Posted on 07/19/2006 2:04:50 AM PDT by leadpenny
Stepping into the main gallery, a visitor's eyes are drawn skyward.
Authentic war planes, with lifelike figures in the cockpit, fill the 210-foot Leatherneck Gallery.
"This is gonna be fun," said retired Marine Col. Ray Hord. "This is not just a stodgy old place to look at things behind glass."
Hord is vice president of development and marketing with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and yesterday led a tour of the National Museum of the Marine Corps going up off Interstate 95 at the Quantico Marine Corps Base.
Construction of the exterior is complete along with the spire that is meant to symbolize the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Exhibits and audio visual equipment are now being installed.
The museum is scheduled to be dedicated Nov. 10 and will open to the public Nov. 12.
Yesterday, he briefed members of the media on the museums offerings, which will feature interactive and immersion exhibits.
When the museum opens, visitors can catch a 12-minute orientation video about what to expect as they explore the exhibits. After watching the video, the experience begins.
The first exhibit will provide a glimpse of reality for one considering joining the Marines. When completed, automated drill sergeants will bark out orders and direct visitors through the stations.
An interactive igloo will let you stand at attention and experience inspection day to find out "just how many things are wrong with you," Hord said.
Visitors will also be able to test their marksman skills on the range by taking aim at the target with a laser rifle.
Admission to the museum is free, but the rifle range and air craft simulations will cost visitors a fee that supports museum operations.
Visitors short on time will be able to peruse Legacy Walk, a corridor lined with artifacts and audiovisual presentations that give a swift, but thorough history of the Marine Corps.
But, for those who can spend the entire day, there will be galleries dedicated to World War II, Korea and Vietnam. These eras were chosen, Hord said, because "they represent the living veteran constituency that made that history."
A vintage Japanese kamikaze plane marks the entrance to the World War II gallery.
Once inside, visitors will hear a recording of Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio address about the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Visitors will experience the landing at Iwo Jima in 1945 when they stand on a raft on rollers with actual battle footage playing.
"What we're trying to do is get the blood rushing a bit," Hord said. "You're actually there, you're participating in the landing in February 1945."
Just down the hall, visitors can experience what a Marine division was up against at Chosin Reservoir in 1950 during the Korean War.
Once the exhibit is complete, the room will be kept at 58 degrees, an attempt to re-create--a tad more comfortably--the day the division found itself surrounded by 50,000 of the enemy and the only way out was by narrow and rocky roads in freezing temperatures.
Jumping ahead to 1968, visitors will find themselves in a CH-46 helicopter at the Battle of Khe Sanh in Vietnam. This exhibit will be kept at 88 degrees with high humidity to give a sense of the jungle conditions.
The museum will be an important stop for veterans and active duty Marines, Hord said, but it will also be a "national level museum for the country, not just the Marine Corps."
To reach JENN ROWELL: 540/374-5000, ext. 5617
Email: jrowell@freelancestar.com
Let's roll!!!
[Mr] T
OOORRRAAAAAHHHH!
Man, I wish I would have seen this before I went to the Marines 4 Life luncheon today. I would have made copies to give away.
That's ok, I will email it out to the network.
I can't wait for it to be open, I want to go visit... like now. lol
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