Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, ID, Celebrates Veterans Year-Round
From a Vietnam War-era UH-1C “Huey” attack helicopter to a Fokker DR-1 triplane, like that flown by the Red Baron in World War I, an impressive squadron resides at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho.
The dozen other aircraft permanently on display include a P-51C Mustang with the markings of the “Boise Bee” flown by Lt. Col Duane Beeson, a World War II ace pilot and native of the Gem State. This collection, however, is only part of the story.
“We have amassed an impressive collection of aircraft, military items and vehicles,” says Carson Spear, executive director of the Warhawk Air Museum. “But the heart of the museum is always the individual personal stories of bravery and sacrifice.”
The Warhawk Air Museum is one way that Nampa celebrates its veterans. With various educational opportunities and community events throughout the year, the museum has become a core meeting place in the Treasure Valley.
Soaring to New Heights
Founded in 1989 by John and Sue Paul, the Warhawk Air Museum offers numerous programs on top of its exhibits and regular flyovers during local events.
The Kilroy Coffee Klatch, for example, brings together about 300 veterans on the first Tuesday of each month, offering free coffee and doughnuts and interesting guest speakers. Plus, an annual breakfast just before Veterans Day feeds upwards of 1,500 veterans as well as their families.
Through the Veterans History Project, the museum has preserved more than 1,550 veterans’ personal histories on film. While these often highlight the stories of veterans who served decades ago, the museum places a major emphasis on service members from all eras.
Today, the museum is working on a new wing focused on the Global War on Terror, with a large events center and immersive 9/11 exhibit.
“Many of our over 50,000 annual visitors are students who were not born yet when 9/11 happened,” Spear says. “We want to help to educate them on why it happened and the origins of our nation’s longest war and honor the men and women who fought in it.”
Cleared for Landing
Another significant group that visits the Warhawk Air Museum is veterans. There are plenty who have decided to put down roots in the area — and for good reason.
Idaho is home to more than 126,000 veterans, with a major concentration in Canyon County, according to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. The Nampa area offers a more relaxed pace while being less than half an hour from the Boise Vet Center and VA Medical Center.
Among the opportunities for continuing education, the College of Western Idaho offers various degree programs with support services for veterans and military family members. This includes a partnership with Mission43 to help veterans pursue courses in entrepreneurship and management at CWI.
Mission43 has helped thousands of Idaho veterans successfully transition into civilian life after completing their military service. The organization provides a range of tools to boost employment, engagement and education among former service members.
Spear participated in the Mission43 Leaders Fellowship. The yearlong program empowers service members, past and present, and military spouses to grow personally and professionally as well as to positively impact Idaho.
Taking the Lead
Working for the greater good is nothing new for Spear. It was a driving force in his enlistment in the U.S. Army in 2001 when he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and throughout his deployment from March 2004 to March 2005 as part of the 1st Cavalry Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
“I was a platoon leader in southern Baghdad, doing day and night complex combat patrols in a sector roughly the size of Nampa. I was wounded in a roadside bomb and was awarded the Purple Heart,” he says. “It was a very scary deployment. But we did a lot of good for the people of Iraq, all my soldiers returned home, and I am proud of my military service.”
Spear then went to law school and earned an MBA with a desire to help veterans with deployment-related issues. That path eventually led him to the Warhawk Air Museum.
“As a combat veteran myself, it’s really special to have such a wonderful place of healing, joy and camaraderie right here in Nampa, where I can bring my family and friends to learn more about personal stories of service and sacrifice,” he says. “This is the best job I have ever had, and I am so honored to be a part of it.”
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