Airborne helmet....somewhat???

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

An alternative may be to gift items to people that you know, outside of your family, who you think may have an interest.

Yep that is the plan with some items. The family stuff. Framed DD214S with photos. My grandfathers WWII helmet, other grandfathers WWI photo and Hat cord. Just wish our younger generation had more interest. I do have one great niece who is about 10 who I believe might be a candidate I will wait and see. I can't count the number of really personal items Bronze Star citations, personal wartime correspondence etc.. I have found at garage sales etc...
It's one thing if one has no descendants but it seems two generations of interest is about the max and if it skips gen 2 it's off to the dumpster so too bad if gen 3 is interested everything is gone. Upside is I have bought some nice items cheap and have been a good steward of the compiled history..

[Flying10uk]

It's one thing if one has no descendants but it seems two generations of interest is about the max and if it skips gen 2 it's off to the dumpster so too bad if gen 3 is interested everything is gone. Upside is I have bought some nice items cheap and have been a good steward of the compiled history..

More than 40 years ago a chap that my late father knew gifted my father various WW2 home front related items because he knew that my father collected home front items from WW2. Long after the chap had passed away and after my father had also passed away I offered what I could find of the items back to the son who I happen to know. He was very pleased to have the items back and was unaware that they had existed or that his father had given them away.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

More than 40 years ago a chap that my late father knew gifted my father various WW2 home front related items because he knew that my father collected home front items from WW2. Long after the chap had passed away and after my father had also passed away I offered what I could find of the items back to the son who I happen to know. He was very pleased to have the items back and was unaware that they had existed or that his father had given them away.

I have a cash from a WWII & Korean war vet with lots of photos and a draft After Action Report for the Lete Gulf Campaign. I would love to find a relative to give it to. Also have a memorial service pamphlet from a Vietnam war
KIA. Framed it. That may be my next mission to find a relative to give it to as he was local ant it may be doable. We have a local county museum that might be a candidate, but I know museums tend to sell off items to offset their overhead.

[Flying10uk]

You may find that some of your family members develop a sudden and rapid interest in militaria once they see you giving away a few bits outside of your family.

I know of one "local museum" that doesn't keep items not currently on display very local to the museum, meaning that they are not accessible if not on display.