By Conrad Dudderar
Senior Staff Writer
While they are closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Yukon Veterans Museum are staying in touch with Yukon’s military veterans.
Local and state “shelter in place” orders – prompted by concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak – is keeping older residents at home. This includes many U.S. service members who served their country valiantly.
“We want all our veterans to know we are thinking about them during this time,” said Lt. Col. (ret.) Rick Cacini, founder and curator of the Yukon Veterans Museum.
“We’re remaining in close contact with the veterans we have listed in our directory in Yukon. We’re also mailing out postcards to those veterans we don’t have phone numbers for.”
The Yukon Veterans Museum, 1010 W Main, is temporarily closed as part of an emergency disaster declaration.
During the current health crisis, museum board members and volunteers are checking on Yukon veterans to make sure their needs are met.
“We’re still offering transportation, food and housing; whatever the veterans need, we’re providing,” said Cacini, a Yukon City Council member. “We’re also offering VA (Veterans Administration) assistance over the phone and by mail.
“Even though the museum is closed, our staff comes down here and works. We are always on call.”
The Yukon Veterans Museum had to cancel its annual garage sale that was set in May. The fundraiser will be rescheduled, hopefully for later this summer.
Any Yukon veteran who was on the list to attend the Oklahoma City Dodgers’ Veterans Appreciation Night set May 15 at the Bricktown Ballpark has been advised this event also was postponed.
Meanwhile, Cacini is the City of Yukon’s point of contact to provide all hearing-impaired residents – including veterans – with caption call phones at no cost. Call 517-1901 for details.
Yukon Veterans Museum officers are: President Rick Cacini, Vice President Eddie “Mac” McFadden, Secretary Jack Stewart, Treasurer Jerry Stafford, Historian/Chaplain Jenny Crane, Director of Artifacts Jerry Icenhower, Trustee Jack Hinton, Trustee Tom Thomas, and Trustee Ron Edmonson.
Any Yukon veteran who needs help is asked to call Cacini at 517-1901, Stafford at 388-8845 or Icenhower at 514-6794.
