MILITARY MUSEUMS PRESERVE AND HONOR HISTORY

Throughout the United States, military museums do their part in honoring veterans, their service, and their contribution to military advancement. The museums not only feature treasured artifacts representing the time of those who served, but offer support to veterans through various educational programs. Here are a few local and non-local military museums to explore.

National Air and Space Museum

Located in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s Smithsonian complex, more than 8 million visitors a year gather to experience the world’s largest collection of aviation, space artifacts and exploration, and planetary science at the National Air and Space Museum.

With two buildings, the museum not only houses over 60,000 space object memorabilia, including the 1903 Wright Flyer, Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the faster than the speed of sound Bell X-1 aircraft, and 1.75 million photographs, but also honors the innovation and courage of aviation and spaceflight through various educational programs.

“The National Air and Space Museum collects, preserves, displays, and interprets military aviation technology to tell the stories of our veterans for posterity,” says Jeremy Kinney, associate director of research and curatorial affairs. “Their achievements, contributions, and sacrifice are central to our storytelling and are an integral part of our upcoming World War I, World War II, and Modern Military exhibitions.”

For more information, visit https://airandspace.si.edu.

National Museum of the Marine Corps

With its commitment to preserving and honoring the Marine Corps’ past, present, and future, “the museum tells stories of historical events as seen through the eyes of the Marines,” says Gwenn Adams, Public Affairs Chief. “Immersive galleries allow visitors to experience Belleau Wood during World War I as Marines charge across the wheat field amid the smell of cordite in the air and rounds whistling through the trees overhead; the anticipation and fear of Marines aboard ship as they are briefed before embarking on the landing craft for Iwo Jima, then seeing the flag raised on Mount Suribachi; the bitter cold and near desperation of Marines at the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War as winds howl through the valley; and the blazing heat as Marines step off the back of a CH-46 helicopter into battle on Hill 881 during the Vietnam War.”

Future galleries will take visitors to Beirut, Somalia, Desert Shield/Storm, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The museum is located adjacent to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. For more information visit, usmcmuseum.com.

Inset photos, from left: The lobby of the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park houses a military caisson. A vintage postcard, courtesy of National Museum of the American Sailor’s Permanent Collection, shows a boat drill for sailors. A part of the collection at the National Air and Space Museum, America’s First Fighter Wing jet fighter, the F-86 Sabre, was in combat operations in Korea. Main photo: An exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps shows Marines battling bitter cold and near desperation at the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.

An exhibit from the National Museum of the Marine Corps, located next to the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.