By Kevin Brown The civil rights movement propelled meaningful changes to the country’s tapestry in the decades following World War II. Alabama Army National Guard officer Henry Vance Graham was a witness who facilitated these changes during the Civil Rights era’s most heated moments in the 1960s. Henry Graham was born and raised in Birmingham, [...]
Remembering Vietnam: The National Guard’s Role
By Will Roulett President Obama released a proclamation that recognized May 28, 2012, through November 11, 2025, as the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam war. Congress cited five objectives of the Vietnam War Commemoration. The primary objective is to thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War. 2023 will be marked by thousands of events [...]
The National Archives Veterans Record Fire of 1973
By Kevin Brown We frequently receive requests here at the National Guard Memorial Museum from historians and relatives of guardsmen for assistance with service records. However, this isn’t always easy due to a devastating 1973 fire that impacted military service-related documents at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). The fire, which affected the Federal government’s [...]
The National Guard’s WWII Aleutian Islands Campaign Service
By Kevin Brown The Aleutian Islands, halfway between Asia and North America, are strategically vital for the United States. The Alaskan Island chain is a critical checkpoint for transpacific communications. The Aleutians were no less essential during World War II when the Japanese Empire invaded the Island chain as part of a larger Pacific offensive [...]
Hot Museum Summer
By Montana CowardThis summer I had the chance to intern for the National Guard Memorial Museum. Currently, I am a graduate student at George Washington in the Museum Studies Master’s program with a concentration in collections management. Previously, I received my undergraduate degree at Christopher Newport University where I majored in History and minored in [...]
Herman G. Leitz’s Headlines
By Montana Coward Herman G. Leitz with His Newspaper Headlines(Courtesy of Carl Hartup/ The News-Sentinel August 14, 1985) Herman G. Leitz, an Indiana man working as a security guard at the Studebaker plant during World War II, collected almost 1,000 American newspaper headlines documenting the war. Leitz was frustrated by his small recollection of the [...]
The 9/11 Era Gallery Memorial Wall
New York Army Guard Specialist Roshan Singh Lost his Life at the World Trade Center on 9/11. By Kevin Brown Over 800 National Guard members have made the ultimate sacrifice since September 11, 2001. Several Guard members died in the horrific 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon and World Trade Center. One of these members was [...]
The National Guard’s State Partnership with Ukraine
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, adjutant general of the California National Guard, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, visited the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Air National Guard Base, California, Sept. 2, 2021.(Courtesy of national guard.mil) By Kevin Brown The National Guard’s State Partnership Program [...]
Remembering The Bataan Death March
By William Roulett Capt. Edward Lingo(Courtesy of the New Mexico National Guard Museum) April 9, 2022, marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Bataan Death March. Orchestrated by the Imperial Japanese Army, some 60,000-80,000 American and Filipino Prisoners of War (POWs) were brutally forced to march more than 60 miles from Mariveles, at [...]
The Career of Maj. Gen. Roberta V. Mills
Maj. Gen. Roberta V. MillsMarch 18, 1938 – April 20, 2021(Courtesy of Roberta V. Mills Estate) By William Roulett As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we at the National Guard Memorial Museum reflect on the life of Major General Roberta V. Mills. Mills accomplished much in her 83 years, including a 33-year career [...]
