Paver Dedication, Merrill’s Marauder Appearance, Enduring Freedom band
The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center will offer a number of special activities for visitors on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, in commemoration of Veterans Day.
Veterans Day Mini Camp
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Patriot Hall, inside the museum
“Appreciating Sacrifice,” a 4-hour mini-camp teaching children 5-11 the meaning and importance of Veterans Day and the sacrifices Soldiers make daily. $10 per camper. Contact
the Camp Director at [email protected] or 706-653-9234, ext 5849 to register.
Movies
9 a.m. – 5 p.m., IMAX Theatre at Patriot Park
Three documentaries will be shown on Veterans Day.
D-Day 3D: Normandy 1944 tells the story of the Allied invasion on the beaches of Normandy using a ‘cocktail’ of innovative film techniques, including animation, CGI and stunning live-action images. The film is narrated by journalist and historian Tom Brokaw. (11am, 1pm. 3pm, 5pm)
Soldiers’ Stories is an innovative new documentary exploring the experience of modern warfare from its tragic beginnings in the trenches of World War I. Soldiers’ Stories is about the warrior’s mindset and the common bond shared between veterans of all wars. The film takes a radical approach to documentary filmmaking: using oral histories of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to explain the visceral experience of combat from the perspectives of those who have lived it. (10am, 2pm, 4pm)
Marching Once More follows more than 100 survivors of the Battle of the Bulge as they return to Belgium and Luxembourg and reflect on the brutal six-week battle that claimed 19,000 American lives. The one-hour documentary captures the veterans’ 2004 journey, including their uncertainty as to whether anyone would remember or care about the events that occurred 60 years earlier. (9am)
IMAX documentary tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for students/military/seniors and $6 for children 4-12. Soldiers Stories and Marching Once More are free on Veterans Day.
Paver Dedication Ceremony
10 a.m., Heritage Walk (east side of museum)
The Veterans Day paver dedication ceremony will feature guest speaker CSM Wilbert Engram, command sergeant major for the Maneuver Center of Excellence Infantry School. More than 200 granite pavers will be dedicated. Family and friends will have the opportunity to make rubbings of commemorative pavers following the ceremony.
World War II Company Street
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
World War II Company Street, made up of seven authentic Army buildings, will be open for self-guided tours. They include a barracks, mess hall, chapel, supply room, orderly room and the headquarters and sleeping quarters used by General George S. Patton during the build-up to World War II.
Flag Retirement Ceremony
11:00 a.m., Fire Pit (behind museum)
Local Scouts will conduct an official flag retirement ceremony at the fire pit behind the museum. Visitors and residents are encouraged to bring torn, tattered or soiled flags for proper disposal.
Pattons’ Park Dedication
11:30 a.m., Benning Boulevard, south of the stadium
The National Armor and Cavalry Heritage Foundation will officially dedicate Pattons’ Park to the lives of General George S. Patton Jr. and his son, MG George S. Patton. Pattons’ Park is an open air walking trail that features nine armored vehicles, including the M4 Sherman, M26 Pershing, M48 Patton, M60A3 Main Battle Tank, M114 APC, M551 Sheridan, M113 ACAV, M3 Bradley and an M1 Abrams.
Enduring Freedom Honor Team Concert
11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Museum Lobby
The Enduring Freedom Honor Team, an ensemble of talented musicians from Fredericksburg, Virginia, will perform a free concert of patriotic music in the lobby of the National Infantry Museum at 11 a.m. on November 11. The high school students dress is World War II era khaki and Eisenhower jackets, and play period music.
The ensemble has played in such venues as the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia, the Pentagon, Walter Reed Army Hospital, the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and Veterans Administration hospitals across the nation. They also have performed for World War II and Korean War veterans who took part in the Honor Flight Program. The ensemble was created to connect young people with members of the “greatest generation.” Their vintage uniforms and period music resonate with older veterans. In return, the teens get the opportunity to meet veterans and hear their stories.
Merrill’s Marauder Appearance
1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Museum Lobby
Meet 94-year-old Vincent Melillo, one of the soldiers selected to be part of the 5307th Composite Unite (Provisional) during World War II. The unit, which came to be known as Merrill’s Marauders, was famous for its deep-penetration missions behind Japanese lines, often engaging Japanese forces superior in number. Hear the retired master sergeant’s harrowing stories and see some of the artifacts he has collected over the years.
Veteran’s Day at a Glance:
- 9 a.m. – “Appreciating Sacrifice,” a 4-hour mini-camp for kid 5-11
- 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Rotation of military documentaries in the IMAX Theatre
- 10 a.m. – Paver Dedication Ceremony on Heritage Walk
- 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. – World War II Company Street open for self-guided tours
- 11:00 a.m. – Moment of silence observed
- 11:00 a.m. – Flag retirement ceremony
- 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Concert by Enduring Freedom Honor Team
- 11:30 a.m. – Pattons’ Park Dedication
- 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Merrill’s Marauder Vince Melillo
- The museum will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 11. There is no admission fee, however a $5 per person donation is requested. The Fife and Drum restaurant will be open for lunch.
The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park, a 155-acre tract linking Columbus, Georgia, and the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, is the first world-class site to pay tribute to the U.S. Army Infantryman and those who fight alongside him. As the only interactive Army Museum in the United States, the museum showcases the contributions of the Infantry Soldier in every war fought by the U.S. by offering immersive participation and engaging visitors in the unique experiences of the Infantry Soldier. The complex also includes a parade field, memorial walk of honor, authentic World War II Company Street and 3-D IMAX® Theatre. For more information, visit www.nationalinfantrymuseum.org.
