Military museum is vital

Elliott Briggs’ recent guest opinion on Spokane’s ongoing efforts for the permanent locating and funding of the Honor Point Military and Aerospace Museum (“A valuable Spokane heritage and place of tribute is at risk,” Dec. 9, 2018) is an important commentary.

As a retired military member who has dedicated his adult life to the armed services, I see firsthand the importance of telling the nation’s military story. The Honor Point Museum is not only a place for active, reserve and veterans to recall their lives in uniform but most importantly, a place to tell the nation’s military story to our youth.

While our school systems do an excellent job in teaching U.S. history, inclusive of our armed services, to actually have a place to go, experience, and touch over 10,000 items of our region’s military history, actually enhances the understanding of this history. Yet personal stories and sacrifices of our veterans and retires are normally not included in the school curriculum. With both artifacts and recorded stories, along with guest docents who share their histories, such a museum is vital to our Inland Northwest’s culture and the development our youths’ young minds for their future leadership roles in society.

As a retired USAF lieutenant colonel, I strongly support our ongoing efforts to these ends.

Jerry Rolwes

Spokane