Endowment
Donors have an option to give a gift of any size to the ASOM forever through the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation Endowment (ASOMFE). Gifts may be dedicated to honor or memorialize a family member, friend or business associate. This is especially appropriate for someone who has served in Airborne or Special Operations units.
Our endowment is owned and managed by the Cumberland Community Foundation, which for 40 years has provided essential funding to improve the quality of life here in Cumberland County. One hundred percent of each contribution is added to the principal of the fund, and only investment earnings are used to support operations and programming at the ASOM.
Gifts to the ASOMFE can be made in cash, publicly traded securities, mutual fund shares, tangible personal property or real estate. Any of these or other assets may be given outright or bequeathed to the ASOMFE. The endowment may also be designated as a beneficiary of an insurance policy or will. Please contact the ASOM Foundation Executive Director for more information.
General James Lindsay Endowment
On August 5th, 2023, the world lost a great American and Soldier, General (Ret) James J. Lindsay.
General Lindsay was an American Soldier and leader known by all to have extraordinary physical bravery and moral courage on the battlefield as well as uncompromising integrity throughout his service. Many don’t realize that he was also one of the driving forces behind the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM).
While serving at Fort Liberty, then called Fort Bragg, General Lindsay had a vision of a facility to stand as a memorial to the character and values of the men and women of America’s airborne and special operations forces.
In an interview following General Lindsay’s acceptance of Fayetteville’s Hometown Hero Award in 2018, he stated the first meeting to talk about the possibility of a museum focusing on airborne and special operations troops was held during the first week of August 1990. The museum initially was going to be built on post and a groundbreaking event was held but funding unfortunately fell through. Despite this setback, Lindsay did not give up on this dream. With General Lindsay’s guidance, community leaders and the United States Army joined forces to bring his vision to fruition. On August 16, 2000 (National Airborne Day) the museum opened to the public to much fanfare. General Lindsay served as President Emeritus of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation until his passing.
In celebration of the life and leadership of General Lindsay, a Designated Endowment Fund was created through the Cumberland Community Foundation to support the mission and programs of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation.
In the photo below, General Lindsay, center, and on the left then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Hugh Shelton and on his right, the late H. Ross Perot. Sr. and other business leaders can be seen cutting the ribbon at the Museum’s grand opening- a dream that took over ten years to come to fruition.
