KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Disputes over how the Museum of Military History in Kissimmee is being run, and by whom, are leading to frustrated military veterans.

Retired Navy veteran Don Smith claims the new chairman of the museum is taking away memberships of war veterans, and locking them out of a building they spent years volunteering in.

It was after serving his country for about 30 years in the U.S. Navy, that Smith decided to serve his county at the Museum of Military History.

“What people do in the military is worth fighting for,” he said from his attorney’s office Monday. “That’s what we are trying to do.”

Following a battle with COVID-19, Smith in December decided to hand over the day-to-day operations of the museum to his son, Frank Smith, and the museum chairman, Christian Robertson.

Smith agreed to stay on as the museum’s executive director, but said disagreements with Robertson continued. At first they were about the museum’s finances based on a year with an on-going pandemic.

“We are in bad financial shape and that we were spending twice as much money as we were taking in,” Smith said of his conversations with Robertson.

Robertson, the current chairman and CEO of the museum, wouldn’t get in to specifics about the museum since Smith and others have filed a lawsuit questioning the legitimacy of his position. However, he does say he has done nothing wrong.

“The board of the Museum has 100% followed the bylaws,” Robertson said.

In early March, an e-mail was sent out by first vice chair Carol Fresneda to call for a special meeting to remove Robertson as the museum chairman. Robertson said the meeting couldn’t take place because the meeting was called by one director when four are needed. In the e-mail and notice, no other directors are listed or signed the notice of special meeting. At that meeting Smith said Robertson was voted out. 

“Don has no authority to make any decision on behalf of the military museum of history,” Robertson said.

On March 9, Robertson held a special meeting where 12 board members were present, and six were voted out. 

As it stands now, Robertson is still acting chairman of the museum, Don Smith has received a trespass warning if he is to go back to the museum, and on Wednesday a judge will decide if the complaint by Smith and others will be dismissed. 

Currently Robertson is listed on the Sun Biz documents for the museum as the CEO. Smith's son Frank was also let go from his job at the museum by Robertson in February.