The City and County of Broomfield declared May 2026 as Military Appreciation Month. There are a variety of activities planned throughout the month, including ‘Pizza for Patriots’ after the May 9 Coffee & Conversation program in the front yard of the Museum at 12 Garden Center. Once again, the Veterans Museums Memorial Day Ceremony and Picnic at County Commons Park (this year on May 25 at 11am) will be the capstone event for the month. Learn more here – https://broomfield.org/4344/Military-Appreciation-Month

On May 9, John Nahodyl, who has a unique perspective on military service, having served in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force during his long career, will talk for the first Coffee & Conversation of May at 10am. Pizza for Patriots, a special City and County of Broomfield May Military Appreciation Month resource event, will be at 11:30am, right after the Coffee & Conversation. Pizza will be provided!

This Saturday, April 25 come to the Museum at 10am to listen to Fred Martin will tell the story of Elmer “Lucky” McGinty, a B-17 waist gunner who survived 29 bombing missions with the 8th Air Force during World War II. McGinty was a long-time Boulder resident who passed away in 2024.

On Saturday, April 11 at 10am, Historian David Barrett will talk about the atrocities committed by the infamous Japanese Unit 731. Many Americans (and Japanese) still remain unaware of the war crimes committed under the militarized Japanese government in World War II. This is a Coffee & Conversation program.

On 28 March at 10am, Rocky Mountain Honor Flight will give a presentation on their mission and the services they offer for Colorado veterans.

The Veterans Museum Broomfield has just installed a new temporary exhibit commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state.

            “Due to the lack of artifacts from that period,” said Flint Whitlock, museum director of Displays and Exhibits, “this is primarily an educational poster exhibit that describes how our nation was founded, as well as about Colorado being added to the Union.”

Also included is the history of the construction of the Colorado State Capitol, the history of the three different designs of the state flag, the biographies of three of Colorado’s most prominent governors, and the history of Broomfield.

            “One part of the display that I’m sure will be of interest is a collection of over 500 exquisitely hand-painted miniature (25mm) Revolutionary War soldiers loaned to us by war-gamer John Carter. These colorful, highly detailed figures represent virtually every army that took part in the war—the British, French, Spanish, German, Native American, and of course the Colonialists,” Whitlock said.

            Also recently installed in the museum ART-illery gallery is an exhibit featuring the drawings and paintings of ten prominent World War II artists. Another new exhibit discusses President Truman’s 1948 Executive Order 9981 that desegregated the armed forces.

            The 250th/150th exhibit will remain on display until the middle of the year.

The Veterans Museum Broomfield is located at 12 Garden Center, on Midway Boulevard about a quarter-mile east of Wadsworth, and is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 2 and Saturdays from 9 to 3. Admission is free. For more information, call the museum at (303) 460-6801.

 

Come to the March 14 Coffee and Conversation at 10am featuring Chris Hedenskog! Hedenskog was the lead M1A1 Abrams tank driver at the battle of 73 Easting during Operation Desert Storm/Sabre. He’ll share his experience during the First Gulf War and talk about his current work at the Veterans Administration.

At 10am on Feb. 28, Don Cygan, who is a Army veteran, will give an overview of the highly-successful Operation Desert Storm (“First Gulf War”) which liberated Kuwait in 1991. This Coffee & Conversation talk coincides with the 35th anniversary of the Desert Storm operation.

On Feb. 14 at 10am, Bob Bird, who worked with the famous “Skunk works”, will present the development of stealth aircraft leading up to the design of Lockheed’s F-117 “Nighthawk.”

On January 24 at 10am, Veterans Museum volunteer and former President Mike Fellows will give a presentation on his father’s service on the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gwin during the war in the Pacific. The USS Gwin was awarded five battle stars and saw extensive combat in the Solomon Islands during World War II.