Army’s new museum salutes tech, brave soldiers

“Young people today see the impact of America’s Army in their lives on a daily basis,” said Patrick Jennings, senior researcher at the new National Museum of the United States Army, which opens Wednesday near the Fort Belvoir military base in Virginia.

You depend on the internet, microwave ovens and cell technology, but you may not realize that these and many other technological innovations developed out of necessity in the oldest branch of the United States military.

For example, the Army bought its first military plane from the legendary Wright brothers in 1909 to train pilots. Within a decade, military aircraft were key to the nation’s defense during WorldWar I. The use of helicopters to quickly transport injured soldiers to medical facilities originated with the Army during World War II.

BILL O’LEARY — THE WASHINGTON POST Rows of freestanding monuments to past heroes greet visitors to the Army’s newflagship museum in Fort Belvoir.