National Infantry Museum

Have you ever heard of the National Infantry Museum? Properly some have, most haven’t.

The National Infantry Museum was established in 1959 at the Home of the U.S. Infantry (Fort Benning, GA) to honor the infantryman and their more than two centuries of proud service to the nation.

You can see items from the history of the infantry from “a document signed by John Hancock, George Washington, or Franklin D. Roosevelt, a bust of Adolph Hitler, a gas mask for a horse, a Medal of Honor, a French tapestry, an M-1 Garande, Springfield musket, or M-16 rifle.”

I personally have never been inside the museum. The CSM had to go through when he was here for basic training 21 years ago. We visited the outside of the museum when we were first stationed back here after leaving Fort Hood. There are numerous vehicles on the outside to look at and we used to walk up there with the boys from the guest house.

Well — the museum is getting a new home. The space the museum is in is just too small and the buildings are very outdated. But it’s not going to be just new buildings all shiny and clean, there are going to be some old out-dated buildings there, actually, very important buildings to the military and the infantry.

From an article in the Infantry Bugler for the Summer of 2005 titled “WWII Wood Moved to New Infantry Museum Site”, Cyndy Cerbin writes:

“In the late 1930s and early ’40s, U.S. Army posts enjoyed a building boom. In just a few short years, some 16 million Americans signed up to help the war effort, and they needed to be fed, housed and trained. There was not enough time or money to make these buildings last a lifetime. But countless truckloads of lumber and white paint, and one set of design plans used nationwide, would suffice. After all, the buildings were meant to be temporary.”

Well they weren’t temporary. I myself was housed in some of the old WWII barracks at Fort Rucker, AL when I went to school there. The CSM was housed in some of the old barracks here at Fort Benning when he went through basic and then again when he was reassigned back here before we met. Now, due to health concerns and the out-dated conditions of the barracks, many are being torn down to be replaced with brick and mortar barracks.

But — Commanding General MG Jerry White had a vision when he was here in the mid ’90s. He wasn’t sure what the vision was yet, but he tagged at least 7 buildings to be preserved for the future. These 7 building are:

a chapel
barracks
day room
supply room
mess hall
and the headquarters and sleeping quarters used by Gen George S. Patton prior to his deployment to Africa in 1942.

In 1998 the National Infantry Foundation was established to plan, build and operate the new museum.

The plan calls for building the new museum on a 200-acre site just inside the main gate to Fort Benning. It will be easily accessible to the post and public alike. Admission to the galleries and most of the park’s features will be free.

Earlier this year, in February, all 7 above buildings were moved from their place on post to the new museum location at a blistering pace of 2 miles an hour. Power lines were lifted, poles or signs were moved, and traffic rerouted for the Sunday morning move.

Although the ground is still in piles in places, and the buildings are still on blocks, the museum is more than halfway toward its $75 million project fund raising goal.

Work will soon begin on other portions of the project to include a seven-acre field for graduations and change-of-command ceremonies, and a memorial walk of honor paying tribute to dozens of infantry units.

This museum is going to be much bigger and better than what Fort Benning has now. History is important, and the infantry has been around since the beginning of the military.

If you are ever in Columbus, GA, stop by the “Home of the Infantry” and ask the MP at the front gate for directions to the museum.