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National Museum of the Army opens at Fort Belvoir

Susan Malandrino
by Susan Malandrino
December 4, 2020
National Museum of the Army Military Families Magazine

The M4 Sherman tank was the iconic American tank of World War II. It was employed in all theaters of operation where its reliability and mobility allowed it to spearhead armor attacks, provide infantry support or serve as artillery. On Dec. 16, 1944, Hitler launched an offensive to recapture the valuable port city of Antwerp, Belgium. The seven roads that led in and out of the Belgian town of Bastogne made it crucial to German lines of communication and their westward advance towards the Meuse River. By Dec. 21, the German XLVII Panzer (tank) Corps had encircled Bastogne. Although surrounded and outnumbered, the Americans were able to hold the town of Bastogne for five days before Patton’s Third Army was able to arrive. 1st Lt. Charles P. Boggess, commanding officer of Company C, 37th Tank Battalion, led the attack from atop Cobra King—now in the Global War Gallery. (National Museum of the United States Army, Duane Lempke)

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More than 245 years of history is now on display that the newly opened National Museum of the United States Army located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The museum is the first to tell the entire history of the nation’s oldest military service, immersing visitors in the story of the U.S. Army through compelling galleries, moving exhibits, a multisensory 300-degree theater, tranquil rooftop garden and hundreds of historic treasures rarely or never-before-seen by the public.

“We had an Army before we had a nation,” retired Army Lt. Gen. Roger Schultz, president of the Army Historical Foundation, said. 

According to Schultz, the museum allows visitors to see and hear the personal stories of courage and emotion from the American Revolution through the current wars of today.

“What’s really important here is that we, the visiting public here, understand and begin to appreciate the selfless duty in the forms of millions and millions who have served in our Army, and that’s the story worth remembering and talking about,” he said. 

National Museum of the Army Military Families Magazine
The Army and Society Gallery chronicles the symbiotic relationship between the Army, its civilian government, and the people. The Gallery—here in the final stages of construction—introduces visitors to the many advancements in medicine, aviation, communications, and technology that helped shape American society, culture, and the economy. In the foreground is an exact reproduction—the original was destroyed in a crash—of the Wright Model A Flyer built for Army trials at Fort Myer, Va. in September 1908. Suspended in the background is the R-4B Sikorsky Helicopter, the first mass-production helicopter in the world. (National Museum of the United States Army, Duane Lempke)

The museum showcases soldiers in a variety of theaters over time, covering 22 campaigns and showcasing 190 battle streamers.

READ: Army secretary committs to changes at Fort Hood

According to Schultz, the Army was adamant that these depictions be as life-like as possible, and allowed active-duty soldiers to serve as cast models for the mannequins on display. For Schultz, creating the figures from today’s Army soldiers brings history to life in a dynamic way.

“You can sense the emotion. You can sense the fear. You sense the courage … It is almost real.” 

“What this place means and what Army soldiers mean, what their families mean to our nation is beyond description,” Schultz said. 

National Museum of the Army Military Families Magazine
The Higgins assault boat, known officially as a Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP), landed more Allied troops on beaches in Europe and the Pacific than all other types of landing craft combined. Designed by Louisiana boat builder Andrew Higgins, these small boats could carry 36 combat-loaded troops, or a jeep and 12 men. The boats were constructed with plywood hulls and had the capability to slide on to a landing beach, lower the front ramp, discharge cargo and troops, and quickly turn around in the surf to pick up another load. (National Museum of the United States Army)

The museum also has an experiential learning center for children from age three through middle and high school that focuses on geography and STEM education. For Schultz, the team building piece is the biggest takeaway for children. 

“That’s essentially how the Army operates today,” he said. “Not only are we being led in the ranks by great leaders but soldiers in the ranks are willing to share duties and responsibilities with others.” 

The museum is on Army property but open and accessible to the general public. Free, timed-entry tickets are required for entry and available through the museum’s website at theNMUSA.org. Due to high demand, those visiting are encouraged to book tickets online before visiting the museum.  

National Museum of the Army Military Families Magazine
As visitors emerge from a “trench,” in the Nation Overseas Gallery, cast figures, lighting effects, imagery, and sounds of distant battle recreate a setting—based on a famous photograph of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Viewed atop a glass and steel bridge, splintered trees and advancing American Soldiers maneuvering amidst the battle wreckage convey the bleak situation. The film shown here plunges visitors into scenes of trench warfare and relays the U.S. Army’s contributions to the war effort. Continuing inside the tableaux a nearby 1917 FT-17 tank, against a backdrop of recruiting posters, augments the experience. (National Museum of the United States Army, Duane Lempke)

The museum’s construction was supported, in part, by the Army Historical Foundation’s Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army. Nearly 200,000 veterans, Army families and grateful Americans have raised more than $183 million towards the $200 million campaign goal. The Foundation will continue the campaign as the museum opens to the public. Those interested in supporting the campaign can visit ArmyHistory.org. 

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Susan Malandrino

Susan Malandrino

Susan Malandrino is a Washington, D.C.-based communications professional. Married to an active-duty Naval aviator, she is a twin mom who has completed 7 PCS moves across three continents. In her spare time, you can find her marathon training, listening to audio books, or dragging her family to museums.

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