MAMF Media

Home: It's Complicated brings together diverse voices to explore the histories, experiences, and conversations that shape our understanding of service, trauma, family, culture, and community. Through thoughtful dialogue, Anita Sugimura Holsapple and Circe Olson Woessner connect people, ideas, and disciplines while expanding awareness of the work being done across museums, education, documentary storytelling, and community engagement. This is the first episode in a series of conversations.

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. And Battlefield: Home. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by Moose Lodge 1680, Belen New Mexico, American Legion Post 117, Clovis NM, the New Mexico Humanities Council and the MAMF International Humanities Center.

 To learn more about Battlefield:Home–Breaking the Silence click the link: https://www.battlefield-home.com

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):

https://www.samhsa.gov

 

MAMF Director Circe Olson Woessner interviews Melissa Whiteford St. Clair, founder of Paper Chaser, White Girl Advocacy, and poet and they discuss writing, military spouse life, social justice and advocacy, and much more. Melissa has published several books; you can find them here:

To see what services Paper Chaser provides, click the link: https://paperchaserbiz.com

To learn more about White Girl Advocacy

Correction: During the interview, Melissa mistakenly stated that her father was drafted into the U.S. Army. After the recording, her mother clarified that he enlisted in the U.S. Army. We appreciate the opportunity to correct the record.  

The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by Moose Lodge 1680, Belen New Mexico,  American Legion Post 117, Clovis NM, the New Mexico Humanities Council and the MAMF International Humanities Center. 

MAMF Director Circe Olson Woessner and Katie McDonald, blogger, teacher, and Navy spouse talk about life on Guam, writing, building networks and lots more.  Check out Katie's website: https://www.katiereads.com  or contact her at: kmbrownfiel@gmail.com

This podcast has been brought to you by Moose Lodge 1680 in Belen, NM, American Legion Post 117, in Clovis, NM, and the New Mexico Humanities Council. 

MAMF Board member Allen Dale Olson reads an excerpt from Korean War Veteran Paul Zolbrod's autobiographical story, A GI CHRISTMAS CAROL; Tokyo Army Hospital 1954. Paul writes about his experiences as a patient who'd been hospitalized over Christmas with a severe (then) unknown illness. Many of the Turkish troops in the area had also contracted the disease, and were sent to the US Army Hospital for treatment. (It was possibly a form of hemorrhagic fever). Paul met and befriended a man named Mustafa, and years later, wrote the book, A GI CHRISTMAS CAROL available here. Paul passed away in 2025 after a long career as professor of English and Literature in Pennsylvania and New Mexico. 

The Museum of the American Military Family wishes everyone Happy Holidays! 

 

This advent, military-connected readers will read a story they wrote about a special Christmas memory. Take a few moments to slow down, tune in, and enjoy a quick break from the holiday madness. Author and teacher Karin Tramm reads Buon Natale: A Christmas Story From Italy. This story, and the previous one, are part of an exciting new project Karin is working on. 

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Humanities Council and the MAMF International Humanities Center.

 

This advent, military-connected readers will read a story they wrote about a special Christmas memory. Take a few moments to slow down, tune in, and enjoy a quick break from the holiday madness. Author and teacher Karin Tramm reads Joyful Giving: A Christmas Story From Guam.

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Humanities Council and the MAMF International Humanities Center.

 

This advent, military-connected readers will read a story they wrote about a special Christmas memory. Take a few moments to slow down, tune in, and enjoy a quick break from the holiday madness. Today's story, Christmas in Tikrit was written by Army brat & veteran, Erik Woessner. 

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Humanities Council and the MAMF International Humanities Center.

 

This advent, military-connected readers will read a story they wrote about a special Christmas memory. Take a few moments to slow down, tune in, and enjoy a quick break from the holiday madness. Today's story, Ingenuity, Christmas Style was written military brat & mom, Cathy Sydlo Wilkes. 

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Humanities Council and the MAMF International Humanities Center.

MAMF Director Circe Olson Woessner hosts New Mexico authors who read from books produced by MiddleWest Press, Southwest Writers, as well as anthologies produced by the museum. Veterans and military spouses share their experiences of war from post WWII Occupation of Germany through more recent conflicts.  This episode posted on the International Day of Peace. To learn more about MiddleWest Press, click the link  

Southwest Writers is based in New Mexico, as is the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center.

MAMF Director Circe talks with retired DoDEA teachers and military spouses Karin and Lauralee about what it was like to teach for DoDEA, about growing up and/or marrying into the military, and what memories they treasure from living overseas. Can you imagine having to evacuate from one country to another with 9 children under the age of 10? Lauralee comes from a family of 12 military brats, so it is interesting to hear how her mother managed! 

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Humanities Council, Sandia Area Credit Union and organizations like Military Brat Seal and Military Brats Registry.

*Note: Due to a technical issue, this recording has a brief pause when it first starts, so please continue listening--it will continue. After the first sign off, continue listening because the interview briefly continues. 

 

University of Maryland, Munich Campus Student and Navy Brat Dave Flick and MAMF Director Circe Olson Woessner talk about being brats and students in the 1980s in Munich, Germany. This interview was made in conjunction with the city of Munich's public history program, "Stunde Null? Wie Wir Wurden, Was Wie Sind, " and the collaborative exhibit, "Amis in Der McGraw Kaserne."

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Humanities Council, and Sandia Area Credit Union. 

MAMF Founder and Director Circe Olson Woessner and National Military Spouse Network Founder and President Sue Hoppin chat about NMSN, military life, and more in this episode. NMSN is a community of military spouse professionals, businesses, academics, and media that share expertise and solutions about balancing career and the military lifestyle. 

Here is the link to the NMSN website

Check out NMSN on Facebook and LinkedIn. 

This podcast is brought to you by the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. The museum’s podcasts are supported, in part by New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Humanities Council, Sandia Area Credit Union and organizations like Military Brat Seal and Military Brats Registry.