Categories: Opinion and Editorial

A Short Review of the National Infantry Museum at Ft. Benning, Georgia

Are your kids learning most of their history lessons from Playstation and Xbox playing first person shooting games like “Medal of Honor”? It might be time to let them have a glimpse of the U.S. military at a real base and visit the U.S. Infantry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia. Fort Benning is known as the “Home of the Infantry.” The post provides a home for many important Army units including the 3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized) and the United States Army Infantry School which hosts basic and advanced infantry training for thousands of recruits each year. In accordance with the recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closing Commission (BRAC), the United States Army Armor School will soon be moving to Fort Benning to merge with the infantry school and create the US Army Maneuver Center. For interested visitors, the history, traditions, and valor of America’s foot soldiers are commemorated at Fort Benning in the U.S. Infantry Museum.

The three-story museum showcases 30,000 square feet of exhibits tracing the history of the American infantry from its colonial routes all the way up to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. From the moment younger kids set foot on the immaculate grounds, they will be enthralled by the tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery, and small train locomotives on display. Among the more interesting vehicles on display are Iraqi tanks and armored personnel carriers captured during the First Gulf War. Across the street, Sacrifice Field provides a home for monuments commemorating the service and sacrifices of current and past military units including the 3rd Infantry Division, 11th Airborne Division, 1st Infantry Division, 70th Infantry Division, 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, the 29th Infantry Division of World War 2, 66th Infantry Division, 100th Infantry Battalion, 94th Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division, 199th Light Infantry Brigade, World War II Rangers, Tank Destroyers, 709th Tank Battalion, 7th Armored Division, 1st Special Service Force, 361st Infantry Regiment, 38th Infantry Regiment, Second Armored Division, 22nd Infantry Regiment and 17th Airborne Division. Other monuments also commemorate the service of War Dogs, a Fort Benning mascot–a mutt named Calculator–and the last shot fired during World War II.

Once inside the building, the U.S. Infantry Museum quickly reveals the humanity of our soldiers by a prominent first-floor exhibit dedicated to the story of military working dogs. I was surprised to learn that thousands of Americans donated their pets for military service during World War II. Many of them went on to perform heroic acts. A more sobering first floor display of humanity is a computer terminal that allows visitors to pull up the latest information about casualties in the war on terror. It’s a stark reminder of the sacrifices that America’s infantry continue to make every day. During the course of our visit many military personnel came in to check on the status of various comrades and friends.

In the content and tone of the material displayed, the museum and nearby monuments strike a near perfect balance of interesting material, reverence for the sacrifices of the soldiers, patriotism, and pride in military traditions while remaining politically neutral. When we returned home from the U.S. Infantry Museum, we learned that two Georgia soldiers had lost their lives to terrorist attacks and that North Korea had tested a nuclear weapon. Our visit to the museum gave us a renewed appreciation for all of the young men who train at Fort Benning and then set forth on our behalf to face the challenges of a dangerous world.

While getting through Infantry School is hard, getting to the U.S. Infantry Museum is very easy. Simply take I-85 south from the Atlanta area to I-185 and then drive directly through Columbus. The highway ends right at the main gate to Fort Benning. Signs will direct you to stop at a small building on left as you approach the main gate. There you simply state your business, and show your drivers license and vehicle registration in order to get a visitor pass. The Provost Marshals there will provide you with a base map and give very simple directions to the museum. Admission is free.