast. The Museum will also serve fresh “Army” coffee and “Bug Juice” (orange drink) throughout the day.

To enter Camp Dodge on Memorial Day, the NW Beaver Drive and NW 70th Ave. gates will both remain open for Museum visitors from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Photo identification is required for admittance to Camp Dodge (a driver's license is acceptable).

Established in 1985, the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is the only federally-recognized repository for military artifacts in the state of Iowa. The mission of the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is twofold: to preserve Iowa’s military history and honor the military service of all Iowans.

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum’s permanent exhibits tell the stories of Iowans who have served in defense of their state and nation, beginning in the early settlement of the state in the 1840s, through the Global War on Terror. An extensive exhibit honors the 34th Infantry Division (“Red Bull” Division), which holds the distinction of serving the most continuous days in combat of any division during World War II. The museum also contains one of the finest military small arms collections in the Midwest. Additionally, an exhibit detailing the history of the Iowa State Patrol is also on display.

The museum is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays. Group tours are welcome and available by appointment; contact the museum for scheduling. For additional information or questions about the Memorial Day observance or the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, contact the Museum at (515) 252-4531 or visit the museum website at www.iowanationalguard.com

For questions concerning this news release as well as additional information about the operations, training, and activities of the Iowa Army and Air National Guard, please contact Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer, at (515) 252-4582 (office), (515) 971-6385 (cell), (515) 986-5725 (home), or by e-mail at gregory.hapgood@ia.ngb.army.mil. You may also contact Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden, at (515) 252-4666 (office), (515) 251-7335 (home), or by e-mail at duff.mcfadden@ia.ngb.army.mil.

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IOWA NATIONAL GUARD
Americans at Their Best