Comprehensive • Inclusive • Accessible • Global
What sets the future National War Museum apart from all of the others?
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The National War Museum Project consists of volunteers committed to filling a crucial gap in our nation’s military museum landscape. Today, many U.S. military museums focus on just one of the six branches of our armed forces, or a sub-unit of them; or a specific war, on our military heroes, military equipment, or diverse other facets of our military history. The six branches are: the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Space Force. Large non-military museums in the Nation’s Capital, such as the Smithsonian Institution Museums, and others, have excellent exhibits that highlight some of our military story. In contrast, the National War Museum will be the place for a far more comprehensive collection, where visitors can learn about a variety of aspects of U.S. war history, as it spans and is interwoven across generations, military branches, and corners of the world. The new museum will more prominently show how wars have shaped American history, culture, and our national identity. The National War Museum will better convey the sacrifices and contributions of our allies, past and present. It is unusual that the U.S. doesn’t have a “central” military museum, while many other countries have museums committed to addressing how wars impacted their histories. The creation of our National War Museum will widen audiences to American military history, helping to make this legacy better known, understood and appreciated. National military museums are always in the country’s capital city. A museum location near the National Mall will make the National War Museum more noticeable, closer to other points of interest for visitors, including mainstream U.S. and the constant flow of tourists coming from abroad. Many of these visitors don’t have the time, means or enough interest in military history to travel to outlying military museums in the Washington region. These general interest visitors may never get to U.S. cities where other leading military museums are located. The National War Museum can effectively serve as a hub to these other museums, while increasing reach to many new audiences. The National War Museum must work closely with veterans’ groups to gather insights on the veteran’s experience. Planners will also reach out to those who have been largely left out of our war history conversation, even if they’re represented in existing and future museums. In summary, our mission is to carry forward the legacy of our U.S. military history, and succeed in the intricate work of bridging and engaging audiences across diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
ABOUT
National War Museum Project
INTRODUCTION TO THE NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM PROJECT
The National War Museum Project (NWMP) was launched in 2020 and consists of an all-volunteer team of patriotic Americans. We are deeply committed to making our museum a reality.
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Washington, DC, is the Nation’s Capital and the headquarters of our military. Many are unaware that it wasn’t until 1947, under the National Security Act, that the military branches were brought together into the Department of Defense. (The advent of the Combined Chiefs of Staff during World War II fostered interservice and international unity of command). Although parts of the Nation’s war story are told at different museums around the National Mall, in the region, and elsewhere, we envision a more comprehensive approach.
“National” affords the opportunity for a broader programming scope. The National War Museum (NWM) is intended to greatly strengthen reach to international audiences, both locally and abroad. The NWM will expand perspectives on global conflict, with more context, and show how the great problems of international relations can lead to wars.
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Based on the American Alliance of Museums’ membership listing, there are more than 160 military- themed museums in the United States. The majority focus on World War II and the Civil War. There are military museums devoted to individual wars, for specific components of the Armed Forces, for individual units, for soldier heroes and generals, and war medals. There is war coverage at historical societies across our Nation and in some Presidential Libraries and Museums. This widespread, grassroots interest is the foundation for a comprehensive NWM that will integrate all of our military conflicts, wars and peacekeeping missions. Programming will show how our combined Armed Forces - artillery, air support, infantry, intelligence, armor, and naval- coordinated to win campaigns.
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NWMP founder Kitt Rodkey volunteered for the National World War II Memorial Campaign. Today, he is a member of the Friends of the National WWII Memorial, and the American Alliance of Museums.
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Our goal is to ultimately make the NWM a “must” visit for every school child in the United States. We are especially concerned about how future generations will relate to a military-themed museum, given rapidly changing advances in technology.
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Many established military museums take a “freedom is not free theme” with messaging around courage, sacrifice, inspiration and leadership. This is also the foundation of the NWM, but our approach proposes greatly increased global context, as well as embracing all branches of our Armed Forces. Proposed programming can be found on this website.
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The NWM will share a common theme with many memorials on or near the National Mall. Monuments help ensure that sacrifices are remembered. The Museum’s programming will help bring to life these same monuments and memorials. The NWM will also serve as a hub and a connector to other museums and cultural institutions. A regional inventory can be found here.
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The reality is that the NWMP must address many challenges. Besides obtaining the necessary funds, the prospects for creating a new museum and monument in the Washington, DC area depends on staying power (the capacity and commitment to see the entire process through) and political constituency (especially around site selection). There are many variables, with different timelines, but a yardstick for new monuments/memorials is up to 20 years, museums often taking longer.
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