MPHC News

Two recent decisions by the U.S. Army in support of the MPHC have added great momentum to the project.

First - to build an artifacts display building with $750,000 of stimulus funds provided to Fort Carson. The facility will be built this winter/next spring adjacent to the current visitor center just outside Fort Carson’s main gate. It will provide approximately 4,000 square feet of viewing space for 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson artifacts until the MPHC is built.

Second – the decision to add a 32,500 square foot museum support facility project to the Army’s program in fiscal year 2011. By adding this to its construction program, the Army is demonstrating a strong commitment to the community’s effort to build the MPHC. Construction should begin in the summer of 2011. When completed, the Army’s museum support facility will integrate with the community’s MPHC project. This will create a historical complex and site at Gate 1 for Fort Carson and the entire community to enjoy. While there is still planning and design work to be finalized, we are well on our way to creating a ‘Mountain Post Historical Center’ of which the Front Range community can be proud. A fitting place to tell the stories of Fort Carson and its Soldiers, past, present, and future.

Interested in helping the design committee? MPHC project meetings take place the third Friday of each month at 7:30 a.m. in the offices of HB&A, 102 East Moreno Avenue, in downtown Colorado Springs. Anyone interested in helping the MPHC design committee is welcome to attend.

Site of future home of MPHC to see construction activity in 2009

This summer the 4th Infantry Division returns from Ft. Hood, Texas to the Mountain Post after a fourteen year absence. The 4th Infantry Division has a storied history and legacy. Just as capturing the entire history of the Mountain Post from 1942 to present day is important, so is the preservation of the legacy of the 4th ID. Relocation of the 4th ID brings with it up to $750,000 in approved monies to construct a 5,000 square foot facility to display and store some of the Division’s valuable artifacts and pieces of history.

MPHC leaders recently met with the interim command of the 4th ID to discuss combining our efforts to ultimately complete a 30,000 square foot Historical Center, reflecting the entire history of the Mountain Post. Since moving their heritage from Ft. Hood to Ft. Carson and having a place to put it is a high priority, don’t be surprised to see dirt being moved and construction taking place in close proximity to the existing MPHC site prior to the end of 2009.

When a construction schedule is announced, expect supporters of the Mountain Post Historical Center to be invited to participate in “turning the first spade of dirt” in the first step toward completion of the Mountain Post Historical Center.

Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado $25,000 challenge grant matches funds raised through February 24, 2010

The challenge grant awarded to the Mountain Post Historical Center Association by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado will help to build the Mountain Post Historical Center (MPHC).

Money raised will help operations, stimulate donor base

The $25,000 challenge grant will be used to raise operating support funds. It will also act as a catalyst by adding to the Mountain Post Historical Center’s base of contributors so vitally needed to build the state of the art facility.

About the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado

The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado was founded in 1996 as a project of the Gill Foundation with a goal of supporting nonprofit organizations that enhance quality of life throughout the state and promoting equality for all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender expression.

The MPCHA Executive Team said in a joint statement: “This is a great opportunity to enhance our fundraising efforts, the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado has an admirable track record of supporting our Soldiers”.

Dollar for Dollar match goes away next February

The MPHCA has until February 24, 2010 to match the grant. Two options qualify your donation for the dollar for dollar match:

• Gifts from first-time donors
  Donors who increase their gifts to the MPHC

Whether you are thinking of donating for the very first time to help make the MPHC a reality, or considering an additional donation, this is a perfect time to do it as your dollars will go twice as far.

For more information about participating in this matching grant opportunity, contact Becky Bayer- Hughes, Executive Director at (719) 633-2867 or go to www.MountainPostHistoricalCenter.org

A Photographic Tribute: The Civil War to the War in Iraq

MPHCA project to receive a portion of the proceeds from this exhibit.

About the exhibit:

The dramatic exhibition captures the essence of American soldiering over a period of more than 150 years. With the birth of photography, the camera became a notebook to history, starting with the Civil War.

Soldiers look at us through the camera lens: across the years and the miles. The 116 enlarged photographs cover America at war starting with
the Civil War, then to the Spanish American War, Boxer Rebellion, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and
ultimately to the streets of Baghdad.

Curated and produced by Cyma Rubin, the exhibition captures the danger and the frustration, the humor and the beauty, the camaraderie, the death and the victory that American soldiers and Marines encountered in their odyssey through history. The experience continues to this day, as they battle in the mountains of Afghanistan and the urban environs of Iraq.

“We are honored to be part of this historic and compelling exhibit’s stop in Colorado Springs,” states Terry Sullivan, Vice President of the Mountain Post Historical Center Association: “We hope the citizens of Colorado Springs and surrounding areas will take advantage of this incredible opportunity. It’s a chance to educate and inform citizens of all ages about the tremendous service and sacrifice of the “AMERICAN SOLDIER.”

Proceeds from “THE AMERICAN SOLDIER” exhibit will go to local non-profit organizations benefiting the military: The Mountain Post Historical Center and Homefront Cares.