The curse of Covid is finally abating. The masks are coming off and people’s faces are again being displayed with smiles of relief.  Visitors to the museum are welcoming spring and despite the ugliness on the news, they have been cheerful and appreciative of our museum efforts. I want to welcome back all who have volunteered at the museum before and to encourage anyone interested in history to join us in presenting the stories of our friends and neighbors who have served freedom’s cause. 
It is fun and rewarding to join our merry band of volunteers.

Upcoming Events:
4th of July Parade

We have been invited to participate in the Fairfax city 4th of July Parade. The members of the Fairfax VFW, Mr. John Weaver, has asked for the Bomber, the Jeep, and the Ambulance to appear in the parade. All Freedom Museum members who want to represent the museum are invited to attend. Details will be announced as we get closer to the date of the event. Participating in this event will give us wider exposure to our museum and what we do. Hopefully, this will aid us in our fund raising.

Sock Hop - September 24th

We are going to put on a Sock Hop. It is going to be fun to dress up in 1950’s – 60’s attire and dance the night away. And raise some money for the museum.  This is an event we have been promising some of our most important long-time members.  Before he passed away, Paul Purtell and I talked about producing this kind of event. Marianne and Ed Hallett, strong supporters of the Hangar Dance were excited about just having a fun, nostalgic night out. We promised, now we can deliver a rock out event to remember, dedicated to our most avid supporters and remembering those who fought for freedom’s cause. Tickets will go on sale soon, limited to the first 250 to get them. I have heard that Elvis might make a guest appearance. Look for tickets online, on our web site in May.

Fundraising: Introducing,
Kristin Perper, the new Fundraiser for the Freedom Museum

Everyone associated with the Freedom Museum knows that our move from the Manassas Airport last July brought us to the heart of Manassas and multiplied our visitors and the positive impact on our community.  This was good, but it also brought us into the real word of rent and expenses we did not have at our previous venue.  We continue to open our doors free to everyone and I am humbled by the generosity of our visitors.  All of our labor and administrators are volunteers, and we pay no salaries.  We continue to rely on donations and sponsorships to pay the $65,000 annual budget.  The Board of Directors decided to hire a fundraiser and we are fortunate to have attracted a very good one who represents the values of our museum.  Her name is Kristin Perper and she is full of energy and vitality, you will want to meet her in person. 

Our business plan calls for her to raise the required funds from individuals, businesses, and government; all of whom are interested in memorializing our local veterans and educating our citizens in the history of our community and our nation.   

Kristin is the newest member of the Museum family.  Please say hello to her and give her money. “We can do it.” Quote from Rosie the Riveter.

The Footlocker Program

The Foot Locker has made an appearance at Mayfield Intermediate School in Manassas.  We were honored to present our WWII story to 150 students, over two days.  Thanks to Pam Belch who works at Mayfield, for making this possible. Ray Baybrook drove and demonstrated the Ambulance on two rainy days.  It was extremely rewarding to meet so many polite and proud Mayfield students who made us feel welcome. There seems to be a surprising interest in WWII demonstrated by the enthusiasm and depth of knowledge of the students. The teachers and staff of Mayfield can be justifiably proud of their bright and well-behaved students.  It was a pleasure to share stories, artifacts, and source documents with them in their classes.

Increasing Our
Operating Days

We are announcing that as of April 24, we are increasing the number of days we will be open to four days a week.  We will be open Thursday-Sunday.  We have been increasing our staff and getting ready for the tourist season in Manassas. Many of our visitors have expressed a desire to see us open more often.

If you want to be a docent or you would like to sell merchandise in our store, we would love to have your company as we entertain Manassas’s best citizens and visitors from all over the world. Talk to Jim or Ron if you are interested in training with us. Our Volunteers are the best and are greatly appreciated. Because of them and their hard work we are succeeding in being the most interesting and informative stop in Manassas.