It is the mission of the Heritage Museum Foundation (Grissom Air Museum) to collect, research, interpret, and preserve the history and heritage of the mission, airmen, and aircraft who preserved our nation’s peace throughout the Cold War and beyond through engaging exhibits, educational outreach, special programs, and the stewardship of the Bunker Hill & Grissom historic collections.
The Heritage Museum Foundation, dba Grissom Air Museum, is the only museum in the region to exclusively focused on Cold War history. Guests who visit our institution can explore the story of the era that made America a superpower through permanent and temporary exhibits. Since opening in 1991, thousands of visitors have enjoyed a flight through history without ever leaving the grounds.
The HFM/GAM is a private 501c3 as defined by the IRS. Therefore, the organization is held trust by a volunteer Board of Trustees and managed by paid, professional staff. We are not affiliated with the Grissom Air Reserve Base nor any branch of the U.S. military. We do not receive federal funding to support the museum and rely upon private donors and foundations to meet our mission.
Our People
Executive Director
Rhiannon Cizon, MALS
Curator
Jakob Jones, MA
curator@grissomairmuseum.com
Visitor Services Coordinator
Janet Bartz
groups@grissomairmuseum.com
Executive Commitee
Chairman
Christopher Birk
Vice Chairman
Col. Thomas Pemberton
Secretary
Timothy White
Treasurer
Corey Schramm
Members At-Large
John Ensign
Kari Catanzaro
Michael Fruth
Thomas Jennings
Thomas Luke
Stu Nicholson
Rick Pleczko
Tania Roberts
About our Board
The Board of Trustees of the Heritage Museum Foundation (dba Grissom Air Museum) serves as the stewards of the organization. Our board members are all individuals from the surrounding community, many with a personal connection to Grissom AFB and the U.S. military.
The Board of Trustees currently has four open positions and individuals interested in serving as leaders for the HFM/ GAM are encouraged to apply. To learn more, email us at director@grissomairmuseum.com.
Our Story
In 1981, several former veterans of Grissom Air Force Base (previously known as Bunker Hill NAS and AFB) created a volunteer group to maintain and interpret the static aircraft on display at the base. Known as the Heritage Museum Foundation, the volunteers provided much needed support for the historic planes.
By 1988, discussions on the future of Grissom AFB began and the volunteers realized they needed to rethink their role in the care of the static collections. Seven members agreed to take on the legal and financial leadership of the HFM and the organization was granted its 501c3 status. Now known as the Founding Seven, the group included:
- John Crume
- Noel Buckner
- Roland “Rollie” Douglas
- Richard “Mooch” Muchler
- Eric Parrow
- Paul Church, Jr.
- Rob Hoefer
By the start of the 1990s, the U.S. Air Force changed the designation of GAFB to a reserve base and released much of the land near Route 31 to private hands. Ten acres were designated to the HFM, coinciding with the erection of a permanent building to serve as a museum and archival center. The air park was fenced off not long afterwards and since then, the number of planes on long-term loan to the HFM has expanded and included loans from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army.
In 2025, the museum underwent their first major expansion since 1991 with the groundbreaking for the Capt. Manuel Cervantes Building. The building is on schedule to be completed by summer 2026 and the planned Hoosier Cold War Center is expected to open to the public by late 2027.
Today, the Grissom Air Museum serves as one of a handful of museums in the U.S. to focus on the Cold War era, making the work we do even more important. If you are interested in supporting our mission, consider volunteering, donating, attending an event, or share our story on social media.