Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum is proud to be collecting summer clothing and interview clothing for the community of veterans experiencing homelessness served by Shepherd’s Heart Fellowship & Veterans Home.
Suggested clothing of interest includes pants, shorts, T-shirts, light jackets, shoes, unused socks and underclothes. Unopened toiletries will also be collected.
Collections will be accepted through the summer months, Monday – Friday 8am – 3pm Please note that masks are encouraged to be worn covering your mouth and nose while inside the building if you are vaccinated, and masks are required to be worn by those not fully vaccinated.
“Memorial Day: Remembering the Fallen”
Do you know the origins and significance of Memorial Day? Ahead of this year’s holiday, join Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum to learn about the many ways that our country and its local communities pay tribute to those who gave their “last full measure of devotion.” We’ll also play a game of “Did you know?” as we examine the folklore that surrounds the memorialization of the fallen.
This year Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum will once again be teaming up with various local veteran community leaders to present a virtual Memorial Day Celebration. The celebration will kick off with a collaborative remembrance ceremony broadcast from the Soldiers & Sailors auditorium in partnership with Gold Star Mothers, Spouses and Families, DAR, VVI and Shepherd’s Heart Veterans Home followed by the Soldiers & Sailors annual fallen soldiers tribute slideshow memorializing Pennsylvanians killed in the current conflicts and military and veteran videos from the community courtesy of Veterans Breakfast Club.
The event link will be live 10 minutes prior to our 11:00am start time on Memorial Day. You can want the event by visiting Facebook or YouTube.
Thank you to our sponsor Allegheny County Department of Veterans Services!
Please click on the links below to watch more videos from Soldiers & Sailors about the history of Memorial Day and how we remember the fallen:
Remembering the Fallen with Varsity Tutors
Spotlight On: Memorializing Soldiers & Sailors
Spotlight On: Pittsburgh Stories from D-Day
June 10, 2021 7PM – Virtual Event
Join us on Facebook or YouTube
June 6, 1944 marked the largest amphibious assault in World War II as the allies invaded the beaches of Normandy, France. Also known as D-Day, there are many stories about individuals from the Pittsburgh area who participated in this historical event. This panel discussion will include historian Jared Frederick, who will share accounts from his book “Dispatches of D-Day: A People’s History of The Normandy Invasion”, a sweeping narrative which paints an eloquent portrait of the soldiers and civilians dramatically affected by what Dwight Eisenhower called “the great crusade”. Also included will be Soldiers & Sailors’ Curator, Michael Kraus who will share the stories associated with artifacts from the museum’s collection that have a connection to D-Day. Please join us to learn about this region’s contributions to changing the course of World War II.
Jared Frederick
Jared Frederick has a lifelong passion for American History. His many books include Gettysburg National Military Park, Dispatches of D-Day, and Hang Tough: The WWII Letters and Artifacts of Major Dick Winters. Prior to his current position as an Instructor of History at Penn State Altoona, Frederick served as a park ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Jared has also acted as a talking head in a number of films and documentaries. In 2019, he was a guest host on Turner Classic Movies for the channel’s 25th anniversary. Frederick is available to present a broad range of historical lectures and presentations. Visit www.jaredfrederick.com to learn more.
Michael Kraus
A well-known Civil War historian, Kraus currently works as Curator/Historian for Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. His accomplishments include several historical consultant credits for major films, writing and narrating the documentary series Civil War Minutes and Civil War Life as well as authoring articles and books regarding the conflict. Michael also is an accomplished sculptor with an impressive resume of historically themed works in bronze.
“Gettysburg’s Treasures”
How do artifacts from the Battle of Gettysburg teach us about this important Civil War engagement? In this live class, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum will help us uncover the amazing stories that their Civil War collection tells. We will also play a game of “What would you do?” as we put ourselves in the place of those battlefield leaders who faced difficult decisions July 1-3, 1863.
Spotlight On: Treasures from Gettysburg
July 8, 2021 7PM – Virtual Event
Join us on Facebook or YouTube
July 1st through July 3rd marks the anniversary of one of the most significant events in American history, the Battle of Gettysburg. This presentation will examine artifacts from our collection that tell amazing stories about this important Civil War engagement. Curator Michael Kraus will discuss noteworthy discoveries about Gettysburg artifacts in our museum’s collection and examine the impact they contribute to the historical interpretation of the battle. Join us to learn about the “Tales the Artifacts Tell”.
Michael Kraus
A well-known Civil War historian, Kraus currently works as Curator/Historian for Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. His accomplishments include several historical consultant credits for major films, writing and narrating the documentary series Civil War Minutes and Civil War Life as well as authoring articles and books regarding the conflict. Michael also is an accomplished sculptor with an impressive resume of historically themed works in bronze.
Soldiers & Sailors’ weeklong Summer Camp program alternates each year between Civil War and World War II themes. There are full-day (9AM-3PM) and half-day (9AM-12PM) options available. Lunch is provided for both options and an afternoon snack is provided for the full-day option. The camps are intended for students entering 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Tuition for the camp is $200 for the full-day option and $100 for the half-day option.
Students will engage in a variety of activities which will include, but are not limited to:
• Interaction with re-enactors, veterans and special guests.
• Hands-on experience with artifacts and reproductions from the museum’s collection.
• Tour of the museum’s extensive exhibits.
• Daily sampling of foods from the era.
• Listening to and singing songs from the era.
• Reading interesting stories, articles and working with Primary Sources.
• Arts and crafts activities
Spotlight On: The Purple Heart
August 12, 2021 7PM – Virtual Event
Join us on Facebook or YouTube
The Purple Heart is one of the most well-known military decorations. Established shorty after World War I, the medal is awarded to those who are wounded or killed in action against an enemy while serving in the United States military. Learn the history of the Purple Heart and hear stories from Curator Michael Kraus about individual recipients included in our collection. Also joining the program will be First Lieutenant (Ret.) Dan Telep who served in United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and received of two Purple Hearts. August 7th is Purple Heart day, so please join us a couple days after in the evening of August 12th to honor those who sacrificed for our country.
First Lieutenant (Ret.) Dan Telep
Dan was born and raised in Detroit and graduated from Wayne State Univ. in December 1966. Having previously spent two summers in Quantico, VA with the USMC in their Officers’ Candidate School, upon graduation, Dan was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and returned to Quantico for Leadership Training until June 1967.
Deployed as an Infantry Officer to Vietnam, he arrived in country in late June 1967. There he was assigned a Rifle Platoon in the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division in Northern ‘l Corps” at the D.M.Z. Immediately upon arrival, his unit was engaged in a fierce 10-day battle with the 324th Division of the North Vietnam Army. This first engagement of his newly deployed unit, called “Operation Buffalo”, included the grizzly first assignment of evacuating 85 recently killed brave Marines. Their sacrifices, their deaths, this memory first hand, cemented his dedication to the celebration we now call “Memorial Day”.
Having extended his tour, Dan spent a total of 19 months in Vietnam and received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star Award with Combat V, and two crosses of Gallantry. He finished his tour of duty at Camp LeJeune in NC, returning to Detroit to obtain his M.B.A. with a plan to pursue a career in Marketing Discipline. Dan now lives in Sewickley has been married to Kitty Fay Telep for 48 years, has four children and enjoys 7 grandchildren.
Michael Kraus
A well-known Civil War historian, Kraus currently works as Curator/Historian for Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. His accomplishments include several historical consultant credits for major films, writing and narrating the documentary series Civil War Minutes and Civil War Life as well as authoring articles and books regarding the conflict. Michael also is an accomplished sculptor with an impressive resume of historically themed works in bronze.
Memorial Service:
Code Gomberg
July 5, 1922-April 11, 2021
A memorial service will be held Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 1pm at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum to remember and honor Code’s life.
“The Purple Heart”
The Purple Heart is one of the best-known military decorations. Established shortly after World War I, the medal is awarded to those who are wounded or killed in action against an enemy while serving in the United States military. In this interactive class, we’ll learn all about the history of the Purple Heart and hear stories from the Soldiers & Sailors collection about individual recipients. We’ll also play a game of “Fact or fiction?” that will test your knowledge of this award.