PENDLETON, Ore -   The Oregon National Guard made history twice on May 4, 2007 when two organizations, Lewis and Clark team and the Oregon Military Museum, within the Oregon National Guard received the first Oregon Heritage Commission Excellence Awards in Pendleton, Oregon at the annual Oregon Heritage Conference.

            The Heritage Excellence Awards recognize individuals, businesses and organizations for outstanding efforts on behalf of Oregon heritage.  They honor those people and organizations who have made the most of available resources and skills, while helping to raise the quality of heritage-oriented activities.

            The Oregon National Guard’s Lewis and Clark team was selected to receive one of the first Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards for its outstanding leadership and support during the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.  Kyle Jansson, the Heritage Commission Coordinator, said, “The board members when reviewing the application were adding additional information as to what the Oregon National Guard did during the Lewis and Clark bicentennial above and beyond what was included in the application.” George Kramer, the Oregon Heritage Commission Chair, spoke of the Lewis and Clark team being “energetic and flexible in serving the state,” saying “in short the Oregon National Guard served as a model for other state’s heritage efforts during the Corps of Discovery Bicentennial.”

            The Lewis and Clark team not only taught Lewis and Clark history and its connection to the National Guard to over 80,000 people throughout the state of Oregon, it also was an integral part of the single Lewis and Clark National Event held on the west coast.  The Lewis and Clark team with amazing Oregon National Guard help organized and ran the opening ceremony of Destination, The Pacific, operated a Joint Operations Center in Clatsop County during Destination, The Pacific, set up and tore down the National Park Service’s Corps II exhibit, and ran a booth at each Corps II location in Oregon.

            In addition, when Fort Clatsop burned to the ground just prior to Destination, The Pacific, the Oregon National Guard and the Lewis and Clark team were the first to respond with offers of soldiers to help rebuild.  Soldiers helped tear down the hazardous burned fort and soldiers helped to rebuild Fort Clatsop as soldiers had built it 200 years earlier.

            As the Bicentennial passed into history, The Oregon National Guard’s Lewis and Clark team went through a small transformation. Known as the Oregon Heritage Outreach project now, the team continues to offer the Lewis and Clark presentations that brought them such recognition and have introduced a World War II presentation that even in its infancy is receiving outstanding feedback. The team continues to look to the future as they plan to include presentations covering other eras of history.

Major Alisha Hamel, Heritage Outreach Officer, said, “The Heritage Outreach program started from our Lewis and Clark Educational program.  Our dream is to have the ability to teach many different eras of American (National Guard) history to the citizens of our communities.  We are now teaching Lewis and Clark and World War II history.  We hope to add Oregon History and World War I history by the beginning of next school year.”

            Maj. Gen. Raymond Rees stated in a note written to Major Alisha Hamel, “Congratulations on the success of the Oregon Heritage Outreach Program in the 2007 Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards.  The effort you and your staff have put into this program has produced a first class educational service that displays the rich history of the State of Oregon.”

            The Oregon Military Museum was selected to receive one of the first Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards for growing Living History Day as an event that presents Oregon History in a hands-on, easy-to-understand fashion.

            The Living History Day is a free public event and is held in May of every year.  This year it will be on May 19 and will include displays of restored military vehicles, uniforms, arms and equipment.  There are authentic military campsites with living history enthusiasts, re-enactors and military vehicle collectors ready and willing to share their enthusiasm and expertise.  The Heritage Outreach team will also have their Lewis and Clark and WWII exhibit there this year.

            Living History Day also includes tours of the museum, the weapons vault, the 1911 Battery A barn and the World War II Quonset hut.  Living History Day has happened every year for 10 years to great acclaim from veterans, soldiers and the general public.

            Tracy Buckley, curator of the Oregon Military Museum proudly said, “We are humbled to receive recognition of this caliber, and the staff and volunteers are very grateful for this award.”

            Roger Roper, Assistant Director for Heritage Programs wrote to both organizations, “The efforts of organizations and people like you are essential for the strength of Oregon’s cultural heritage.  I commend and congratulate you for your outstanding work.”