The US Veterans Memorial Museum Has the Largest Jeep Collection in The World

The US Veterans Memorial Museum was founded in the year 2001, with one objective in mind.

That objective was to honor both the men and women that have served in the U.S. Military, throughout our glorious history.

It celebrates our military starting in the Revolutionary War and continues all the way to our present day.

The US Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville Alabama

Also known as the USVMM, it is run entirely by volunteers, and its other major goals are to preserve major artifacts and educate the public about the heritage of our military.

It is located in Huntsville Alabama, at 2060A Airport Road.

The History of the US Veterans Memorial Museum

Rifle Exhibit At The U.S. Veterans Museum in Huntsville Alabama

The idea for the US Veterans Memorial Museum was first started in 1986, when the Alabama Center for Military History was established.

It officially opened in the year 2001, when an airplane hangar was opened in the old site of the old Huntsville airport, located at the John Hunt Park.

Operating on both corporate and public donations, it also receives support from several other military history organizations located around the country.

In the year 2014, it began an expansion program so it could make room for its ever-growing collection.

It includes collections form the following wars.

The American Revolutionary War
The Civil War
World War I
World War II
The Korean Conflict
The Vietnam War

The Revolutionary War

The US Veterans Memorial Museum offers the visitor artifacts from the birth of our nation, when we fought at the time the most powerful nation in the world.

It shows you that the majority of these men that fought this war were considered militia, which means they would grab their weapon and go fight the British.

They started the tactic of standing behind trees to shoot at the British, who deemed this act as “not becoming of a gentleman”.

However, this militia knew that they could not fight the British in the regular fashion, and the only way to win was with these Gorilla style tactics.

The Civil War

The US Veterans Memorial Museum also has several artifacts and some weapons from this bloody war, including the “Parrot Rifle”.

However, the also have an extensive collection of carbine rifles, both of which were used in this war that took the lives of over 600,000 men.

It tells the story of how men that served and trained together before the war were suddenly forced to fight each other.

It was weapons such as the “Parrot Rifle” that inflicted many of these deaths on both sides.

It was considered to be the most accurate artillery piece during the Civil War and was first produced in 1861.

Robert Parrott developed a method that reinforced the breech with a wrought iron band, which made it a lot more accurate.

The museum has an example of the 3/4 scale firing piece from this rifle on display.

World War I

The US Veterans Memorial Museum also has displays centering on this “war to end all wars”, including several styles of uniforms and equipment.

The United States made an early vow to stay out of the war, but when the Germans sank the Lusitania, they joined their allies to fight this evil.

It was the strength of the manpower and the weapons of the United States, which turned the tide of this war.

In addition to the uniforms and equipment, there is a section that showcases a Mle 1917, as the 155 mm Howitzer Carriage, Model of 1917.

World War II

Jeep Exhibit At The U.S. Veterans Museum In Huntsville Alabama

The US Veterans Memorial Museum has numerous artifacts from this war, as the world was just getting over the horrors of the First World War.

The United States made the same vow to stay out of this war, but the attack on December 7, 1941 by the Japanese, made it unavoidable.

It was again our manpower and ability to mass produce ships, tanks, and airplanes that led to the allied victory.

The museum is perhaps best known for the 30 fully restored military vehicles from this war, as well as the First World War.

One of the most popular as well as powerful displays at the Museum is a replica of a briefing room.

The briefing room displayed is that of the U.S. Army Air Force 385^th Bombardment Group.

This group flew out of the Royal Air Force Ash Field air base, which was located in Suffolk, England in the years 1943-1945.

It was best known as the “Flying Fortress” that flew B-17’s as part of the Eighth Air Force unit.

There are numerous vehicles displayed in both the indoor as well as the outdoor exhibition area, that were used during this war.

They include a Ford GP jeep as well as a 1944 Harley Davidson, just to name a few of the examples.

The Korean Conflict

The Korean Conflict is best known as the “forgotten war”, as it was officially never more than a police action by the United States.

However, there were thousands of Americans killed in this war to stop the invasion of communists from the north.

This conflict lasted for three years until the cease fire in 1953, but the tensions continue to this day.

The US Veterans Memorial Museum has a wide display of both military vehicles as well as helicopters that were used during conflict.

The helicopters on display include the Bell H-13D, as well as a Korean War Medevac.

The Vietnam War

As the Cold War in the 1960’s broiled over, the United States tried to protect South Vietnam from three different parties: North Vietnam, China, as well as Russia.

This bloody and deadly war lasted for over 10 years and was perhaps the most unpopular of all the wars in U.S. History.

Men returning from this war were ridiculed and detested when they returned back to the States.

In all, over 58,000 men lost their lives in this needless war, and the US Veterans Memorial Museum has memorabilia from it as well.

This exhibit includes a wide variety of weapons, as well as uniforms for all sides during this war.

The US Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville Alabama

Overall

The Museum overall has a collection that features over 800 military uniforms as well as numerous artifacts.

Some of these include rifles, gas masks, as well as other paraphernalia including several documents.

There are several helicopters on display including the Bell Ah-15 that was used for close up support, and the Bell OH-58 Kiowa Helicopter.

This helicopter is from the family of single-engine, single rotor helicopters, that is used for observation as well as direct fire support.

There are also tanks, motorcycles, watercraft, as well as other vehicles on display at the museum.

It also has what is considered to be the largest collections of Jeeps in the entire world.

Most of the larger vehicles such as the tanks and helicopters are displayed in the outside exhibit to provide enough room.

The US Veterans Memorial Museum makes a wonderful day trip for you and your family, and is one of the best kept secrets in Alabama.

References

The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum (USVMM) in Huntsville, Madison County,

The US Veterans Memorial Museum Has the Largest Jeep Collection in The World

The History of the US Veterans Memorial Museum

World War II

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