This past Saturday, my kids and myself traveled to the Fort Lewis Military Museum to learn a little bit about the largest military base in the state of Washington. What I did not expect was to learn so much.
This is a continuation article. There seems to be some arbitrary (at least unknown, to myself) limit to the size of an article, and my full article, even incomplete, was too large to publish.
Also on display is an interesting collection of Cold War artifacts and hardware. A few photos of the rolling-stock located outside the building. I’m in the process of trying to identify some of these Soviet Block weapons systems, few of them had current placards.
US ARMY M60 Main Battle Tank ("Patton")
Soviet Block - unidentified medium tank
Soviet Block - unidentified light armor
US Nike-Hercules nuclear tipped SAM
US ARMY - unidentified APC
US ARMY - Honest John tactical nuke
US ARMY - MIM-104 Patriot SAM / missle defense
US ARMY - FAV (Fast Attack Vehicle) experimental
US ARMY - Pre HUMVEE experimental prototypes - both cancelled
US ARMY - Kawasaki Scout Bike (9th Infantry circa 1982)
Operation 'Just Cause' campaign map
US ARMY - Nike fixed possition SAM / tactical nuke
This past Saturday, my kids and myself traveled to the Fort Lewis Military Museum to learn a little bit about the largest military base in the state of Washington. What I did not expect was to learn so much.
Legion of Merit
Our family has a tie to the base via my cousin, a Lt. Col. whom deployed to Iraq in 2003 from Fort Lewis, following his unit’s activation, to support the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom. He received the Legion of Merit for his service, which our family is very proud of. Following his deployment, before his return to California, he spent some time with my family, showing us photos and stories from his time in ‘The Sandbox’. I thought it appropriate to give the kids some exposure to the great warrior traditions of the US ARMY and their family. Fort Lewis has continued to provide critical personal to the fight against terrorism overseas, with deployment of Rangers, MPs, Engineers and of course the STRYKERs
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So much history, so much to see, so much to read.
There is no way to due the museum justice without a multi-part article, and at some point later down the line, following another visit, I may just do that. For now I’ll cover some of the interesting things to be seen there in photos.
Artifacts and History from the Lewis and Clark Expedition through WWI
There is a complete section on the Lewis and Clark expedition, which was in fact, a military expedition to explore the west. Along with commissioned officers Lewis and Clark, the force consisted of volunteer US ARMY regulars. Within that section of the museum I learned about a confrontation between the US and Britain during the 1800’s over possession of the San Juan Islands, the nearly erupted into another war between the nations. Displayed is a map of the area showing positions of forces, along with a political cartoon of the time.
San Juan Islands - disputed territories
America vs. England - Standoff over Disputed San Juan Island territories
Also in the display was an excellent collection of rifles, pistols and other equipment related to the expedition.
The Fort Lewis Military Museum is occupies one of only two existing historical buildings at Fort Lewis that date back to WWI. In 1918, the Salvation Army constructed the 150-room ‘Red Shield Inn’ at a cost of $107,000, to accommodate the soldiers, his family and friends. After the drawdown following WWI, the Salvation Army sold the building to the US ARMY for the price of $1 (one dollar) on July 1, 1921. It remained in use by the US ARMY until a new Fort Lewis Lodge was constructed closer to the base’s Main Post Headquarters. The Fort Lewis Military Museum is the only certified US ARMY museum on the West Coast, and contains interesting and rare artifacts preserving the heritage of Fort Lewis and the US ARMY in the Pacific Northwest.
Getting to the Museum
The Fort Lewis Military Museum is located south of Seattle, between Tacoma and Olympia. Take exit 150 to enter Fort Lewis. The museum is located in North Fort Lewis, signs guide the way. Visitors without a current military vehicle registration decal and federal ID card must first obtain a Visitor Pass at the Main Gate Visitor’s Center. You will need to produce a driver’s license for each individual 16 years and order, as well as the current registration and proof of insurance for every vehicle entering the base. Those receiving a pass, and get directions to the museum from Visitor’s Center staff.
This past Saturday, my kids and myself traveled to the Fort Lewis Military Museum to learn a little bit about the largest military base in the state of Washington. What I did not expect was to learn so much.
