MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Middletown’s Gibson Museum will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11, in addition to its usual Wednesday, Friday and Saturday afternoon hours.

In response to requests by veterans and their families who have donated items for the special Honor Our Veterans display, Gibson will observe its regular 1 to 5 p.m. hours on Thanksgiving weekend to allow visiting family members to enjoy the display.

The minuscule new museum is scarcely big enough to handle the plethora of memorabilia that has come in for the November display honoring local veterans.

Collecting and cataloging artifacts for this display has been poignant.

There are painstakingly preserved uniforms, some from World War II – 70-plus years old – as well as those that saw service in Korea and Vietnam.

Photos show faces touchingly young, intent on mammoth duties. One set denotes a local father and daughter who served, he in World War II, she only recently mustered out.

Individual display cases long cherished in local homes, filled with medals and ribbons and badges of honor, have been loaned.

Participants in the Mexican-American War, Civil War, and Revolutionary War are recognized in the rosters of Middletown Cemetery.

A compilation of all known Lake County service people will be available.

Those of us who never donned a uniform to go forth and help protect our rights and privileges know that debts of gratitude and respect are owed to the men and women who, willingly or by edict, gave their time, often their limbs or stability, and even their lives for our benefit. Gibson is making it easy to refresh our memories and tender our tributes.

The Gibson Museum has partnered with Operation “Tango Mike” as a collection drop-off point for donations that will be sent in Christmas boxes to our current troops serving overseas.

The display opened Nov. 3 and will be in place until Dec. 5, which portions to be retained through December.

The museum is located in the former Middletown Library building at Calistoga and Callayomi, across from the new Community Center.

For further information, email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 707-809-8009.