Now that the Museum has been open for well over a month, we are beginning to see a surge in artifact donations. As visitors explore our new exhibits, they have the opportunity to view some of our outstanding artifact collections, which we believe has prompted others to consider their own family treasures as potential gifts to the Museum. We hope this trend continues for years to come, but for now let me take a moment to introduce you to some of our latest acquisitions.

The family of V.H. Silberstein, D.D.S. recently donated the scrapbook which he kept during his service aboard the Intrepid for her 1955 Mediterranean cruise. What is so fascinating about this book is the sheer amount of historic information found between the pages. From snapshots of aircraft landing on the flight deck and images of Silberstein performing dentistry on other officers to souvenirs from other crew members and visits to town during shore leave, we get a glimpse into what life was like aboard the Intrepid. Silberstein must have had fond memories of the 1955 cruise as he attempted to fill every page with memories, so many in fact that the spine of the book split and was later repaired at home so that future generations would be able to see them.


Another intriguing donation was received during our busy grand reopening weekend. Retired Naval Reserve member John R. Turner generously donated a leather flight jacket and helmet which he wore as an air crewman serving HUP/HU-2 helicopter detachments on various ships throughout the late 1950s, including the Intrepid in 1958. These helicopters flew alongside ships, ready to respond at any moment in the event of an emergency. Air crewmen like Turner would operate the rescue hoist and assist downed aviators when necessary. The Museum is lucky to have an actual HUP helicopter on exhibit in the hangar deck; the addition of Turner’s flight jacket and helmet to our collections will allow us to better interpret the history of this important utility aircraft.


We encourage our visitors, new and old alike, to consider the artifacts we have on display and determine whether or not old family memorabilia lying around the house could contribute to our historic interpretation of the Intrepid. After all, without collections of artifacts, a museum can’t truly be a museum.

Britta K. Arendt
Collections Manager