The National Museum of the Marine Corps

A couple Fridays ago Stu and I went and saw The National Museum of the Marine Corps. It's located in Triangle, Virginia. It's about an hours drive from DC. It was very impressive. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

More about the museum:

The National Museum of the Marine Corps, under the command of Marine Corps University, preserves and exhibits the material history of the U.S. Marine Corps; honors the commitment, accomplishments, and sacrifices of Marines; supports recruitment, training, education, and retention of Marines; and provides the public with a readily accessible platform for the exploration of Marine Corps history.

• The Museum collects and provides responsible stewardship for objects related to the history of the Marine Corps; interprets the history of the Marine Corps through public exhibitions, collections-based publications, and other public programming venues; conducts collections-based research and shares the results of that research through publications, exhibitions, and public programming; and develops educational materials and conducts education programs for educators, students, and families to increase their awareness of the history of the Marine Corps.

• The Museum contributes to the recruitment, training, education, and retention of Marines by informing and inspiring visitors through exhibitions and other public programs; by providing a backdrop for recruitment initiatives and an understanding of what it takes to “make a Marine”; by hosting classes for the Training and Education Command; and by providing opportunities for continuing education.

Marines the Early Years — The American Revolution

A little on the gallery on the American Revolution:

This is the first of six historical galleries. The Continental Congress authorized two battalions of Marines on 10 November 1775. According to legend, Captain Samuel Nicholas began recruiting men on that date at Philadelphia's Tun Tavern. Visitors follow the Marines from their beginnings during the American Revolution on through the long years of a country divided by Civil War. As Thomas Paine said, "Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered," but the first Marines did their part to win America's freedom from the British, usually from the fighting tops of ships. In early 1776, Nicholas led 234 Marines in their first amphibious landing in the Bahamas. This gallery portrays life aboard a fighting ship. Marines were not only expert riflemen, they were also good seamen, and they sailed to the "ends of the earth" fighting the enemies of the new republic. Weapons and tools of these first Marines, including muskets, swords, powder horns, and boarding axes, are displayed, along with art work and dioramas.

From Ted Williams to Landing Craft

More from the Museum

There are eight galleries to go through (they really use the space they have really well):

Legacy Walk
The Legacy Walk connects the various era galleries and is the main pathway through the Museum. For visitors with only a limited time to tour the museum, the Legacy Walk provides a quick introduction to more than two centuries of Marine Corps history. Dramatic vignettes bring to life scenes of Marines in action from colonial times through the current war on terror.

Making Marines
Follow new recruits from their induction through the 12 weeks of boot camp. This gallery explains how the Marine Corps transforms raw recruits from ordinary citizens into elite warriors. In Making Marines, visitors can experience a motivational speech from a Drill Instructor, heft a fully loaded pack, and test their aim on the M-16 Laser Rifle Range.

American Revolution
This gallery explores the first century of the Marine Corps from the creation of the Marine Corps at a tavern in Philadelphia by members of the Continental Congress through the combat actions of Marines on both sides of the American Civil War. Specific exhibits study the Marine’s role in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Corps’ efforts to combat pirates and slave traders on the high seas.

Global Expeditionary Force
First to Fight follows the Marines into Latin America and across the Pacific to the Far East as part of the expansion of American interests. This gallery also highlight’s the “President’s Own” – the USMC Band and its rise to international fame under the directorship of John Philip Sousa from 1880 to 1892.

World War I
During the spring and summer of 1918, the German Supreme Command planned to take Paris and win World War I. Standing in their way stood the USMC. The Marines fought the advancing Germans using everything from aircraft to their bare knuckles and succeeded in stopping the German advance - helping end the bloody carnage of World War I.

World War II
From the attack on Pearl Harbor to the occupation of the Japanese homeland, Uncommon Valor highlights the heroic efforts of Marines on the ground and in the air during World War II. The gallery is populated with period aircraft, tanks and weapons. Visitors board a Higgins Boat for their assault on Iwo Jima. An exhibit on the experience of American POWs closes the gallery with a very human look at the cost of war.

Korean War
Send in the Marines explores the “forgotten war” in Korea. Coming only five years after the end of World War II, the Korean War marked a watershed for the Marine Corps and saw the first use of USMC helicopters and jet powered aircraft in combat. Special exhibits explore the desperate defense of the Pusan Perimeter, the bold landings at Inchon, the bitter fight around the Chosin Reservoir, and the “see-saw” battles for control for the city of Seoul.

Vietnam
The Marine Corps fought in Vietnam from 1965 through 1975 – longer than in any other conflict. This gallery brings to life horrific scenes of close combat and small moments of compassion on the field of battle at such places as Howard’s Hill, Marble Mountain, Quang Nam, Khe Sanh, and Dong Ha. Wall murals and dioramas deliver stories about combat operations, significant contributions to the war, individual Marines, special units, morale, and air support.

Pictures from the Museum's Center

Iwo Jima Memorial in Legos

Final Phase - Completing the Circle

The final phase:

Construction on the Museum’s 115,000 sqft “Final Phase” is complete. We are now working on the gallery spaces which will tell the Marine Corps story from 1976 through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. By the end of 2018, we will open the continuation of Legacy Walk, which includes exhibits on Marines performing humanitarian missions and providing Embassy security, 9/11, Marine Corps families, the MAGTF, and how we honor fallen Marines. From the second deck, you'll be able to follow our steady progress on the new historical galleries, which will tell the Marine Corps story from 1976 through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will make considerable progress on those galleries in 2018-2019, but we have not yet committed to an opening date. Our best intel puts completion in 2020. We are hopeful that some areas of the galleries may be open in 2019. The remaining spaces--Sports Gallery and Hall of Fame, Changing Gallery, Hall of Valor, and the Inter-War Years Gallery will open in 2021-2022. Also opening in 2018 are these two new exhibits: a joint art show featuring World War I art from the collections of the Marine Corps, Navy, and Army, opening on 6 June; and an exhibition on movie posters, which explores how the Marine Corps has been portrayed by Hollywood, opening late in the year.

These couple of pictures show what it will look like. In two of the pictures you can see the outline of where the exhibits will go and the walk way. Very cool.