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, tens of 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 (at) grissomairmuseum.com
Visitor Services Coordinator
Janet Bartz
groups (at) 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.
Interested parties can learn more about being a board member here and here or by emailing director (at) grissomairmuseum.com.
Our Story
Beginning in 1981, a small group of volunteers – many former veterans stationed at Grissom Air Force Base (formerly known as Bunker Hill NAS and AFB) – made it their mission to properly maintain and interpret the static display on the base.
Formerly located just around the bend from the Base’s entrance, the planes had been on display for many years and included iconic aircraft like the B-58 Hustler and the B-17 Flying Fortress. A popular spot with locals and even USAF cadets, the lack of care had left several planes in disarray. These dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly to restore and maintain these revered artifacts.
By the late 1980s, the future of Grissom AFB was under review as the Cold War began to wind down. Knowing that a base closure and the loss of these planes could occur, the volunteers agreed to formalize their coalition and in 1988, the Heritage Museum Foundation was created. The board consisted of seven volunteers who agreed to take legal and financial leadership of the fledging organization:
- John Crume
- Noel Buckner
- Roland “Rollie” Douglas
- Richard “Mooch” Muchler
- Eric Parrow
- Col. Paul Church, Jr.
- Rob Hoefer
This foresight worked in the HFM’s favor when the U.S. Air Force opted to close Grissom AFB and convert the space into a Reserve base. With this redesignation, the military began to cull land around the base, reducing its footprint by hundreds of acres.
Approximately fourteen (14) acres of land along U.S. 31 at old base entrance were given to the HFM. Stewardship of the static planes were transferred from Grissom AFB to the Heritage Museum Foundation and all were moved down the road to what is now the Air Park.
By 1991, the Heritage Building was completed and along with the now fenced in Air Park, created the Grissom Air Museum. The mission underwent evolution in the 1990s, expanding the museum from just the USAF to include the Navy/ Marines, and Army to better explore the story of the Cold War’s military aviation history. Secondarily, the GAM also collects the story of Grissom AFB/ARB and its many veterans.
Today, the Grissom Air Museum remains committed to exploring the story of military aviation, the Cold War, and the veterans who made ‘peace their profession.,’ due in part the thousands of visitors and donors who support this work each year.