Veterans offer help for museum

Military history museum would like to buy school in Bernalillo

A decade-long endeavor to create the New Mexico Museum of Military History inched forward Friday when a trio of veterans offered to help spread the word about an effort to raise $3 million to buy and renovate the old Bernalillo Elementary School to house the museum.

Bernalillo Public Schools has the 7.7-acre campus up for sale. Included in the sale is the two-story library — designated as a historical building that the buyer must preserve — and former classroom wings, administration office, gymnasium, multipurpose room and kitchen. Schools Superintendent Allan Tapia said the library is appraised at $600,000, and the remainder of the property at $1.65 million.

Although there has been some interest in the properties, Tapia said Thursday, there were no offers on the table.

At Friday’s meeting in Bernalillo’s town hall, Julio M. Carattini III, the museum’s executive director, said donors have given or pledged more than 50 military vehicles, two vintage f ighter planes, weapons and thousands of pieces of memorabilia to the museum — mostly from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

“What we hope to do is put together a program so that we can realize the dream of having a military history museum,” Carattini told the three veterans.

While acknowledging that New Mexico already has six museums dedicated at least in part to the state’s military history, Carattini said no single facility could hold the numerous military items his organization has collected.

“Our plan, I think, has to be to be able to buy that property and own it outright,” said veteran Mick McGovern, who helped organize Friday’s meeting. “I think that’s entirely possible,” he said, noting that the state’s estimated 179,000 veterans and its numerous veterans organizations should be able to raise much of the money.

Veterans Marty Cantu and Thom Towell, with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and Joe “Sonny” Austin with the Disabled American Veterans, said they plan on ensuring that members of their organizations are aware of the museum’s efforts.

Al so at tending the meeting were Maria Rinaldi, Bernalillo’s interim town administrator and director of planning and development, and Lloyd Petry, a military veteran and employee of Bernalillo’s Information Technology Department. Petry is the brother of Medal of Honor recipient Leroy A. Petry, formerly of Santa Fe.

Lloyd Petry said he would ask his brother, now living in Washington state, if he would be interested in helping to promote the museum.

The veterans agreed to hold additional meetings to keep the effort moving forward.

For more information on the museum, contact Carattini at 379-3990.