US Military Uniforms Head Gear Included in this collection are  Office and Enlisted Helmets,  Caps,  Covers, Beret, Hardhats, and Helmet liner. The head gear are from the Civil War to present day

The Second Gulf War lasted just three weeks and ended with Saddam Hussein's overthrow. However, since April 2003, United States forces, as well as troops from other countries, have struggled to end violent resistance in the nation.

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and other anti-communist nations. The Viet Cong, a lightly armed South Vietnamese communist-controlled common front largely fought a guerrilla war.

The Vietnam Rifles in the Vietnam Display are the:  American M14 rifle, American M16 rifle , Russia AK47 rifle, Swedish Carl Gustav M45 submachine gun, Chinese Type 53 Carbine, American M79 grenade launcher, and Chinese Type 56 SKS Rifle

Recoilless Rifles

A recoilless rifle is a light-weight artillery system designed to eject a counter-mass from the rear of the weapon when fired which creates a forward thrust that counteracts most of the recoil. This principle of operation allows the weapon to operate with less structural mass for the gun tube and mount than a conventional artillery piece.

Redstone Room Display 1 contains replicas of many examples of aircraft, helicopters, target drones, and weapons systems developed or produced at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

Redstone Room Display 2 contains replicas of many examples of missile systems and target drones developed or produced at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Redstone Room Display 3 contains rocket motors developed or produced at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

Redstone Room Display 4 contains examples of munitions developed or produced at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

The first hot conflict of the post WWII Cold War era is often called the forgotten war. Never officially more than a police action in the United States, thousands of American fighting men went to Korea to stop the advance of communists from North Korea and push them back. The line was held for three years before the cease fire was signed in 1953. The war between North and South Korea is not over to this day and our men still man the DMZ to this day, keeping a watchful eye on the very aggressive North Koreans .

The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945),  was a major battle in which the United States Armed Forces fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Empire. The American invasion had the goal of capturing the entire island, along with its three airfields (including the South Field and the Central Field), to provide a staging area for attacks on the Japanese main islands.[2] This five-week battle comprised some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific of World War II.

The items in 9 th Armored Division Museum Display is from a collection donated by Reginald L. Sawyer who was then just 19- year-old, who served as a PFC Combat Infantry Rifleman in the: 1 st Rifle Squad, 1st Rifle Platoon, Company C, 60th Armored Infantry Battalion, Combat Command A, 9 th Armored Division, 1 st & 3 rd U.S. Armies, during the Ardennes, ("Battle of the Bulge"), Rhineland & Central Europe Campaigns. Mr. Sawyer has also donated over 200 books to the Veterans Memorial Museum Library which chronicle events in Europe in WWII. Mr. Sawyer is a resident of Alabama.

The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum's Eighth Air Force Briefing Room is a scaled replica of the briefing room of the 385th Bomb Group, USAAF in Great Ashfield, England during 1943-45. It was built from memory by Bill Varnedoe, a Lieutenant and B-17 Navigator with the 385th Bomb Group from 1944-45. Mr. Varnedoe was aided in construction by Harold McMurran, himself an Army veteran of the Normandy D-Day invasion.

The Medal of Honor is the United States Armed Forces highest military decoration. Also known as the Congressional Medal of Honor, it is awarded to  service men and women who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States and is presented in the name of the United States Congress. 

USS Banner loaded cargo and passengers and got underway from the west coast 30 October 1944, putting into Milne Bay, New Guinea, 17 November. Until 30 December 1944 she carried passengers and cargo between Humboldt Bay, Hollandia, and Cape Sansapor, New Guinea. On the 30th she departed Cape Sansapor in company with TG 78.5 enroute to Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippine Islands.

The Ploesti display shows the B24 raid on Ploesti, a vast complex of oil refinery facilities located north of Bucharest, Romania. On August 1, 1943, the U.S. launched 177 B-24 Liberator bombers from airfields in Benghazi, Libya to hit the Romanian oil refineries. Because the round-trip distance to the target and back was over 2,000 miles, no fighter escort was possible, and the bombers came in alone, at treetop level. Waiting for them were over 200 scrambled German fighters and a network of hundreds of anti-aircraft guns. 

The SCR 625 was the first portable mine detector and was developed under a contract by the National Defense Research Council during the early stages of World War Two. It was first used in combat in North Africa in 1942.  The SCR 625 could detect buried metal objects up to one ft in depth.

The display has pictures of the USS Hornet with 16 B-25B on its deck. She had a displacement of 26,932 tons, 28 ft draft, top speed of 32.5 knots and range of over 14,000 miles. USS Hornet, CV8, was launched on Dec. 14, 1940. On completing her trained out of Norfolk the USS Hornet sailed for the West Coast via the Panama Canal on March 1942. While at San Francisco, CA., sixteen US Army Air Forces B-25s were loaded onto Hornet's flight deck. The B-25B Mitchell medium bombers had a top speed of 275 mph and a range of 2,000.

Flying Tigers was the popular name of the 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force in 19411942. The pilots were United States Army, Navy, and Marine Corps personnel, recruited under Presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault; the ground crew and headquarters staff were likewise mostly recruited from the U.S. military, along with some civilians.  It trained in Burma before the American entry into World War II with the mission of defending China against Japanese forces. 

The primary component of the Guadalcanal Display is a diorama depicting an amphibious assault on the island by US Marines using landing  craft. Also included in the display is a map showing the "Island Hopping" Campaign Strategy by US Forces in the Pacific, signed Copies of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington’s book "Baa - Baa Black Sheep", a photograph of the raising of the U.S. Flag at Henderson Field and a copy of a Newspaper headline announcing the landing.

The Battle of Midway, June 3-7, 1942, is the most popularized naval battle of the Second World War. For good reason, It has generally been considered the most critical battle of the war in the Pacific. Before the battle the Japanese had not been decisively defeated at sea. After the American victory, the momentum of the Japanese offensive stalled. Following the war of attrition in the Solomon's on and around Guadalcanal, the American central Pacific counteroffensive began in the fall of 1943 at Tarawa. 

The main element of the North Africa Display is a diorama depicting  a scene from the battle of Kasserine Pass. The display also has photos of the British and Americans landings in North Africa. The German Panzers, seen on the left of the display, are attacking the Americans M3 light Stuart, M3 medium Grant and M4 Sherman on the right. A model of the German Panzer IV is shown on the left side of the display and a model of the Americans M3 light Stuart tank is shown on the right.

Included in the American Weapons of World War Two Display are the Thompson submachine gun, the M1 Garand, an early extremely rare developmental model M1 Garand known as the "gas trap" Garand, the M1 carbine and it's paratroop version, the Springfield 1903 bolt action rifle and its sniper variant, the M1911 pistol, the M3 Grease Gun and the BAR Browning Automatic Rifle. 

The Dorothy Cutts Display commemorates the military service of Army Nurse Dorothy Cutts. Dorothy joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps because she wanted to contribute to the WW II war effort. She served in the Army for a decade receiving the rank of first lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps.

The Merchant Marine Display commemorates the service performed by liberty ships during World War II. Liberty ships were a class of cargo ships built by the United States. These were transport ships built to provide replacements for  British transport losses.  

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with military actions the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.

The Russian Weapons display contains the classic small arms employed by Soviet armed forces during World War Two. Several gained iconic status and saw use well beyond WW2 in other conflicts. Contained in the display are the DP28 light machine gun, the Mosin Nagant M1891 Rifle, Tokarev M1940 SVT, the Mosin Nagant Carbine, the Mosin Nagant Revolver, the Tokarev 1933 Pistol, the PPSH-41 and PPS 43 submachine guns. 

This display case contains several military vessels such as the USS Cairo, CSS Virginia (Merrimack), CSS Hunley, USS Monitor,  Ship Recognition Models, the USS Hornet, PT 109,  Gato Class Submarine "SS 215 Growler" and  a German U boot . 

A model of the U.S.S. Arizona with a US Navy “Fore and Aft” full dress hat and epaulets, with purpose-built box. Also in the display is a certificate of authenticity that the model of the U.S.S. Arizona is an accurate scale replica of the ship issued by the Franklin Mint.

The Italian Weapons of World War Two Display contains the Model 1938 Carcano rifle and its carbine version, the Beretta Model 1938 submachine gun, and the M1934 9MM pistol. 

This is a 16" Mark 8 Mod 6 Armor Piercing Naval Gun Projectile: The Mark 8 projectiles were designed to be used in long-range gun actions against enemy targets. They were  fired at relatively low muzzle velocities and high gun elevations. These conditions would result in a steeper angle of fall in order to enhance their deck armor penetration capabilities. 

The US Marine Corps Display contains uniforms, clothing, and combat equipment used by the USMC.    

The British Weapons of World War Two Display contains : the Bren Mark II Light Machine Gun, the Mark II STEN submachine gun, the Webley Mark IV .38 Revolver, the Inglis High Power Pistol, the No 2 Mark 1 Enfield Revolver, the Lee Enfield No 1 Mark III Rifle, the Lee Enfield No 4 Mark 1 Rifle, and the Lee Enfield No 5 Mark 1 Jungle Carbine. 

The French Weapons of World War Two Display contains the following: a MAS 1936 7.5 mm Rifle, the MAS 38 Submachine gun, the M1892 Ordinance 8 mm Revolver, and the Model 1935 A 7.65 mm Pistol. 

The German Weapons Display contains many small arms used by the German Military during World War Two. Included in the display are several well known German weapons including the 98K Rifle, the STG-44, the very successful MG42 Light Machine gun, the P08 Luger, MP40 machinepistol and the Walther PPK. There are also several lesser known weapons made in other countries by contract or aquired by occupation during the war.  

This model display contains several interesting historical models: The US Navy Subchaser SC 92, the USS Melvin (DD-680), the US Navy Wickes Class destroyer, and the Liberty Ship.

The Japanese Weapons of World War 2 display contains the follwoing: Type 38 Arisaka 6.5 mm rifle, Type 44 Arisaka 6.5 mm carbine, Type 2 7.7 mm paratroop rifle, Type 99 Arisaka 7.7 mm rifle, Type 89 mortar, Type 99 Nambu light 7.7 mm machine gun, Type 11 6.5 mm light  machine gun, Type 99 rifle, late war type 99 rifle, Model 14 Nambu 8mm pistol, and Type 1 Italian made rifle.

The various services have Rank and that is used whether the individual is Enlisted or an Officer. Not in the Navy, in the Navy Officers have Rank and Enlisted have Rating (E1 - E9). It gets more confusing to non-Navy types when we talk about Rate (what the individual's specialty is) and Rating. The Navy hardly ever does things like the other services.  The rank, or pay grade, of an enlisted sailor was known as a rate.  Pay grades E-2 and E-3 had color-coded rate stripes that were worn on dress uniforms only.

The The U. S. Veterans Memorial Museum Machine Guns Mortar Display

On Veteran's day 2019 the U.S. Veteran's' Memorial Museum unveiled a new addition to their WW I exhibit. Alvin C. York, a Tennessee sharpshooter, who was the most decorated hero of WW I was a strong supporter of public education. A local Huntsville resident has donated a collection of memorabilia from York's wedding and from the York Institute School.

The Military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United States to the present day. There has been no war fought by or within the United States in which African Americans did not participate, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, the World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other minor conflicts.

The World War 1 Weapons Display left side contains many common small arms used by various military organizations during World War 1. Weapons used by France, Germany, Italy Russia, and the United States are included in the display. Some particularly well known items are the Spandau Machine Gun, the Erfurt Luger Pistol, the Mosin Nagant M1891 Rifle, the Springfield .30 caliber Carbine, the British 1917 Lee Enfield Rifle, and the Colt Model 1911 Semi-auto Pistol. 

The World War Weapons Display right side contains many common small arms used by the United States. Some particularly well known items are the Springfield .30 caliber Carbine, the British 1917 Lee Enfield Rifle, and the Colt Model 1911 Semi-auto Pistol. 

With the unexplained sinking of the U. S, Navy's armored cruiser USS Maine (ACR-1) in Havana harbor on Feb. 15, 1898. U.S. Congress issued a resolutions that declared Cuba’s right to independence, demanded the withdrawal of Spain’s armed forces from the island, and authorized the President’s use of force to secure that withdrawal while, renouncing any U.S. design for annexing Cuba. Spain declared war on the United States on April 24, followed by a U.S. declaration of war on the 25th, which was made retroactive to April 21. 

The American Indian Wars is the collective name for the various armed conflicts that were fought by European governments and colonists, and later by the governments and settlers, against various American Indian and First Nation tribes. These conflicts occurred in North America from the time of the earliest colonial settlements in the 17th century until the early 20th century.

The American Civil War was one of the earliest industrial wars. Railroads, telegraph, steamships, and mass-produced were employed extensively. The mobilization of factories, mines, shipyards, banks, transportation and food supplies all foreshadowed World War I. It remains the deadliest war in American history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 750,000 soldiers . One estimate of the death toll is that ten percent of all Northern males 20 to 45 years old, and 30 percent of all Southern white males aged 18–40 perished. 

Smooth bore Muskets of the 1700’s Came in various bore diameters, from the French Charleville and early US military muskets at .69 calibers, to the British Brown Bess of nominal .75 calibers. The smooth-bore musket is accurate to maybe 50 yards when aimed. A round ball fired from a smooth barrel is fairly unstable and just not very accurate. Hitting a target over 50 or so yards becomes as much a matter of luck as skill.  

In the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, 35,000 Confederate soldiers under the command of  “Stonewall” Jackson forced a greater number of Union forces  to retreat towards Washington, D.C., dashing any hopes of a quick Union victory and leading Lincoln to call for 500,000 more recruits.  it became clear that the war would not be a limited or short conflict.  George B. McClellan replaced the aging General Winfield Scott as supreme commander of the Union Army after the first months of the war.

Union General Halleck was given command of the Western Theater.  In 1862 Union General Grant’s Army of the Tennessee was to take control of the Tennessee River while General Buell's Army of the Ohio was to move down from Cincinnati and take Nashville on the Cumberland River.  Flag Officer David Farragut led a Union assault up the Mississippi River. By April 25, he was in command of New Orleans.

Smooth bore Muskets came in various bore diameters from .69 calibers to the British Brown Bess  at .75 calibers.  A round ball fired from a smooth barrel is fairly unstable and just not very accurate. Hitting a target over 50 or so yards becomes as much a matter of luck as skill.  The Rifle Musket  which was loaded at the front of the gun barrel.  Rifling the barrel of a musket and using a hollow-based conical bullet that expands when the bullet is fired causes the bullet to spin and greatly increases accuracy up to 300-400 yards.

The difference between a Rifle and Carbine is the length of the barrel. The longer the barrel the greater was the accuracy. The Civil War is called the "first modern war" for many reasons; one of these reasons is because of breech-loading rifles.  Breech-loading rifles loaded their bullets at the back of the gun.   Using a breech-loading gun, ammunition could be loaded much faster and shots could be fired at the enemy much quicker. In addition, these rifles could have multiple bullets loaded into them at one time .

Many Northern states at the start of the Civil War issued uniforms similar to Mexican American War uniforms. So the military officials of these Northern states, many of whom had military service during Mexican American War, must have believed this style uniforms were not outdated. Confederate uniforms were a bit out dated when compared to the "newer" style US Army uniforms. It wasn’t until after the war began that both sides started to standardize their uniforms due to the confusion of these different colored uniforms.

In 1845, the U.S. annexed Texas to its territory. Texas had seceded in 1836, but Mexico did not recognize the secession and considered it to be a "rebel province." The support for the war in the U.S. was fueled by the American "manifest destiny" doctrine of the time period. This belief stated that it was the divine purpose of America to become a continental country that stopped at the Pacific Ocean. The war was fueled in Mexico by a border dispute between it and Texas.

West Point Uniforms: Donated by LTC & Mrs Clair Goodrich, in memory of their Son, MAJ Michael Goodrich and family who were killed in a accident in Switzerland while on vacation from Germany.  Cadet Parade Uniform with feathered (Shaka) denoting Cadet Officer.  Cadet winter uniform, worn daily for classes.  Cadet Class Ring: Class of 1931 (On loan form the West Point Association)  Cadet Winter Overcoat (Usually seen during Army/Navy Football games.  Cadet Parade Hat (Tar Bucket) w/single plume worn by cadet Enlisted men/women..

The Kentucky Pistol is a flint lock single shot muzzle loaded pistol. Firing this pistol required loading of the gunpowder, projectile and paper wad for each shot. The Kentucky Pistol was a classic American weapon used by early explorers,  and in the American Revolutionary War and Civil War.  Theses pistols had an octagonal rifled barrel and an effective range of about 50 feet.  They were typically used as a self defense sidearm.

The immediate origins of the war were seizure of American ships, insults and injuries to American seamen by the British Navy, and rapid expansion of the American frontier.  While the western "war hawks" urged war in the hope of conquering Canada, the people of Georgia, Tennessee, and the Mississippi Territory entertained similar designs against Florida, a Spanish possession. The fact that Spain and England were allies against Napoleon presented the southern war hawks with an excuse for invading Florida. 

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action. The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington – then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. 

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) or American War of Independence, or simply Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.

A Prisoner of War (POW, PoW, PW, P/W, WP, PsW, enemy prisoner of war (EPW) or "missing-captured") is a person, whether combatant or non-combatant, who is held in custody by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase is dated 1660.

 The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum Communications Radio Equipment used during the Cold War 1946 to present.

The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum Communications Radio Equipment used during 1930 to 1945.

The world of military collectables is large and expensive.  To increase are displays we use a number of scale models.  Our model collection consist of aircraft, ships, and vehicles from all military ages. Model Display 1 contains some World War II, Cold War and modern era aircraft, tanks and military vehicles.   

The world of military collectables is large and expensive.  To increase are displays we use a number of  1/72 scale models.  Our model collection consist of aircraft, ships, and vehicles from all military ages. Model Cabinet 1 contains World War II fighter and ground attack aircraft produced by the US, Germany, Italy and Japan.  

The world of military collectables is large and expensive.  To increase are displays we use a number of 1/72 scale models.  Our model collection consist of aircraft, ships, and vehicles from all military ages. Model Cabinet Two contains modern era and Cold War era aircraft and helicopters produced by the US, China, former Soviet Union, and Israel and some WW II era aircraft produced by the UK, Poland, France, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.   

The world of military collectables is large and expensive.  To increase are displays we use a number of 1/72 scale models.  Our model collection consist of aircraft, ships, and vehicles from all military ages. Model Cabinet 3 contains primarily Cold War and modern era fighter aircraft produced by the US and Soviet Union. 

The Civil Air Patrol was envisioned as a means for mobilizing America's civilian aviators for national defense. When launched in 1941, it was known as the Civilian Air Defense Service. The first use of the Civil Air Patrol was as a force to patrol US coastline to protect merchant vessels from German submarines.