GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — The Military Museum of North Florida’s air conditioning went out last week, leaving thousands of artifacts exposed to extreme heat and potential damage.
The Green Cove Springs museum is literally running on fumes and pleading for help.
It’s not easy keeping this World War II-era Quonset hut and its contents cool.
The free museum runs solely on donations and volunteer work. Costly A/C repairs aren’t in the budget.
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“We just want to keep the memory alive,” said Virmara “Nene” Landfair.
Since 2016, Virmara “Nene” Landfair, who is now the president of the Military Museum of North Florida, has been working to restore forgotten military history.
“They had really hard lives in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, every war. Someone has a story that hasn’t been told. We’re able to bring the untold stories to life,” said Virmara “Nene” Landfair, the President of the Military Museum of North Florida.
Around 20 volunteers work to keep the doors open, and donations at the door keep the lights on. Costly lighting and phone repairs this year already put a dent in their small budget. Now, the A/C is running on fumes.
“We’d already been struggling with funding. We probably got about $2,000 in the bank,” said Landfair.
Local electricians are offering free labor, but the new unit will set them back at least $6,000.
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“It was just so overwhelming because I was like, we’re going to have to close down. This is one of the free items that people can come to and they can spend hours here. And we all are really just volunteers. We love it,” said Landfair.
Thousands have stopped by the museum at 1 Bunker Road off State Road 16 since it opened in 2008.
“Of course, they take donations and we always do because that’s what keeps them alive,” said Teri Powers, who was visiting the museum from Texas with her grandson, who lives in Green Cove Springs.
Around 2,000 visitors each year can take in a place that’s literally keeping Florida history alive.
“That’s probably the hardest part is when somebody comes in and says, ‘I found this in the trash. I don’t know what to do with it.’”
The museum has set up a GoFundMe to help with AC repairs and ongoing expenses.
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The museum is hosting two upcoming fundraisers to help alleviate some of these expenses.
They’re hosting a No Man’s Land Chili Challenge and flea market on Sept. 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at 990 Roland Ave., Green Cove Springs, FL.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, they’re hosting a Whistling Death 5k & 10k at the historic Lee Field in Green Cove Springs. Runners can traverse the perimeter of the old air base through WWII bunkers on paved and dirt roads. Register online at www.1stplacesports.com. It starts at 8:00 a.m. and the entry fee is $35.
“I want people to understand the sacrifice that somebody has made before you,” said Landfair.
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