Most additions to our unique research and exhibit collection of artifacts, equipment, personal papers, documents, photographs, maps, books, memorabilia and artwork are acquired through unconditional donations from private individuals and veterans. Listed below are examples of the types of material we seek to acquire.
Materials of interest to the VMMC:
Uniforms, Gear, Equipment, Weapons, Flags, Unit Insignia, Shoulder Patches, Art (original drawings, paintings, sketches, cartoons, prints, etc.), Scrapbooks, Motion Pictures, Videos or Audio records of your service experiences; Captured enemy materials, and Other Objects relating to your military service or to Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard or Wartime Merchant Marine History.
Memoirs or diaries of military service (published, typed, handwritten, electronic); Personal correspondence with family and friends (including V-Mail); Base, Camp, Unit, and Service related newspapers and periodicals; Unit histories (published or not) and organizational documents (reports, briefings, orders, etc.); Books on the Services or military history (both nonfiction and fiction), Service manuals, brochures, and handouts; Military maps and charts; Photographs (prints, negatives, slides, albums); and other print or image materials that tell about your military experiences.
We are interested in artifacts of any United States historical era from the founding of our country through the present.
Your unconditional donation means simply that it is a gift that allows us to make the best use of your material in our research and exhibits, and it includes the right to transfer those items in excess of our needs and research interest. (If you prefer the return of any donated items that may not be added to our collection, please tell us.)
For further information, please contact the Executive Director or Curator at (619) 239-2300 or email us at info@veteranmuseum.org.