U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center facts for kids
The United States Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) is a special place in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, where you can learn all about the history of the U.S. Army. Think of it as a giant library, museum, and research center all rolled into one! It was formed in 1999 to collect and protect the stories and objects of American soldiers.
The center's main job is to share materials from the past and present. This helps people research and understand the Army's role in history. It also honors the soldiers who have served the country. The USAHEC has a motto that explains its mission perfectly: "Telling the Army story, one Soldier at a time."
Inside, you can find millions of items. There are history books, old military newspapers, instruction manuals, and surveys from veterans. The collection also includes amazing photographs and recorded stories from soldiers themselves. These items cover everything from the Revolutionary War to today's Army operations.
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History of the Center
Before the USAHEC existed, there was the U.S. Army Military History Institute, which started in 1967. It was the main place where the Army kept its historical materials that weren't official government records. For a long time, it was located in a building called Upton Hall. While Upton Hall was a good library, it wasn't the best place to protect very old and fragile documents and objects.
In 1999, the Secretary of the Army, Louis Caldera, decided to create the Army Heritage and Education Center. The goal was to build a new museum and a better home for the historical collection. In 2001, his successor, Thomas E. White, approved the plan to build a new facility.
In 2004, the center and all its historical items moved to a brand-new building called Ridgway Hall. The building was named after General Matthew B. Ridgway, a famous Army leader from World War II and the Korean War. This new building was much better for preserving history for future generations.
Explore the Campus
The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center is a large campus with several buildings and an outdoor trail. It's a place where you can see, touch, and learn about Army history.
Ridgway Hall Library
Ridgway Hall is the heart of the research collection. This huge building holds over 15 million items! You can find books, photos, and personal papers from soldiers. It has one of the biggest collections of American Civil War photographs in the world.
Researchers can visit the reading room to study these materials. Ridgway Hall also has small exhibits that show off some of the amazing artifacts and photos from the collection. One exhibit, called "Treasures of the USAHEC," displays unique items that tell a special story about the U.S. Army and its soldiers.
Visitor and Education Center
When you visit the USAHEC, you'll start at the Visitor and Education Center. This building opened in 2011 and has a large museum space with an exciting exhibit called "The Soldier Experience."
This exhibit lets you see what life was like for a soldier. It features real artifacts, recordings of soldiers' stories that you can listen to on your phone, and a movie theater. You can even try some interactive activities!
- Test your skills at a digital shooting range.
- Experience a parachute jump into Normandy during D-Day.
- See what a night attack was like in the Korean War.
- Write a letter to a soldier who is serving today.
Conservation Facility
Have you ever wondered how museums keep old things from falling apart? The USAHEC has a special building just for that, called the Conservation Facility. Inside, experts work to preserve and care for all the historical artifacts. This building has climate-controlled storage and special labs to make sure the collection is safe. Because the work is so delicate, the Conservation Facility is not open to the public.
Army Heritage Trail
One of the coolest parts of the campus is the Army Heritage Trail. It's a one-mile walking path that takes you through different periods of U.S. Army history. Along the trail, you'll find large outdoor exhibits and displays. It's like walking through a timeline!
Some of the amazing things you can see on the trail include:
- A replica fort from the American Revolutionary War.
- Cabins like the ones used during the French and Indian War and the American Civil War.
- A full-scale trench system from World War I, complete with a German pillbox.
- A Vietnam War firebase with helicopters, cannons, and a guard tower.
- Many historic vehicles, like an M4 Sherman tank from World War II and an M60 Patton tank.
The trail is open every day from dawn to dusk, so you can explore history outdoors.
Special Events
The USAHEC is not just a quiet museum. It hosts many fun events all year long! There are lectures from historians, workshops, and educational programs for students.
One of the biggest events is Army Heritage Days, which usually happens in May. During this event, re-enactors dressed in uniforms from different time periods set up camps along the Army Heritage Trail. Visitors can talk to them and see demonstrations of what life was like for soldiers in the past. Other events focus on specific parts of history, like the American Revolution or the Civil War.
Friends of the Center
The USAHEC gets help from a non-profit group called the Army Heritage Center Foundation. This foundation helps raise money to support the center's educational programs and to build new facilities, like the Visitor and Education Center.
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