- February 6, 2025
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Manikins representing the Army, Navy and Marines seem to look out the window of the Veterans Museum and Education Center on Beach Street. Photo by Wayne Grant
Donna Fresquez speaks about her dad, Thomas Brophy, who served in the Navy in World War II. Photo by Wayne Grant
About 80 people attended a ceremony at the Veterans Museum and Education Center on Beach Street. Photo by Wayne Grant
A statue of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima was donated to the museum by Ormond Strong. Photo by Wayne Grant
There were stories of heroism; and tales with humor in dramatic situations; as relatives of military veterans placed photos on a memory wall Feb. 24 at the Veterans Museum and Education Center, located on the second floor of the Tic Toc Antique Shop, 166 S. Beach St.
Ormond Strong organized the event, where they donated the sculpture of the Iwo Jima flag-raising that they originally made for the Ormond Beach Home for the Holidays Parade. The anniversary of the flag-raising is Feb. 23.
The museum, which contains almost 3,000 square feet of uniforms, photos, artifacts and displays, was opened about two years ago by John Brinkley, president, and Bob Haines, curator.
Haines said they are getting a lot of donations from area families, and they want to have a museum that Daytona Beach will be proud of. He and Brinkley would like to see buildings constructed by the new Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge that would house a veterans’ service headquarters as well as the museum.
Brinkley also would like help from the public with the Veteran of the Month program. All he needs is a photo and story of a veteran so he can put it on display for a month.
Brinkley ran a small museum in Ormond Beach, and Haines in New Smyrna Beach, before they joined about two years ago
Admission to the museum is free. Haines said donations are needed to make the museum more accessible for the disabled and make some repairs.
A visitor can spend a lot of time learning the stories of the conflicts in America’s history, and there’s also a room in back for Vietnam veterans to gather.
“There’s been some tears shed in that room,” Haines said.
Call 679-4812 or email [email protected].
