meet our staff

ed long
president

Ed is a retired US Navy Chief Petty Officer who was stationed on several aircraft carriers. Ed is a Vietnam veteran and because of his experience in carriers, guides tours explaining carrier operations.

richard whitmar
vice president

Richard served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War as a Communications Technician Second Class.

george pouliot
treasurer

George served in Japan during the Korean War providing communications support to operations in Korea.

david estes
education director

David served in Vietnam, first with the 25th Infantry Division then with the 101st Airborne Division.

Duane Currington
Tour guide

Duane trained as an Infantryman and served as an MP with the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam.

ralph messer
curator

Ralph served in the US Army, the Illinois Army National Guard and the Tennessee State Guard, where he reached the rank of Command Sergeant Major. Ralph is also a veteran of Operation Urgent Fury.

art leach
tour guide & ZOOM speaker

Art flew F-6F Hellcats off of the carrier USS Yorktown in World War II. His squadron never lost an aircraft due to enemy action and downed more than 90 of the enemy. Art stayed in the US Navy Reserve after the war and was recalled for the Korean War but was never deployed to Korea. During that time he flew F-9F Panthers. He's an active member of the museum well into his late 90's.

roger kutzner
tour guide

Roger did not serve in the military, but he is an expert in military equipment and has provided the museum with many artifacts, both US and foreign.

juan ruiz
Iraq and Afghanistan veteran

Juan served in the US Army with the 2nd RANGER Battalion. He served 2 tours in Iraq and 2 in Afghanistan and was wounded on his second Afghanistan tour. Juan also represents the museum at some area patriotic and military events such as giving speeches on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day.