News

We Will Never Forget!

Our Fallen Heroes Today we remember our Fallen 13 Heroes killed by the suicide bomber on 26-AG 2021 at Kabul Airport.  On our grounds, we have a memorial commissioned by two patriots from Fredericktown Missouri.  Linda and Kevin Hundhausen, formerly of St. Charles...

Korea – A Very Tenuous Peace Then and Now

Korea - A Very Tenuous Peace Then and Now The “Big Tree Incident” occurred on 18-AUGUST 1976. The tree was a “serious problem,” decided United Nations Command. The large, leafy 80-foot Normandy Poplar tree was obstructing the view of a vital checkpoint at the mouth of...

Purple Heart Day

Tonight, the museum is illuminated in purple to honor our servicemen wounded or killed in action while serving our country.  Purple Heart Day, observed on August 7th, is a time for Americans to pause to remember and honor the brave men and women who were either...

IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT TRUMAN…

IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT TRUMAN…

IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT TRUMAN... At 2:00 AM on 6-AUGUST 1945, a B-29 named Enola Gay lifted off Tinian Island in the Mariana Islands bound for the Japanese homeland.   At 8:15 AM the first atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima.  On 9-AUGUST a second atomic bomb...

National Buffalo Soldiers Day

National Buffalo Soldiers Day

National Buffalo Soldiers Day July 28th is National Buffalo Soldiers Day celebrating the contributions of some of the earliest African American troops in the United States military.  It’s unclear why African American troops were referred to as Buffalo Soldiers....

National Hire a Veteran Day

National Hire a Veteran Day

National Hire A Veteran Day July 25 Every day, hundreds of our military personnel leave the service in search of civilian employment. Many of our veterans recall the difficulty of transitioning from military to civilian life.  National Hire a Veteran Day reminds...

Ella’s Fearless Heroes Lemonade Stand

Ella's Fearless Heroes Lemonade Stand It started in front of their home nine years ago.  Every year this young dynamo has far exceeded her goals.  In 2023, Ella begins her ninth year serving "the nade."  Ella remembers, “It all started because my teachers helped me...

MWJT Military Scavenger Hunt

MWJT Military Scavenger Hunt

Midwest Jeep Thing Military Scavenger Hunt Date:  August 12th, 2023 Benefits: St. Charles County / Mid America Veterans Museum Want to spend a great day in your jeep, navigating St. Charles County and learning more about how this area has played an important role in...

National “Hire a Vet Day”

National Hire A Veteran Day July 25 Every day, hundreds of our military personnel leave the service in search of civilian employment. Many of our veterans recall the difficulty of transitioning from military to civilian life.  National Hire a Veteran Day reminds...

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day – CANCELED

**Unfortunately we had to cancel this event due to the heat Join us for Korean War Veterans Armistice Day Korean War Veterans Day is observed each year on July 27th honoring Korean War Veterans and their families.  Approximately 150,000 troops from South Korea, the...

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day celebrates why veterans served! We celebrate America!  Its history, its origin, our freedom, and our founders.  The Declaration of Independence, was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on 4-JULY 1776, establishing the United States of America....

Rest In Peace, SSgt.  Eric Rucker

Rest In Peace, SSgt. Eric Rucker

Rest In Peace Eric Rucker Our hearts are heavy with the news of the death of SSgt Eric Rucker in Killen Texas.  Eric G. Rucker was born on 2-JUL 1993 in St. Louis Missouri. He was a 29-year-old staff sergeant in the U.S. Army based at Fort Cavazos.  Eric graduated...

Congratulations Natalie!

Congratulations Natalie!

We are very proud of our newest Eagle Scout project added to the museum.  Natalie presented her completed Eagle Scout project on Saturday.  Her accomplishment and completion of the project is significant because only 2.5% of Eagle Scouts are women and only 6% of Boy...

Thank You Troops!

Thank You Troops!

Armed Forces Day 2023 President Truman led the effort to establish a holiday for citizens to unite and honor our military heroes for their patriotic service in support of the United States of America. in 2023, Armed Forces Day USA is celebrated on Saturday, MAY 20th....

Local Hero Comes Home After 79 Years!

Local Hero Comes Home After 79 Years!

Fallen Hero Coming Home – 79 Years Later! The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Melvin B. Meyer, 25, of Pattonville Missouri, killed during World War II, was accounted for on 9-SEP 2022. Melvin Meyer was killed...

Open Memorial Day May 29th

Open Memorial Day May 29th

MEMORIAL DAY IS NOT A HOLIDAY! We will be open on May 29th to honor the heroes of the United States Military who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We honor these men and women by remembering them and sharing their stories.  It’s a reminder, that freedom is...

Dream Big!

DREAM BIG Five years ago this month, Ralph Barrale’s dream to build a veterans museum, became a reality.  On April 5, 2018, Ralph Barrale signed a lease with the City of O’Fallon for the “Civic Annex” building located at 410 E. Elm Street.  Six months later, the...

Local Hero Coming Home After 80 Years!

Local Hero Coming Home After 80 Years!

Returning Home After 80 Years Private Tash entered the U.S. Army from Missouri and served in F Company, 2nd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported on 26-SEP 1942, “James was wounded on th3e Bataan Peninsula on January 19 and according...

Vietnam Veterans Day 29-MARCH 2023

On this day, 29 March, U.S. troops leave Vietnam. Many served their country just as their father had…. Many served because that’s what American men do… They believed in our country and principles…. They never shirked their duty… They fought heroically… They lost...

Veteran Healing Gardens

Veteran Healing Gardens There’s a touch of spring in the air the last few days.  OR IT MAY BE US HERE AT THE MUSEUM WISHFUL THINKING. The St. Charles County Veterans Museum has a handful of gardens available once again in 2023 for adoption.  Most are partial, morning...

Five Time Purple Heart Recipient Visits Museum

Welcome to the Museum, Mark Sloan We had the pleasure of providing a tour to Mark Sloan.  Mark is a long-time St. Peters resident, a Korean War Veteran, and FIVE-TIME Purple Heart recipient.  Our Korean War Era Veterans and volunteers Art Minor (Air Force) and Chris...

Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day

Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Day

Please join us on Sunday March 26th.  The ceremony begins at 1:00 PM.  Refreshments will be served.  Donations appreciated.  Guest speaker, displays including an F-4 Phantom Jet.  To download the flyer, click on the pdf below: VVRDay  

Preserve Our Veteran’s Stories

Preserve Our Veteran’s Stories

Preserve Their Stories Every day we hear, my father, mother, or a grandparent served.  We routinely ask, “did you preserve their story?”  Most of the time the answer is no.  Recording stories from veterans in your family not only helps to preserve their memory, but...

Veterans Needed! For Veterans History Project

Veterans Needed for Our Veterans History Project The museum is seeking veterans for our “Interview with Veterans” project.  Using local high school students as interviewers, we record the story of our veterans and submit them to the Library of Congress in Washington...

Thank You STL Print Group!

Thank You STL Print Group!

Thank you to Beth Bruening and her team at STL Print Group at 8530 Page Avenue in St. Louis.  STL Print Group provides clients with full-service printing from very basic digital and offset printing needs, business cards and corporate letterhead, to complicated...

Ralph Must Be Watching Over Us!

Ralph Must Be Watching Over Us!  MUSEUM REOPENING SOON!  Not many folks realize we had two floods affecting the museum in 2022.  Flood number one happened on July 26th when our community experienced fourteen inches of rainfall.  Our offsite storage facility flooded...

Repairs Are Complete! Reopening This Week!

Reopening This Week! Museum repairs are now complete.   We've added a number of new exhibits and artifacts including a special relic direct from Pearl Harbor.  We'll reopen this week.  Due to a shortage of volunteers, we are limiting our spring hours to Friday and...

Thank You Jaycees and Museum Volunteers

Thank You Volunteers and Jaycees!   Thanks to our amazing group of volunteers and the St. Charles Jaycees for their help on Saturday.  The museum had two “flood events” in 2022.  The first was in July when O’Fallon was soaked with 14 inches of rain.  Our artifact...

Dogs For Our Brave Podcast

Dogs For Our Brave Last night, recording our podcast we met a special team from Dogs for Our Brave.  They are located here in St. Louis in - wait for it, - “Dogtown.”  Their mission is unique in that they provide professionally trained service dogs at NO COST to...

Bud’s Night at the Museum

World War II Hero Tells His Story!   Paul “Bud” Haedike is a World War II veteran who flew 23 missions as a bombardier on a B-17 Flying Fortress. Bud and the crew were shot down on his first mission. Bud shared his exciting story with our museum guests on December...

Museum Temporarily Closed

Museum Temporarily Closed

Museum Damaged by Frozen, Burst Water Pipes Unfortunately, the museum had a couple of frozen pipes burst and subsequent water damage.  We will need extensive repairs to the kitchen, restrooms, and hallways.  We were fortunate there was no damage to displays or...

Veterans History Project

Veterans Wanted!   We are looking for Veterans to share their story in our Interview with Heroes – Our Veterans project.  For this project, local high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will interview our veterans.  The interview will be video recorded and sent to...

Peace On Earth, Good Will to Men!

Peace On Earth, Good Will to Men!

Peace on Earth In the midst of the Great War, on Christmas Eve, German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines.  There were reports that Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the joyous singing. At the first light of dawn on...

“Vet Shed” Completed!

Vet Shed Completed!   Thank you to Vogel and Scott Lee Heating and Cooling for installing the gutters on our “Vet Shed.”  TODAY, we can officially call the shed done!   The project was started by Vision St. Charles County Leadership Class.  The Vet Shed was built with...

Holiday Hours

Happy Holidays Christmas Holiday Hours Closed Saturday, December 24th for Christmas Eve Closed Sunday, December 25th for Christmas New Year's Holiday Hours Closed Saturday, December 31st for New Year’s Eve Closed Sunday, January 1st for New Year’s Day

Merry Christmas, Peace on Earth!

In the midst of the Great War, on Christmas Eve, German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines.  There were reports that Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the joyous singing. At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day,...

We Lost an Old Friend & American Hero

We Lost an Old Friend & American Hero

We lost a friend of the museum and an American Hero on 10-DEC 2022.  Robert Wesley Garvey was 99 years old.  He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as a B-24 Liberator waist gunner.  Bob’s plane was shot down on his 30th mission.  He parachuted safely,...

Museum Announces Plan for New Museum

Museum Announces Plan for New Museum

The Dream Continues! The St. Charles County Veterans Museum announced in February 2022, they accepted an offer from the City of O’Fallon for a lease on a parcel of land in front of the Justice Center at 1019 Bryan Road for the express purpose of building a new...

Local Man Killed at Pearl Harbor, Comes Home

Local Man Killed at Pearl Harbor, Comes Home

We Will Never Forget Our Fallen! Local man, Paul Louis Boemer, U.S. Navy Killed in Action at Pearl Harbor Comes Home 81 Years Later.  Paul Louis Boemer was born on 29-JAN 1921 in St Louis, Missouri.  Paul attended Cleveland High School.  Six of Paul’s brothers went...

Pearl Harbor 7-DEC 1941

  Remembering Local Men Killed at Pearl Harbor This year marks the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  It is estimated there are fewer than 1200 Pearl Harbor survivors alive.  The attack killed 2,403 service members and wounded 1,178 more. Six U.S....

O’Fallon Firefighters Community Outreach

Thank You O'Fallon Firefighters Community Outreach Recently, the O’Fallon Firefighters Community Outreach team agreed to sponsor our Interview with Heroes – Our Veterans program for 2023.  The Outreach team provides fundraising, donations and manpower to citizens and...

The Battle of Mogadishu

The Battle of Mogadishu

The Battle of Mogadishu The War on Terror has taught us, our soldiers are often in harm’s way. Danger lurks in places other than battlefields, such as humanitarian missions.  U.S. forces had arrived in the war-torn Somalia in 1992 on a humanitarian mission to get food...

POW MIA National Day of Remembrance

National POW/MIA Remembrance Day 16-SEP 2022 The United States National POW/MIA Recognition Day is observed across the nation on the third Friday of September each year. In 2021, the Day of Recognition is observed today 17-SEPTEMBER. Americans take the time to...

Museum Dedicates New Memorial!

Museum Dedicates New Memorial!

Fallen 13 Memorial Dedicated  We’re very proud of the new Fallen 13 Memorial on the grounds of the museum.  After hearing the news of the suicide bombing August 26th 2021, Kevin and Linda Hundhausen of Fredericktown Missouri were moved to build a memorial honoring our...

Fallen Heroes Memorial Wall Exhibit

Veterans and Athletes United Fallen Heroes Memorial Wall The Fallen Heroes Memorial Wall, a special exhibit by the St. Charles County Veterans Museum, is closing on Monday morning August 29th. Click on this link to view the memorial. wall ending - SD 480p Though the...

World War II Veteran Visits the Museum

World War II Veteran Visits the Museum

World War II Flying Fortress Bombardier Always nice with visit with Paul “Bud” Haedike.  Bud is a World War II veteran who flew as a bombardier on a B-17 Flying Fortress named the “E-RAT-ICATOR.”  After being shot down on his first mission, Bud went on to fly another...

Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association

Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association

Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Visits the Museum We were honored to provide a tour on Sunday for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Troy Missouri Chapter.  Their mission is to support and protect those who have defended our country and freedoms. The...

Fallen 13 Memorial Installed on Museum Grounds

Fallen 13 Memorial Installed on Museum Grounds

Today we installed a very special memorial on the museum grounds, The Fallen 13 Memorial honors the thirteen killed by a suicide bomber last year at Kabul Airport on 26-AUG 2021.  The memorial was commissioned by two patriots from Fredericktown Missouri.  Linda and...

Thank You to the O’Fallon Hoots!

Thank You to the O’Fallon Hoots!

Thank You O'Fallon Hoots!   Our thanks to the O’Fallon Hoots Baseball Club, our neighbors here in O’Fallon MO. The museum was a recent beneficiary of their Military Night on June 18th.  The St. Charles County Veterans Museum presented a Certificate of Appreciation to...