Our first interview is with Gordon Bergslien, a volunteer with the Museum for almost 17 years.

Q: Hi Gordon, thank you for speaking with me today. We appreciate it! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

A: I’ve been a history buff for as long as I can remember. I taught in the social science department at a high school in the San Gabriel Valley for 37 years. My specialty is American history with a subspecialty in military history. My particular interest is, of course, aviation history.

Q: Wow – you must be a special breed of cat to be a high school teacher! I bet you were great. Tell me about your volunteering at MFAM– you were there for a long time!

A: l was at MFAM for almost 17 years. I accrued over 6300 volunteer hours. I received a lifetime achievement award, the Ace Award (the highest honor bestowed by the museum) and a presidential gold medal for volunteering. The museum is 45 miles from my house. My commitment to MFAM was beyond question.

Q: What drew you to the Museum?

Obviously, l like talking about airplanes and the people who designed, built, maintained and flew them. In addition, since I’m not a veteran, l felt an obligation to those who did serve. I figured that, in a small way, I could pay them back by telling their stories. l came to MFAM for the airplanes. I stayed for the people. I made some lasting friendships with the staff and volunteers

Q: Deciding to walk away from a place you’ve poured years into must have been extremely difficult. Could you describe the emotional process of that decision?

l tried to steer clear of office politics but they seemed to find me. In my last months at the museum it was becoming clear that some forces were undermining our mission to tell the story of aviation history and the men and women who made it.

l was on a walk with my daughter’s Golden Retriever when l got the call that three members of the paid staff had been terminated … it felt like the ground had given way under me. I knew that my time at MFAM was over. If l didn’t condemn what happened, l would condone it.

Q: What steps would you like to see taken to restore the museum’s reputation and to protect its mission?

I believe that the museum needs to return to its true mission: a laser focus on aviation history and the people who made it. That can only be achieved when MFAM is run by dedicated museum professionals who have a background in aviation history.

Voices of March: Gordon Bergslien