1 s t Q u ar t e r F Y 2 0 1 2

The National Museum of the Marine Corps

saw 521,294 visitors during 2011 and con-

tinued to solidify itself as part of the fabric of

the community and as ―the Marine House.‖ It

was a year filled with reaching out to the

community and beyond, while also looking

inward at successes and sharing lessons

learned with other organizations.

The Museum started out strong in earned

media with a cameo appearance on the pre-

game show of Super Bowl 45. The media

continued to rely on the strong imagery of the

NMMC and the large pool of subject matter

experts for filming documentaries and inter-

views. Some examples include CBS and ABC

conducting interviews with the young Marine

who invited a celebrity to the Marine Corps

Ball, an Okinawan documentary about WWII,

and a Russian TV RTR news feature on the

Sikorsky family of helicopters.

It wasn’t just the media looking to the Mu-

seum as subject matter experts. Museums

also turned to NMMC when looking for exam-

ples of best practices. The entire Museum

team offered advice and training nationally

and internationally during 2011. Some ex-

amples include the Wisconsin Historical Soci-

ety/Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Armed

Forces Heritage House, Museum of the

Armed Forces and Military History in Belgium,

and Lackland Air Force Base.

The Education Branch’s impact on the com-

munity continued to be significant as evi-

denced by another record breaking year in

2011 for the number of people participating

in the educational programming. NMMC wel-

comed 42,000 students and chaperones on

field trips. The staff took Museum program-

ming out to the schools who could not visit –

presenting Teaching Trunk programs to

1,950 students. Family days and special

events, with subjects ranging from the Revo-

lutionary War to Halloween, were enjoyed by

an additional 2,800 visitors.

Growth and outreach were also major factors

in 2011 for the Curatorial Services Branch.

With an ever growing inventory of priceless

artifacts, the team spent many hours on ac-

tivities associated with collections manage-

ment, to include rehousing objects, updating

loan agreements, and resolving collections

processing backlogs in support of AAM ac-

creditation.

Continued on page 2, Year in Review

2011 Another Busy Year for NMMC Oct—Dec ‘11 Highlights:

120,059 people visited

the Museum during

this quarter.

The Museum consis-

tently earns a 5-star

rating on tripadvi-

sor.com, with review-

ers praising everything

from the exhibits to the

food and the docents.

Read more at http://

www.tripadvisor.com/

Attraction_Review-

g60940-d562393-

Reviews-

Na-

tional_Museum_of_the

_Marine_Corps-

Triangle_Virginia.html

NMMC’s facebook has

24,847 fans. Have

you ―liked‖ it yet at

http://

www.facebook.com/

USMCMuseum?

The Museum won the

South Eastern Mu-

seum Conferences

award for its new gal-

lery guide in the 2011

Publications Competi-

tion.

More than

Scuttlebutt….

Nat ional Museum of the Marine Corps , 18900 Jef ferson Davis Highway,

Tr iangle, V i rgin ia 22172 www.usmcmuseum.org

Visit www.usmcmuseum.org

or join as a fan on Facebook

to learn about exciting events

at your community’s Mu-

seum.

The world famous Clydesdales were a spe-

cial treat for visitors in November.

In October Museum visitors enjoyed a per-

formance by the Band of Her Majesty’s

Royal Marines, Scotland.

Director’s Log

Page 2 More Than Scuttlebutt….

At the end of the year, most of us are besieged by spasms of gift-giving, hopefully along with a generous dose of good will toward

others and thoughtful reflections on the 12 months that just passed us by in a rush. The National Museum of the Marine Corps

gets even a bit more magical each December, especially at night, lit by four holiday trees and decorated for the season. This year,

staff and family members were joined by friends from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Regiment, and

Combat Camera, who decorated our three ―guest trees.‖ We even got a visit from Santa and his Mrs., who looked a whole lot like a

retired Marine Corps couple we know. Taking center stage in Leatherneck Gallery is a restored World War II jeep we move in each

year, which we fill with toys—hopefully several times over—for Toys for Tots. Yes, it’s a time of the year for giving and remembering.

The Museum actually is the recipient of the generosity of others throughout the year. Did you know that most of the artifacts that

are added to the collections annually come from individual donors? In 2011, NMMC added 1.652 artifacts to its rolls, and 85 per

cent were donated, mostly by ordinary men and women with pride in the Marine Corps and an interest in preserving the history rep-

resented by these treasures. If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter or a Facebook friend, you’ve heard about some of them.

This year’s crop was indeed diverse, ranging from 19th century flatware commis-

sioned by a Marine serving at the Washington Barracks, to Pappy Boyington’s wings,

to a Smith & Wesson revolver carried by a WWII Marine. And all these artifacts had

to pass muster by our collections committee before they came to me for approval.

And we ask tough questions! A museum’s job is to collect only those objects so spe-

cial that they warrant the resources needed to preserve and steward them forever.

We take that job very seriously. NMMC also deaccessioned 415 artifacts that did

not meet our high standards for retention. And that part of our job is even harder—

but it has to be done.

NMMC is also generously supported all year long by the Marine Corps Heritage Foun-

dation. Federal dollars pay staff salaries, keep the lights and A/C on, and pay most

our bills. But there are some things that are really hard to do with Federal dollars,

and MCHF really makes a huge difference! Highlights this year include another

year’s support of the Teacher-in-Residence program, design and fabrication of new

children’s exhibit/activity areas scheduled to open this spring, object conservation,

framing for artworks, and marketing—including a radio blitz. And those are just the

wave tops. We are ever so grateful to the Foundation and its supportive and creative

staff for all they do!

In addition to their work directly with the collection, the curatorial staff responded to hundreds of queries for research, dona-

tion offers, and support requests from the public, other Federal Agencies, museums, and Marine Corps units. Requests aver-

aged two per week while the public offered donations at the rate of six per week. The curatorial team also found time to pub-

lish articles, present monthly curator chats, host the 3d Artifact Road Show in February, escort tour groups and VIPS, and

much more.

Although there weren’t any major gallery openings in 2011, the Exhibits Branch stayed busy upgrading existing exhibits and

supporting other commands with designs and exhibits. The team designed and installed several temporary exhibits (see 2011

Exhibits, page 3). In addition to their duties within the NMMC walls, the Exhibits team is often looked to as the subject matter

expert for displays and presentations beyond the walls of the Museum. Some of the numerous projects they’ve worked on in-

clude exhibits for Marine Corps University buildings, displays at the Pentagon, and updates to the Home of the Commandant.

Their reach, however, extends to commands as far south as Parris Island and as far west as the Mountain Warfare Training

Center in Barstow, CA. The exhibits team even fabricated an artifact mount to replace a failing mount holding a Medal of

Honor at the WW II Museum in New Orleans.

The Restoration Branch continued work on several large artifacts, most of which will be included in Phase 2 of the NNMC. Res-

toration and preservation of the Dauntless SBD included the completion of the center wing section and forward fuselage air-

frame and initiation of repairs and preservation of the aft fuselage. The larger components of the Roebling Alligator were sent

out to be blasted and were returned. In addition to these major projects, the Restoration team also worked on the preserva-

tion, restoration, and storage of other artifacts to include the Sherman Flame Tank and an M1A1 tank.

With expansion likely in coming years, the NMMC team continues to serve the Corps and the public today while preparing to

extend that service into the future.

Year in Review (cont from page 1)

Santa made a special appearance during the

Holiday Concert by the Quantico Marine Band.

This young visitor couldn’t wait until the end of

the song to run to the jolly old elf.

Visitor Services Enhances Museum Experience

Page 3 More Than Scuttlebutt….

With more than 520,000 visitors to the Museum during 2011, the Visitor Services

team certainly had plenty to keep them busy. Providing tours and supporting all

aspects of the Museum visitors’ experience continued to be the main focus for

the branch. Although the VS team helps to enhance the Museum experience for

all patrons, they provided tours for nearly 45,000 of them. That is in addition to

the tours for approximately 4,000 VIPs, including the Japanese Ambassador and

the Minister of Defense, WW II Honor Flight veterans, German Command and

Staff College students, and numerous Wounded Warriors. Of significant note was

a tour and event requested by Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer for his fam-

ily following the ceremony at the

White House. The VS team also sup-

ported 290 ceremonies at the Mu-

seum, including presentations of the

Navy Cross and Bronze Stars as well

as multiple Officer Candidate School

commissionings. Staff and docents

assisted when OCS candidates vis-

ited the Museum to learn more

about Marine Corps history during

their training evolution. In accor-

dance with the Museum’s mission statement, professional military education

classes were facilitated by the VS team at an average of more than two a

month. Amid all this activity, the team also found time to plan and execute a

Marine Corps Birthday cake-cutting ceremony for several hundred visitors, an

annual event that is becoming a local tradition. Providing superior customer

service to all Museum visitors would not be possible for the team without the

228 dedicated docents who gave 21,420 hours of service to the Museum.

These men and women add so much to the visitor experience as often evi-

denced in online travel site reviews. A recent one from Tripadvisor.com read in

part:: ―From the soaring architecture to the seemingly endless dioramas, this

place is a special treat. Best of all are the retired Marine docents who will show

you around.‖

Most of the Museum branches were also involved in some way in supporting temporary

exhibits in the NMMC in 2011, either through research, planning, installation, or promo-

tion. Some of the exhibits were ―Native

Words, Native Warriors,‖ the story of the

Navajo Code Talkers, which opened in

Jan; the 20th Anniversary of Operation

Desert Shield/Desert Storm, which

opened in February; the 10th Anniver-

sary of 9/11, which opened in Septem-

ber; Eugene Stoner, firearms inventor

and Marine, a single case, which

opened in September; and ―Partners in

Diplomacy,‖ an exhibit co-sponsored by

the Department of State and the Marine

Security Guards, which opened in No-

vember. Additionally, the Aviation and Art Curatorial Sections were fully en-

gaged with the National Air and Space Museum in planning an art and artifact

exposition to celebrate the Centennial of Marine Aviation which opened to the

public in January 2012 for one year.

Temporary Exhibits Have Lasting Impacts

―Fly Marines!‖ opened at the Na-

tional Air and Space Museum in

January but Museum staff worked on

the show for a good part of 2011.

Cpl Travis Vieyra and Sgt John Lewis (L to R)

wore Marine Corps Civil War uniforms for the

150th Anniversary commemorations of the

First Battle of Bull Run at Manassas.

The Museum’s 9/11 Anniversary exhibit in-

troduced a departure from the norm by invit-

ing visitors to touch two special artifacts.

Docent Marie Luedke leads a tour using the

NMMC’s new VOX Radio wireless tour guide

system. Using 5 transmitters and 160 re-

ceivers, the system allows the Museum to

run up to 5 tours simultaneously, without

interfering with other tours or guests.

More than Scuttlebutt…. Page 4

The flag-raising at Iwo Jima has long been a symbol of the Marine Corps

and now influences the architecture of the National Museum of the Ma-

rine Corps. Even more fascinating are the stories of the individuals

behind that historical moment, one of whom serves as a docent at the

Museum.

Frank Matthews, 85, knows what it was like to charge onto that sulfur-

stenched island while dodging enemy gunfire. He did exactly that back

in 1945 as 18-year-old Private First Class Frank Matthews of the 2d Bat-

talion, 24th Regiment of the 4th Division.

Matthews spent 28 days on Iwo Jima in February and March 1945. His

mission was clear and direct - kill the Japanese. ―We talk about Iwo’

because it’s the worst loss of life in the first day of battle in American

history,‖ Matthews says. More than 2,400 Marines died on day one of

the battle.

Matthews has been telling Museum visitors about his Iwo experience

for nearly four years. What he hasn’t told them is his life outside the

seven years he spent in the Corps.

Matthews was born in the summer of 1926 in Columbus, Georgia, the son of a Presbyterian minister. Matthews moved to

Newberry, South Carolina, at the age of seven and remained there until 1943 when he enlisted in the Corps, even before his

graduation from Bush River High School in June. After a summer of southern humidity and Marine Corps humility at the re-

cruit depot at Parris Island, South Carolina Matthews earned the title ―Marine.‖

During the following months, Matthews trained on various weapons systems that he would later use instinctively when he and

his fellow Marines risked their lives to take Iwo Jima, an island crucial to victory in WWII. Four weeks later he received his

discharge, but his days in the Corps weren’t over.

For a time Matthews traded in his combat boots for academics, using the GI Bill to earn a bachelor’s degree in music at the

University of North Carolina. He realized he wasn’t finished with the Corps or his education so he signed up for a Marine Corps

Officer program that allowed him to earn his masters degree in hopes of someday teaching college level music. This led him

to Baton Rouge to attend Louisiana State University.

While in the Cajun state, Matthews got involved in church music programs, playing the piano and organ, something he did

throughout his upbringing. However, now in his early 20s, he was reminded of something he learned during his active duty

days. ―I found the girls were prettier at church functions than they were at other places,‖ Matthews said. ―It wasn’t long be-

fore some of my buddies wanted to come to church with me because of the pretty girls I was meeting.‖

One of those pretty girls was Margaret, who sang in the choir. The two hit it off, had a rather long courtship while Frank

served another five years as an officer in the Corps, and eventually married in 1958. In 1964 they moved to California where

Matthews taught music at various colleges in the San Jose area until he retired in 2001. Frank and Margaret raised two

daughters, one of whom he lives with in Stafford, Va.

Today Matthews divides most of his time between music and the Museum. He teaches piano and organ lessons to approxi-

mately 30 students between the ages of 7 and 17. He also composes music, and his favorite composers are Chopin, Bra-

hams, and Beethoven.

Matthews is in his elder years now. His wife has passed on, and his own health has slowed him down some, but he still

spends a few days each week sharing his knowledge and passion of Iwo Jima with visitors who want to know more about

American history. ―Not many people know much about World War II,‖ Matthews said. ―I don’t like it when people just walk

through the Museum without wanting to learn anything. I like the idea that I’m contributing to the American public.‖ Whether

it was his contributions at Iwo Jima, the music classroom, or serving as a docent, Frank Matthews embodies the Semper Fi

spirit that is captured every day at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

Meet a Docent..Frank Matthews Embodies Iwo Story

Docent Frank Matthews shares his Iwo Jima experiences

with visitors outside the Iwo Immersion exhibit.