Memorials

NGEF is connected to a number of memorials dedicated to the service and bravery of National Guardsmen. These memorials foster the goal of honoring members of the Guard, both past and present.

National Guard Memorial Building

Dedicated in 1991, the National Guard Memorial building is the headquarters of the National Guard Association of the United States. In addition to the museum and library, the building also houses NGAUS offices, the Hall of States reception room, as well as a number of other endowed meeting spaces. A bronze minuteman statue greets visitors at the entrance and busts of various presidents of the United States who also served in the Guard are located in the upstairs lobby.

Medal of Honor Gallery

This gallery, adjacent to the museum and library, honors Guardsmen who have received the country’s highest military decoration for valor since the Spanish-American War. The names of these Guardsmen span the gallery’s walls. Five different versions of the Medal of Honor—four from the Army and one from the Air Force—are on display in the center of the gallery. Finally, the gallery includes a series of six dioramas depicting events for which the medal was awarded.

National Guard Monument

The National Guard Monument located in Vierville-sur-Mer, France, sits on the spot where the Guard’s 29th Infantry Division broke through German defenses on June 6, 1944. Set atop an old gun bunker, the monument is dedicated to all the National Guardsmen who fought in the European Theater during World War II.