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A Trip in Military History
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A Trip in Military History
With Dave Griffin
My family and I went on our normal summer vacation to southern Pennsylvania this year. We would usually visit Gettysburg since we were in the area, but on the drive in I spotted some military vehicles near Carslile. And knowing the Army had a War College there, we decided to take a closer look. What we found was a wonderful museum set up by the War College, The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center.
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As with so many government museums, it is free to the public, although they do take donations if you are so inclined. The inside is stuffed with information and, even more important to a father of three kids, tactile displays. They even had a kids' shooting range! The outside has actual mock-ups for the various wars that you can poke around in and experience. I have included both together as we walk through the time periods.
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I was really excited to see this exhibit for a couple reasons. Since we brought out the Great War period here at Battlefront, I have started doing more research into this war. I have read several books and audio books during my business trips and also read accounts of my wife’s grand-uncle who fought there and kept a diary.
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Right: My eldest with a gas warning sounder. |
Below: an FT-17 |
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Outside they had created a section of trenchline for us to go explore. Granted it is WAY cleaner than real life, but it gives you an idea of what life was like with 10-foot walls on either side and a small strip of sky above. |
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Descending into the abyss, with my middle son (he is four and a half feet tall). |
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Hanging out in the shellproof - notice the 6-year-old is the only one who could stand up in it. |
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The Submerged Command Post. They have locked the door since there are vintage items inside. |
Upon exiting the trenches you enter no-man's-land facing the German MG bunker. This distance often ranged from several hundred yards to, in some cases, less than 10 yards.
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Entering the Bunker. Once you get inside, watch your head. |
World War II |
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Both inside and outside exhibits crammed a lot of information into this area. The kids loved the standing bunkhouses and the parachute trainer. After strapping yourself in you had to use the pull-down on either side to direct yourself to the landing zone. |
Authentic uniforms broken down by theater. |
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Above: M4A3 Sherman. |
Below: PaK 43. |
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Beautiful set up inside, as we had come to expect from this museum. Pictures and hands-on displays continued to keep the kids interested. They had a bunker set up with a movie running showing how the GIs must have felt being attacked at night.
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Vietnam |
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Outside they had an entire Fire Support Base, complete with a guard tower, hooch and 105s standing by. Slicks and Cobras grace the outside grounds. |
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Above: M42 Duster. |
Below: M60 Patton. |
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At the far end, as tranquil as you can be nestled next to a major highway, is the memorial garden.
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I strongly recommend if you ever make it out to central Pennsylvania, to take a few hours out of your day and have a great time at this fantastic museum.
~Dave
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U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
950 Soldiers Dr, Carlisle, PA 17013
Phone: (717) 245-3972
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Last Updated On Friday, July 10, 2015 by James at Battlefront
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