The Army Heritage Center Foundation (AHCF)originally named The Military Heritage Foundation, is a charitable organization, 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to sharing the stories of U.S. Army soldiers from all eras, fostering understanding and building meaningful connections between the military and civilian communities. The Foundation accomplishes its mission through public outreach, community-building, resource-sharing, education, and philanthropic investments in the preservation of Army history through the biographical lens of the American Soldier.
The primary beneficiary of the Army Heritage Center Foundation’s philanthropic contributions is the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) in historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The Foundation has supported the Center for over a quarter century, beginning in 1999 when then-Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera authorized the Center’s creation. Since then, the Foundation has helped the Center grow into the 56-acre campus it is today.
AHCF is separate from the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. As a private, nonprofit, non-Federal entity, AHCF is not affiliated with the Department of Defense and has no governmental status.
The name change allowed the Army Heritage Center Foundation to reflect the primary focus of its first few decades: building and supporting the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC). The Foundation collaborated with the Army to develop a center that honors Soldiers and their families by preserving and making available for study artifacts, manuscripts, personal papers, photographs, and art from USAHEC’s collections, along with fostering a greater awareness of U.S. Army History.
Later in 2010, the Foundation completed construction of the Visitor and Education Center and donated the building to the U.S. Army. The next year, The Museum Store, sponsored by the Foundation, opened. In 2011, the Foundation built additional infrastructure and parking lots to accommodate future construction.
In 2013, the Foundation hosted its first U.S. Army Birthday Dinner at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. In 2016, AHCF completed construction of both the Ridgway Hall Lobby renovation to accommodate additional exhibits and the Hall of the American Soldier, transferring both to the U.S. Army.
The Education Department develops educational materials based on the holdings of the Army Heritage and Education Center. These materials focus on the contributions of the American Soldier to the history and heritage of the United States and the world. They include CD-ROMs, a book and DVD set entitled Army Nurses of World War One: Service Beyond Expectations, and content on the Education section of the foundation's website.
The AHCF honors Russell F. Weigley, a Temple University History Department faculty member from 1930 to 1966 who was considered to be one of the nation's top military historians, with a financial award for the best paper with a military history focus that is presented at the annual Barnes Club Conference in Philadelphia.
The Education Department works with local school districts to build an oral history program to train and assist high school and middle school students and teachers to interview veterans to collect their oral histories.
Other programs include a summer camp for youth, a youth leadership program, Veterans' breakfasts, and commemorative events.
The Education Director serves as the State Coordinator for National History Day in Pennsylvania.[1]
Publications
To supplement AHEC's educational programming, the foundation has produced the following publications, all of which are available in the Museum Store at AHEC, which the foundation also operates.
The Eye of the Army: A Photographic Exhibit
This is an interactive, educational CD-ROM that brings American history from the 1850s to the 1960s alive through images from the Military History Institute and artifacts from the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center.
Defending the Long Road to Freedom
This is an interactive CD-ROM focusing on the African American community's experience within the U.S. Army. The centerpiece of the story is the 50-year Army career of Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis Sr., the first African American promoted to General Officer rank in the United States Armed Forces.
Army Nurses of World War One: Service Beyond Expectations
More than 21,000 women enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War I to serve as uniformed nurses. Nearly half of them served in overseas locations. Their little-known story is presented through the writings of two of these brave women, Elizabeth Lewis and Emma Elizabeth Weaver.
Designing for Victory 1914-1945
This educational CD-ROM examines the role of posters as vital tools of communication on the home front during World War I and World War II. The disk includes a selection of vintage posters from both wars and features designs from the United States, as well as Germany, Great Britain, France, Canada, and Russia.
Service in the 195th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment: The Diary of Captain Samuel McPherran
Having served two years in the Army and being discharged due to injury, McPherran recruited men from Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and joined them in the 195th in the fall of 1864. This booklet is a transcription of the diary he kept during his service in the 195th, along with annotations.
Understanding War Through Imagery: The Civil War in American Memory
This photograph booklet is a companion piece for the Civil War photograph exhibit on display in Ridgway Hall. The majority of the photographs are culled from the AHCF's expansive MOLLUS Civil War photo collection.
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