LYNN — The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Museum and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Lynn-Swampscott E.F. Gilmore Chapter 64 are teaming up for an open-house event at the GAR Museum at 2 p.m. on June 24.
“It will be a fun-filled family event. We will have presentations, reenactors, there’ll be giveaways, door prizes and tours of the museum,” Brig. Gen. Andrea Gayle-Bennett of Chapter 64 said.
The theme for the event is “celebrating past, present, and future veterans,” she added. “That’s why we’re making it family-friendly because these kids who are coming may be our future veterans.”
Dexter Bishop of the Sons of Union Veterans will be dressed in period clothing and will perform a reenactment, according to Gayle-Bennett. There will also be a photo booth, food, and music — all of which are free.
GAR Museum Curator Wendy Joseph said she was “so happy” when Gayle-Bennett reached out to her for this event.
“This is exactly the kind of programming that we want to see at the GAR,” Joseph added.
She said that since the museum is focused on the Civil War era, the GAR has not had a “direct pipeline” to veterans of today.
“But the building itself is a memorial to all veterans, so this really helps us push us out to the people who we would like to come and see the museum and be part of what the museum has to offer,” Joseph said.
The purpose of the original GAR post was to support Civil War veterans and their families, Gayle-Bennett said.
“That’s exactly what the DAV does,” she said. “Our sole mission is to provide benefits and help to veterans and their families and so it just seemed to me that that post was a precursor to what the DAV (is).”
Joseph said that this is the first time the two groups have collaborated, and they hope it is not the last.
