Alfred Bachmeier

Al and I often worked together on in artifact handling and planning projects throughout my time there and in fact we both retired on the same day in 2011. He had a gruff exterior and one might have imagined that they were interacting with character from one of the Viking Sagas at first, but it didn't take long to peel back the layers and see that he cared deeply about the collection and that he had a soft spot for anyone that was trying to do the right thing. Al was the corporate memory of...

Al Bachmeier was an intelligent and kind soul. We met and worked together on the Udvar-Hazy Center, and I am proud to say that he was not only my colleague, but someone I truly considered a friend. There was a time when I needed to work late hours to make up for time I spent during the day attending school. When Al found out, he quietly chose to stay and wait until I finished, making sure I got to my car safely. He did this for several weeks without ever making a fuss. That´s when I truly...

Al was a mentor and a friend. We made an unlikely pair working together for nearly 10 years on all phases of the Udvar-Hazy Center. I came to admire his tenacity and sense of humor. With 40 years caring for the NASM collection, Al was not about to accept any short cuts with the new U-HC facility. Al was respected by all of his professional peers. Finally, my sincere condolences to Jo, his devoted wife. Regards, Jake

At the Paul Garber Facility, Restoration, Preservation and Storage, we were a brotherhood and Al was a prominent figure we were pleased to work with. He took great care of the collection and his special crew.