Ms Armed Forces Museum

destinations: camp shelby

MISSISSIPPI ARMED FORCES MUSEUM a tribute to those who serve

STORY BY ROBYN JACKSON PHOTOS BY LAYLA ESSARY

3 0 • south mississippi scene

W

With gas prices rising, many families are cutting back on vacation travel these days, but a trip to the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby can transport you not only around the world, but even back in time. The museum includes 16,000 square feet in exhibit space housed in an imposing building which opened in 2001 atop a small hill at Camp Shelby. There is a theater, gift shop, Medal of Honor tower, library and archive, and monuments dedicated to units that have trained at the camp about 12 miles south of Hattiesburg. The museum holds more than 17,000 artifacts that range from small medals to large military vehicles and weapons. The museum is a popular site for veterans association reunions, but people of all ages visit the museum, including many school groups. “For three years, over 40,000 have visited the museum each year,” said Chad Daniels, the museum’s director. “We placed billboards in Gulfport, Jackson and in Hattiesburg in February. Visitation has climbed significantly over the spring.”

Wendy Stockton, educational services officer, said that an average of 25 school groups tour the museum each month, an equal mix of elementary and high school students. “I recently accepted the Educational Services Officer position at the museum, and with all of the new programs I am developing, I anticipate an increase in student tours,” Stockton said. A tour of the museum is not just a dry history lesson. There are interactive exhibits which mimic the sights, sounds and even smells of combat. “Their two favorite exhibits are usually the walk-through World War I trench, which ends with a No Man’s Land scene, and the Vietnam Medivac exhibit, which includes an actual helicopter in the museum,” Stockton said. Daniels said several new exhibits were installed in June. “This includes a redeveloped Medal of Honor tower honoring Mississippi’s 27 Medal of Honor recipients. We also added a ‘walk on’ warship bridge in the Second World War Gallery and several other minor exhibits and upgrades.’

It’s those interactive, state of the art exhibits that make touring the museum so interesting. “Students of all ages always have a wonderful time at the museum,” Stockton said. “I have yet to encounter a student who wasn’t glad he/she came. They walk away proud that they learned so much about our nation’s military history. On several occasions we have had students bring their families back with them on Saturday after they toured the museum with their school.” The museum includes galleries on each of the wars or conflicts America has been involved in, starting with the War of 1812 and ending with the ongoing War on Terrorism. “It is a common misperception that the museum is solely dedicated to Camp Shelby’s history,” Daniels said. “In fact, the museum is the State of Mississippi’s military history museum. Although the history of Camp Shelby is deservedly well-represented in the museum’s galleries, the scope of the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum includes all Mississippi veterans of all branches of service of service.”

south mississippi scene • 3 1

destinations: camp shelby

Here’s what you’ll find in each gallery: - Nineteenth Century Conflicts: The War of 1812, Mexican War, American Civil War and the Spanish-American War are covered in this gallery. Visitors can learn about the mil-

3 2 • south mississippi scene

itary service of Mississippians such as Thomas Hinds (War of 1812), Jefferson Davis (Mexican War) and Earl Van Dorn (American Civil War). - World War I Gallery: Exhibits on how America entered the war, the establish-

ment of Camp Shelby and artifacts from the war at sea, in the air and on land are part of this gallery. It features the walkthrough “Trench Experience,” a life-sized diorama which allows visitors to experience what American soldiers went

through in “the Great War.” - World War II Gallery: The largest gallery in the museum covers the immense scope of the war, presented in chronological order. Exhibits include activation and expansion of Camp Shelby, Pearl Harbor and the fall of the Philippines, women in World War II, Nazism, German prisoner of war camps in Mississippi, the air war, weapons and equipment, the atomic bomb, and the

war’s end. - Korean War Gallery: This gallery about “The Forgotten War” features special exhibits about the breakout of the war from the Chosin Reservoir, Mig Alley and the U.S. Air Force in Korea and weapons and equipment from the conflict. More than 57,000 Americans died defending South Korea from the communist forces of North Korea and China. - Vietnam War Gallery: The

war is traced from its origins in the 1950s to the fall of Saigon in 1975, and includes weapons and equipment, a life-sized diorama of a medical evacuation scene and a prisoner of war cell from the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Special exhibits include the 199th Light Infantry Brigade’s training at Camp Shelby and service in Vietnam. - Gulf War Gallery: Exhibits include weapons and equipment of the Gulf War

destinations: camp shelby

(Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm), a miniature diorama of air and ground force coordination, and a life-sized diorama of Iraqis surrendering to American forces. Special exhibits include the War Against Terrorism, Camp Shelby and the Mississippi National Guard Today, The Purple Heart and The Congressional Medal of Honor, which is housed separately in a copper-skinned tower in the museum’s central courtyard.

3 4 • south mississippi scene

The displays honor Mississippi’s 26 Medal of Honor recipients and 44 Medal of Honor recipients who served or trained at Camp Shelby since 1917. While the exhibits are educational for those too young to have lived through the various wars, the museum holds special meaning for the many veterans who tour it each year. “Veterans are generally very complimentary of the museum and offer additional material to

the museum’s artifact and archival collections,” Daniels said. “The most important measure of the museum’s success is serving our veterans and having them satisfied with the institution.” The Mississippi Military Museum is open on all major patriotic holidays, including the Fourth of July and Veterans Day, but it is closed for other state and federal holidays. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and

other hours by prior arrangement. Admission is free. The public is welcome on Camp Shelby. Entry requirements are photo identification only, but drivers will also need proof of insurance and valid vehicle registration.