National Infantry Museum

The military has always held a special place of interest for me. My father retired from the US Army in 1976. He was stationed at Ft. Benning GA. He spent 3 tours of duty in Vietnam. His unit was depicted in the movie “We Were Soldiers”. The movie trailer is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=d3BlWLa2soY&feature=related

Two weeks ago my younger brother (Greg), Christopher, and I visited the National Infantry Museum located in Columbus GA (just outside the gates of Ft. Benning). http://www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com/

The museum opened its doors in June of 2009. The first exhibit is called “The Last 100 Yards”. It depicts life-like scenes from eight wars in Infantry history. The exhibit is a 100-yard-long gently inclining ramp, signifying the Infantry’s role in taking the last 100 yards of any battle. The scenes feature cast figures of real Infantry soldiers, as well as a World War II glider, Huey helicopter and Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Gliders were used as a cheap method of transporting troops across the English Channel and into the French countryside during D-Day. Many crashed upon impact; killed their occupants before they tasted battle. To see one up close was amazing. The sides were thin as cardboard. The whole thing looked like it could have been built in a garage using scrap lumber. The bravery of the young men who rode them into battle is amazing.

Also of interest in this exhibit was the Huey helicopter. Huey helicopters are shown in the trailer of the movie above. My father spent a lot of time in Huey helicopters. I couldn’t help but examine the one in the exhibit and wonder if my father ever rode this one. Whether he did or not, I imagined him sitting in it.

The next exhibit included a rifle range like the ones soldiers train on. We were given an opportunity to fire 30 rounds from an AK47 at 20 targets. It was much harder than it looked and I was only successful at hitting 10 of the 20 targets.

The main section of the museum includes 6 Era Galleries. The six Era Galleries include:
· Securing Our Freedoms 1607-1815 (opening later)
· Manifest Destiny and the Civil War 1815-1898 (opening later)
· Entering the International Stage 1898-1920
· A World Power 1920-1947
· The Cold War 1947-1989
· The Sole Superpower 1989-Present

Entering the International Stage Gallery includes relics and artifacts (weapons, uniforms, etc) from the Spanish American War and World War I. In 1898 the United States declared war on Spain after the sinking of the Battleship Maine in the Havana harbor. The Maine sank following a horrific explosion that killed 266 of her crew. The United States immediately blamed the sinking on a Spanish mine. Politicians worked the country into a frenzy demanding revenge. War was declared and a war was fought. Spoils of the war included Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Historians have long speculated that the sinking was actually caused by a buildup of coal dust in her coal bunker. The museum displays a 3x3 section of the Maine that includes a port hole. I found it fascinating given its historical significance.

This gallery also includes World War I. Much of the war was fought in miles and miles of trenches dug throughout Europe. This war also featured extensive use of “Poison Gas” later banned by the Geneva Convention. A major part of this gallery was a long replica trench. The clatter of tank tracks was piped in via speaker. The ground shock as the sounds came closer. It was dirty and dusty. Some areas tried to replicate the mud that filed the trenches most of the year. It really gave you a sense of how bad the conditions must have been.

A World Power Gallery included World War II. It includes relics and artifacts from all participants. The entire gallery was fascinating and there were too many things to mention in a short blog. However, being a fan General Patton, I must mention that on display was a grungy and used sweatshirt worn by the General himself.

The Cold War Gallery includes relics and artifacts from the Vietnam War. This gallery brought back memories of my youth as I had previously seen or owned many of the things on display. One area of particular interest was a large room designed to simulate the sights and sounds experience by a soldier on nighttime patrol through the jungle. It was very emotional for me.

Two Galleries opening in the future include the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. I look forward to returning and visiting them in the future.