News

The Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation, Inc.
First Regiment Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19808-2191
www.MilitaryHeritage.org

Secure the memory before it is too late!

    Old photographs yellow and curl, newspapers turn brittle, letters and diaries are lost. Much worse, with each passing year,
we lose our old comrades, and the memories they take with them. The stories of their sacrifice, and the code of honor by which
they lived, are in danger of evaporating away.

    The Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation has taken on the mission of preserving this history, and
keeping the memory alive of those who gave so much on behalf of their country. We are writing to ask for your help in
preserving and restoring our Military Heritage. In recent years, your Military Heritage Foundation has:

•        Restored over 30 paintings and murals of military subjects on public view..
•        Scanned thousands of historical photographs in danger of being lost forever.
•        Collected and stored for safekeeping, several hundred uniforms, artifacts and implements of historic value
•        Amassed a library on military topics that includes hundreds of books, periodicals and documents, many of which are
unique and irreplaceable.

    Our greatest challenge lies before us, as we attempt to build a museum to house our growing collections. We face the
daunting task of raising a seven-figure sum to renovate and restore the Post Exchange building at Fort duPont – our future
home. The building has been provided to us, the engineering studies are begun, but now it is up to us to make it a living facility
for visitors and researchers, -- a place to teach the values of military history.

    I know that I can count on you for support. Can we count on you to send us a contribution that demonstrates your
generosity? In return, I promise you that your tax-deductible contribution will be put to work in meeting the mission of the
Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation, and the values we both share.

    Sincerely,

    William H. Duncan
    LTG (DE), DEARNG, Retired
    Chairman
    (302) 656-0689

P.S. We cannot preserve our Military History without the generosity of select people like you. Please take a moment to contact
us with your gift today, while you are thinking of it.

The Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation, Inc.is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; EIN 20-2467191.

(Please print and mail)
Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution to support the Annual Appeal of the
Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation, Inc.

Benefactors: □ $5000, Patrons: □ $1000, Sponsors: □ $500, Supporters □ $100

Other $___________

This is a tribute gift (in honor of, or in memory of):

Name__________________________________________________________________________________

Address________________________________________________________________________________

City_________________________________________State _________________ Zip__________________

Telephone__________________________________ E-mail______________________________________

Please mail your check to:
Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation, Inc.
First Regiment Road , Wilmington DE 19808-2191

Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation Inc. Newsletter

The Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation, Inc.
First Regiment Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19808-2191
www.MilitaryHeritage.org

Welcome to the first edition of our Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation newsletter. We are just calling it a
newsletter for now, but we’d like your help in giving it a name that captures the spirit and thrust of our mission. Please submit
your suggestions to us at milheritage@aol,com or phone General Duncan at (302) 656-0689.

Our intent is to keep you informed on our activities and programs as well as, to a limited extent, provide context to our
operating environment. We will bring you news of our organization and its people, as well as occasionally offer insights into
what’s going on in the world of military history as it relates to Delaware military heritage.

Brig Gen (DE Ret) Kennard Wiggins, Editor
Executive Director,

Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation to start membership drive.

This coming year the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation will initiate a membership drive for a new
organization called “The Delaware Military Museum". The purpose of our membership organization is threefold:
     To gain recognition for Delaware’s Military Heritage
     To engage volunteers,
     To publicize our existence in the community through outreach, events, and educating the public to our
activities, hopefully leading to even more membership.

The Delaware Military Museum will be open to all interested persons who share our interest in preserving our military history,
and keeping the memory alive of those who gave so much on behalf of their country.

We will offer some membership choices, establishing individual annual membership at $35, families at $50, sustaining or
corporate at $250. A lifetime membership is also under consideration.

We plan to offer the following benefits to our members:

     Free admission to the (future) Museum
     Invitations to special events
     Subscriptions to the Newsletter
     Discount at the on-line museum gift shop
     Invitation to an annual meeting and mixer
     Admission to lectures

Our hope is to generate interest, enthusiasm and the participation of our membership. We plan to sponsor activities like an
annual mixer or dinner in conjunction with our annual meeting. We’re considering events like lectures or field trips to historic
military sites, as well as possible fund-raising events such as a silent auction, or a military memorabilia show and swap meet.

We also anticipate tapping into the talents and the expertise of our members and getting them involved in volunteer activities.
We’re sure there is a lot of pent up desire from individuals to participate in this exciting journey.

Delaware Military Museum Progress Report

     A significant first step was taken toward making a Delaware Military Museum a reality as members of the Board of Directors
conducted a site visit to the Fort duPont Post Exchange Building (also know as “Burton Hall”) to assess the facility
accompanied by architects and engineers on their first walk-through. The State has “deeded” the property to the Delaware
National Guard after removing the asbestos and lead paint hazards from the facility.

     The next step is a formal lease to the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation from the National Guard. After
an inspection, the building was found to be fundamentally sound, although mostly an empty shell. The first order of business
will be to stabilize the structure, and prevent weather from further damage by sealing the structure and providing a ventilation
system.

     A visitor will be impressed by the size of the building as well as its grounds, which offer a spectacular setting at the head of
the parade ground behind the post flag pole. The environment includes a collection of other nearby historic buildings on the
former Army Post and accessibility to the nearby riverfront as well as historic Delaware City and Fort Delaware. It is the ideal
location in terms of environment and context for a Delaware Military Heritage Museum. It offers so much potential that it does
not take too much imagination to picture what it could become.

     By the same token, the observer can see how much work needs to be done. We will need a new roof, new doors and
windows, a fire suppression system designed for museum materials, handicapped access, utilities brought up to code and
safety features added, just to name a few immediate needs. We were able to provide a nearly complete set of the original 1906
drawings to the engineers, which should provide a useful guide to restoration and renovation. We are on the first step of a long
and expensive process that will depend upon the generosity of citizens, veterans, and our own membership.

     When complete, the Museum will house the archives and artifacts of the Foundation. It will be dedicated to preserving the
history and heritage of the uniformed men and women of Delaware as well as Delaware-related military organizations. It will be
open to the public, and should prove an attractive addition to the Delaware City area points of interest. The Museum will
include a library and an image and document archive. The facility will offer researchers and teachers a new resource for
military scholarship focused upon Delaware Military History.

The Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation is a member of: American Association of Museums, American Association for State and
Local History, and the Delaware Museum Association.

The Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation Inc. Newsletter is published periodically under the auspices of the Board of Directors, It
is provided to all members, directors and available to the public at large. Suggestions and articles are welcome. They should be submitted to the
Editor by e-mail to Milheritage@aol.com, or by mail to First Regiment Road, Wilmington Delaware 19808. 100107

Chairman LTG (DE Ret)William H. Duncan,
Executive Director and Editor,
Brig Gen (DE Ret) Kennard R. Wiggins Jr.