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INTRODUCING THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. ARMY



INTRODUCING THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. ARMY

The First Division Museum at Cantigny Park continues its acclaimed Date with History series with a virtual program about the National Museum of the United States Army. LTG Roger C. Schultz (U.S. Army-Ret.), president of The Army Historical Foundation, will discuss the new museum located at Fort Belvoir, Va.

Schultz’s presentation via Zoom is on Thursday, April 1, at 7 pm CST (8 pm EST). The program is free, but registration is required at FDMuseum.org.

The National Army Museum is the first comprehensive and truly national museum to capture, display and interpret over 245 years of Army history, told through the eyes of soldiers. The museum is a joint effort between the U.S. Army and the nonprofit Army Historical Foundation.

Construction of the 185,000 square-foot attraction began in 2017 on 84 acres of federal land at Fort Belvoir. The museum opened in 2020 but is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Virtual programming and digital resources are available online with museum reopening expected soon.

As president of The Army Historical Foundation, Lieutenant General Schultz oversees AHF’s mission to honor American soldiers by preserving and presenting the history and heritage of the United States Army. AHF is the official Foundation of the National Museum of the United States Army, responsible for fundraising, memberships, and operational and attractions management.


Prior to joining AHF, Schultz completed 42 years of uniformed duty in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard. His military service began in 1963 as a Track Vehicle Mechanic. He served four years as an enlisted soldier and was commissioned as an Infantry officer following Officer Candidate School at Iowa Military Academy. He was appointed Director, Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, Washington, DC, in 1998, responsible for the formulation, development and implementation of all programs and policies, and for managing an $11.7 billion budget.

The First Division Museum is currently open Wednesday through Sunday. Entry is included with Cantigny Park’s $5 parking fee, but advance ticketing is required to enforce temporary visitation limits. Masks are required. More information is online FDMuseum.org.

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About the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park

The First Division Museum, part of the Robert R. McCormick Foundations, promotes public learning about America’s military heritage and affairs through the history of the “Big Red One”—the famed 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. The museum’s main exhibit hall, First in War, transports visitors to the trenches of World War I, the beaches of World War II and the jungles of Vietnam. A second exhibit hall, Duty First, explores the 1ID’s history in more recent times. The Robert R. McCormick Research Center, open to the public, houses the museum’s library, archival and photo collections. Outside, tanks from every era are interpreted, along with artillery pieces and a personnel carrier. Solemn memorial markers and commemorative statuary also command visitors’ attention. In 2020, the museum launched “Footsteps of the First,” a travel program in partnership with Academic Travel Abroad. The program’s inaugural trip is to Normandy and other key sites in Western Europe, Sept. 5-16, 2021. Full details, including registration, are on the museum website.



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