National Museum of the United States Army

Last updated
National Museum of the United States Army
Logo-sheild-National Museum of the United States Army.svg
Museum logo
NMUSA01.jpg
Museum entrance
National Museum of the United States Army
Established2020
Location1775 Liberty Drive, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, U.S.
Coordinates 38°43′21″N77°10′12″W / 38.72250°N 77.17000°W / 38.72250; -77.17000
TypeMilitary history
DirectorTammy E. Call
Owner United States Army
Website thenmusa.org

The National Museum of the United States Army is the official museum for the history of the United States Army . It opened on November 11, 2020. [1] Its stated objectives are to honor America's soldiers, preserve Army history, and educate the public about the Army's role in American history.

Contents

The Museum is located on 84 acres at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 20 miles south of Washington, D.C. Ground was broken for the museum in September 2016, and it was scheduled to open on June 4, 2020. [2] That opening was delayed as some of the gallery finishing work was suspended in response to COVID-19. The U.S. Army announced on April 16, 2020 that the museum would delay its opening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3]

The main building is approximately 185,000 square feet and displays selections from the United States Army Center of Military History. Outside this facility is a park with gardens and a parade ground. Space is included to accommodate ceremonies, reenactments, lectures, educational programs, and reunions.

History

Under a September 2000 agreement with the Department of the Army, the Army Historical Foundation (AHF) [4] was designated the fundraising entity for the National Museum of the United States Army. The Army also established the National Museum of the United States Army Project Office to oversee the design and construction of the museum.

Looking at the Medal of Honor Wall, National Museum of the United States Army Nmusa MedalHonor-Wall.jpg
Looking at the Medal of Honor Wall, National Museum of the United States Army

In September 2008, the army selected Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York as the design architect and Christopher Chadbourne & Associates of Boston as the exhibit design firm. In 2012, Eisterhold Associates, Inc., assumed the exhibit planning and Design and Production, Inc. began the exhibit fabrication. The U.S. Army will operate and maintain the museum when it opens and AHF will be responsible for all revenue-generating operations.

Objectives

The National Museum of the United States Army describes its objectives as:


Museum design

The centerpiece of the National Museum of the United States Army will be a major exhibition facility where the stories of soldiers will be joined with thousands of artifacts, documents, and images tracing the history of the United States Army through a series of chronological and thematic galleries.

Looking at Campaign Wall and Lobby, National Museum of the United States Army Nmusa-CampaignWallLobby.jpg
Looking at Campaign Wall and Lobby, National Museum of the United States Army

In September 2008, the Army selected Skidmore, Owings & Merrill of New York as the design architect and Christopher Chadbourne & Associates of Boston as the exhibit design firm. In 2012, Eisterhold Associates Inc. assumed the exhibit planning and Design and Production, Inc. began the exhibit fabrication.

Fort Belvoir North Post location

On 17 June 2011 the Department of Defense released a press release, stating:

The army announced today that the North Post of Fort Belvoir, Virginia., will be the site of the National Museum of the U.S. Army (NMUSA), scheduled to open in June 2015. Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh approved the decision this week, which also marked the Army's 236th birthday. Initial construction will include a multi-story, main museum building with exhibit halls, theater, Veterans' Hall, food service and retail areas, administrative areas, an experiential learning center and a lobby with visitor reception area.

National Museum of the United States Army Looking SE Nmusa-campusSE.jpg
National Museum of the United States Army Looking SE
GI Card Game, Watercolor by James Pollock, U. S. Army Vietnam Combat Artists Team IV (CAT IV 1967). During the Vietnam War soldiers waiting to go on patrol would sometimes spend their leisure time playing cards. Courtesy National Museum of the United States Army. VietnamCombatArtCAT04JamesPollockGICardgame.jpg
GI Card Game, Watercolor by James Pollock, U. S. Army Vietnam Combat Artists Team IV (CAT IV 1967). During the Vietnam War soldiers waiting to go on patrol would sometimes spend their leisure time playing cards. Courtesy National Museum of the United States Army.

Fort Belvoir is spread over several locations, but the main base is in Fairfax County, Virginia and occupies the former "Belvoir" estate of William Fairfax. The post is bisected by US Route 1 ("Richmond Highway"): the area of Ft. Belvoir between US Route 1 and the Potomac River is the "South Post", while the area between US Route 1 and Telegraph Road is the "North Post". The site for the museum is on the North Post, along the Fairfax County Parkway at the intersection with Kingman Road. The address, 1775 Liberty Drive, is a nod to the year of the Army's founding.

Looking NE from the Site Entrance Nmusa-LookingfromSiteEntrance.jpg
Looking NE from the Site Entrance

Ft. Belvoir is about 20 miles south of Washington D.C., and 3 miles south of George Washington's historic Mount Vernon estate, which draws over one million visitors per year.

Opening ceremony

Museum Director Tammy Call cuts a ribbon with a ceremonial sword to officially open the museum to the public. 201111-D-BN624-0337 (50592449282).jpg
Museum Director Tammy Call cuts a ribbon with a ceremonial sword to officially open the museum to the public.

The museum opened to the public on Veterans Day in November 2020. [1] The ceremony was attended by acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller and Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy, both former Army officers. Also attending were Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark A. Milley, Army Chief of Staff General James C. McConville and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael A. Grinston.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnam Veterans Memorial</span> U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, commonly called the Vietnam Memorial, is a U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring service members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The two-acre (8,100 m2) site is dominated by two black granite walls engraved with the names of those service members who died or remain missing as a result of their service in Vietnam and South East Asia during the war. The Memorial Wall was designed by American architect Maya Lin and is an example of minimalist architecture. The Wall, completed in 1982, has since been supplemented with the statue Three Soldiers in 1984 and the Vietnam Women's Memorial in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfax County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. With a population of 1,150,309 as of the 2020 census, it is the most populous county in Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington metropolitan area, and the most populous location in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. The county seat is Fairfax; however, because it is an independent city under Virginia law, the city of Fairfax is not part of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorton, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Lorton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,072 as of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of the American Indian</span> Museum in Washington, D.C.

The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlington Memorial Amphitheater</span> Historic site in Arlington County, Virginia

Memorial Amphitheater is an outdoor amphitheater, exhibit hall, and nonsectarian chapel located in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States. It was designed in 1913 as a replacement for the older, wooden amphitheater near Arlington House. Ground was broken for its construction in March 1915 and it was dedicated in May 1920. In the center of its eastern steps is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, dedicated in 1921. It has served as the site for numerous Veterans Day and Memorial Day events, as well as for memorial services and funerals for many individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The National WWII Museum</span> Military history museum in New Orleans

The National WWII Museum, formerly known as The NationalD-Day Museum, is a military history museum located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., on Andrew Higgins Drive between Camp Street and Magazine Street. The museum focuses on the contribution made by the United States to Allied victory in World War II. Founded in 2000, it was later designated by the U.S. Congress as America's official National WWII Museum in 2004. The museum is a Smithsonian Institution affiliated museum, as part of the Smithsonian Institution's outreach program. The mission statement of the museum emphasizes the American experience in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Women's Memorial</span> Monument in Arlington, Virginia, US

The Military Women's Memorial, also known as the Women In Military Service For America Memorial, is a memorial established by the U.S. federal government which honors women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The memorial is located at the western end of Memorial Avenue at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.

Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. It was developed on the site of the former Belvoir plantation, seat of the prominent Fairfax family for whom Fairfax County was named. It was known as Camp A. A. Humphreys from 1917 to 1935 and Fort Belvoir afterward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Army Ordnance Training Support Facility</span> Military museum in Fort Lee, Virginia, US

The United States Army Ordnance Training Support Facility artifacts are used to train and educate logistic soldiers. It re-located to Fort Gregg-Adams, outside Petersburg, Virginia. Its previous incarnation was the United States Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland which closed in September 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of African American History and Culture</span> Museum in Washington, DC

The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), colloquially known as the Blacksonian, is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in 2003 and opened its permanent home in 2016 with a ceremony led by President Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Navy Memorial</span> Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The United States Navy Memorial is a memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring those who have served or are currently serving in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Merchant Marine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of the United States Navy</span> Flagship museum of the United States Navy

The National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National World War I Memorial (Washington, D.C.)</span> U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C.

The National World War I Memorial is a national memorial commemorating the service rendered by members of the United States Armed Forces in World War I. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the World War I Centennial Commission to build the memorial in Pershing Park, located at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. The park, which has existed since 1981, also contains the John J. Pershing General of the Armies commemorative work. In January 2016, the design commission selected the submission "The Weight of Sacrifice", by a team consisting of Joseph Weishaar, Sabin Howard, Phoebe Lickwar, and GWWO Architects, as the winning design, which was completed in September 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of the Marine Corps</span> Museum in Triangle, Virginia, United States

The National Museum of the Marine Corps is the historical museum of the United States Marine Corps. Located in Triangle, Virginia near Marine Corps Base Quantico, the museum opened on November 10, 2006, and is now one of the top tourist attractions in the state, drawing over 500,000 people annually.

The Atomic Heritage Foundation (AHF) is a nonprofit organization originally based in Washington, DC, dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Manhattan Project, the Atomic Age, and its legacy. Founded by Cynthia Kelly in 2002, the Foundation's stated goal is, "to provide the public not only a better understanding of the past but also a basis for addressing scientific, technical, political, social and ethical issues of the 21st century." AHF works with Congress, the Department of Energy, the National Park Service, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and the former Manhattan Project communities to preserve and interpret historic sites and develop useful and accessible educational materials for veterans, teachers, and the general public. In June 2019, the Atomic Heritage Foundation and the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History signed an agreement that granted stewardship of the Atomic Heritage Foundation website and all of the AHF's physical collections to the museum. The Atomic Heritage Foundation website is now run by the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. Additionally, the museum now houses the Atomic Heritage Foundation's physical collections which have been integrated into the Nuclear Museum's own collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center</span>

The United States Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC), at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, is the U.S. Army's primary historical research facility. Formed in 1999 and reorganized in 2013, the center consists of the Military History Institute (MHI), the Army Heritage Museum (AHM), the Historical Services Division (HSD), Visitor and Education Services (VES), the U.S. Army War College Library, and Collections Management (CM). The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center is part of the United States Army War College, but has its own 56-acre (230,000 m2) campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center</span> Hospital in Virginia, United States

The Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center is a United States Department of Defense medical facility located on Fort Belvoir, Virginia, outside of Washington D.C. In conjunction with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the hospital provides the Military Health System medical capabilities of the National Capital Region Medical Directorate, a joint unit providing comprehensive care to members of the United States Armed Forces located in the capital area, and their families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Infantry Museum</span>

The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center is a museum located in Columbus, Georgia, just outside the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Moore. The 190,000-square-foot (18,000 m2) museum opened in June 2009.

Don Troiani is an American painter whose work focuses on his native country's military heritage, mostly from the American Revolution, War of 1812 and American Civil War. His highly realistic and historically accurate oil and watercolor works are most well known in the form of marketed mass-produced printed limited-edition reproductions, illustrated books, book compilations, museum and government collections. He is also a militaria collector.

The United States Army Art Program or U.S. Army Combat Art Program is a U.S. Army program to create artwork documenting its involvements in war and peacetime engagements. The art collection associated with the program is held by the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The United States Army Centre of Military History built the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir that is now completed and will open when conditions allow.

References

  1. 1 2 "The National Museum of the United States Army officially opens to the public on Veteran's Day". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
  2. Stewart, Kathy; "Despite progress, National Army Museum is still 2 years away from opening"; WTOP-TV (Washington, DC); 16 April 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  3. "National Museum of the United States Army to delay June 2020 opening". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  4. Army Historical Foundation, About the Army Historical Foundation.
  5. Why Build the Museum (continued)