Dear Friends and Supporters of The Cold War Museum,

The May 1 issue of the Cold War Times is now posted for viewing online at
www.coldwartimes.com. Our next public Spy Tour is scheduled for Saturday May
27. Private tours dates are available. Visit www.spytour.com for details.

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may cause.

Negotiations are in their final stages with Fairfax County Park Authority
for use of the Lorton Nike Missile site. The Museum expects to occupy the
site as early as this fall. October 13-15, we are planning a ground breaking
ceremony in conjunction with a conference on the 1956 Hungarian and Polish
Crises. Sergei Khrushchev, the son of Nikita Khrushchev, Mr. Laszlo Rajk,
the son of an executed Communist leader of Hungary, and a representative
from the Polish Embassy and Institute of World Politics will be
participating. In addition, there will be a book signing with authors who
have written on this subject and a panel comprised of Nike Missile veterans
that will discuss the history of the Nike missile program with specific
insight into Lorton site history. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
If you would like more information, please send an email inquiry.

I am pleased to announce that Congressman Tom Davis and Fairfax County Board
of Supervisors Chairman Jerry Connolly have accepted our invitation to serve
on our Advisory Board of Directors. I am excited to be in talks with
representatives from the Nike Missile Veterans Association, the Pershing
Professionals, the Bay of Pigs Museum, and the Atomic Bunker Harnekop
Monument in Germany about working together on our mutual efforts to preserve
Cold War history. Senator George Allen and Governor Tim Kaine from Virginia
are aware of our progress and I expect to brief them on our efforts later
this year.

It is important that Cold War museums and related institutions join together
to form The International Association of Cold War Museums(SM). I did not
create The Cold War Museum with the idea of just glorifying America's role
in the Cold War. I have a dream of seeing a whole network of museums around
the world working together to keep this incredible Cold War period in
history alive. There is so much we could do to educate people on the many
aspects of the Cold War. Our webpage acts and will expand as a central
Internet home page that will give easy access to information about all the
museums, memorials, and libraries that document Cold War history. By working
together and combining our resources, we can make sure that future
generations never forget this important period of world history. As a final
goal, we could expand to include Cold War Museums, Memorials, and Libraries.
If you have an interest in helping to establish The International
Association of Cold War Museums(SM), please send me an email.

Between March 29 and April 2 I visited Miami, Florida to meet with Cuban
alumni from the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis. Special thanks to
Julio Decastro, one of the Cuban veterans, Ed Sherry with the South Florida
Research Group, Charles Mahoney with Coral Reef High School, and Don Slesnic
the Mayor of Coral Gables, Florida who introduced me to a variety of people
who are interested in working with us to preserve Cold War history. These
gentlemen and their friends have indicated an interest in our efforts to
find an assortment of photos, uniforms, and artifacts from this period as
well as oral and written histories. As a result of their support I gave
three lectures during my visit, received some wonderful artifacts, uniforms,
and photos for the museum collection, and visited with veterans at the Bay
of Pigs Museum. During my visit, I recorded three oral histories from Cuban
Missile Crisis veterans and had the chance to talk with the Director,
Chairman, and members of the Bay of Pigs Museum (See article inside) as well
as other interested parties. I also had the pleasure of talking with
Castro's daughter, Ms. Alina Fernandez, about a variety of Cold War related
topics. Talks are ongoing with these Miami supporters to open a Miami
Chapter of the Cold War Museum.

Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner. For the past several years,
Museum Co-Founder John Welch, has participated in the annual Rolling Thunder
POW/MIA ride on Washington (www.rollingthunder1.com). Because of John's
dedication, the Museum has again been invited to participate in the
activities surrounding Rolling Thunder. If you would like to volunteer and
help us during the Memorial Day weekend, please let me know. We are looking
forward to strengthening our relationship with this group to help preserve
the POW/MIA history of our Cold War veterans within the Cold War Museum.

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk briefly with the Ambassadors from
the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Paraguay about our efforts to preserve
the International aspects of Cold War history. I am in the process of
following up with these three Ambassadors and look forward to working with
them in the near future. The Cold war was a World War that had an impact on
every county in the world. Do you know of other veteran groups, Ambassadors,
or Cold War alumni groups that would have an interest in preserving their
Cold War history within the Cold War Museum? If so, please have them send an
email of introduction to me so that we can discuss ways to work together.
 
I would like to thank USS Pueblo crewmember, Dale Rigby, for donating his
"warm blue coat" and other items from his USS Pueblo experience to the
museum. The photos, photocopies, bumper sticker, and documentation are a
wonderful addition to our collection and will allow visitors to learn about
another important part of Cold War history. I would also like to extend a
thank you to my friends in Miami, especially Julio Decastro who donated his
uniform and assorted items to the Museum. Over the last ten years Cold War
Museum supporters have donated in excess of $2 million dollars in Cold War
artifacts to the Museum. The Cold War Museum will soon take possession of
four Nike Hercules Missiles and one Nike Atlas Missile from the White Sands
Missile Range. We have the largest collection of Civil Defense items in
America. In addition, we have artifacts from the USS Pueblo, the USS
liberty, the United States Military Liaison Mission, and assorted Cold War
era shoot downs. One donor a few years back donated over 15,000 Soviet and
former Eastern Bloc Country flags, banners, regalia, and uniforms. Recently
we added a 5000 sq ft Cuban Missile Crisis display to our collection. We
need your financial help to assist with the care, display, and storage of
these Cold War artifacts.

If you can volunteer, write a written history, record an oral history, take
a Spy Tour, arrange a lecture, send an artifact, or make a financial
donation, now is the time that we need your support the most. If you know of
friends or family that would like to assist, please let them know that the
Museum needs their support too.

We need to raise an initial $3 million over the next two year to keep on
track with opening our interim museum. Now is the time that we need your
help. Donations to The Cold War Museum can be made through a secure online
website at
www.guidestar.org/partners/networkforgood/donate.jsp?ein=54-1819817 or
www.justgive.org/giving/donate.jsp?charityId=18894. In addition, you can
help support the Cold War Museum by doing online searches through
www.goodsearch.com/Default.aspx. For every search done in this medium, the
Cold War Museum will receive a small donation.

Please consider making a donation to the Cold War Museum. Your gift will
help us plan for the new physical location. Tax-deductible contributions and
artifact donations to the Museum will ensure that future generations will
remember Cold War events and personalities that forever altered our
understanding of national security, international relations, and personal
sacrifice for one's country. Please help spread the word about the Museum.
Together we can make this vision a reality. If you should have any
questions, want additional information, or would like to subscribe to our
Cold War Times email newsletter distribution list, send an email to
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Thank you for your continued support.


Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
Founder
The Cold War Museum
P.O. Box 178
Fairfax, VA 22038
703-273-2381 Museum
703-273-4903 Museum Fax
[log in to unmask]
www.coldwar.org