Since I have been so remiss in writing on my blog of late I thought I would try to catch up on a couple of the comings and goings around here. Then of course when I sat down to start writing my mind went completely blank (that's a post in it's self so I will just let it go for now...) So I thought 'When all else fails check your picture file!' It is
admittedly less full than usual (though I've had to transfer quite a few pictures to my external hard drive recently as we've been taking so many since we got here...) But it did contain our exploration of the museums here on base which we did on the first Saturday of this month. I was really impressed by the obvious amount of work and effort that has been put into the museums.
Let me clarify a little - it is one building that houses three different sections. This base not only does a lot of basic training but also does most of the training for the Army's Chemical, Engineer and Military Police Corps so there was a section devoted to each corp. Because
Mycal is Chemical that was the first one we went through. It's starts by having you walk through a WWI style trench complete with sandbags and rats (check on the board above
Mycal's head a little to the right). Apparently that is when the Chemical Corps came into
existence. This would be due to both the obvious use of chemical warfare (mustard gas for example) as well as the new use of flame throwing which was overseen by the first Chemical Corps. (I didn't know that and found it really interesting.) Throughout each of the museums they really worked to make you feel a part of whatever they were trying to convey. Included sights where an underground bunker that could be found in the US during the Cold War and the type of vehicles they would take to do demonstrations with during WWII to show people what they could do to further the chemical side of the war effort.
The same was true for the M.P. and Engineer displays. Both of these started with Revolutionary style settings (since both corps have been around since the inception of the United States Army). The picture I have up is from the M.P. museum - however the same was true with the Engineer museum when you walked in you were presented with a Revolutionary scene showing what engineers did at that point. (I was going through with two children so I don't remember all (read any...) of the details but at least it will be fun to go again!) At one point in the M.P. museum you walk down the middle of a street where an M.P. is directing traffic. It's scene out of WWII Europe after Allied forces have taken an area and they are getting all the right equipment in as well as troops and what not. Same thing for the Engineer museum only it was a soldier clearing the path of the rubble from fallen buildings. It was really neat to walk through (though a little difficult to photograph as you are in the middle of the scene).
For those scenes too large to create a walk through display of they had created some amazing
miniatures depicting what happened. Liberty was fascinated by this one (I had to carry her away after she stared at it for five minutes...seriously). Added to that was the incredible amount of historic material they had managed to collect - it was really amazing. I can't wait to go again (trust me if you come and visit you will be subjected to the museum).
After the museum we walked across the street and looked at several Army vehicles on display as well as several old barracks (constructed in 1943 I think, to
accommodate the huge influx of soldiers being processed through for basic training) that had been turned into mini museums as well so you could see the function of each building and how it would work on a practical level. Once again we weren't able to see it all but that is okay - we will have a chance to go back and enjoy it again.
The Chemical Corps crazy insignia actually has a point! I have seriously wondered about this since Mycal branched Chemical. The best I could come up with was that those crazy gold things were supposed to be quills but what that had to do with anything chemical was beyond me. Turns out they are some sort of distillation equipment. Apparently when working in the lab one could place the bulb part filled with whatever one is working on, in a wire ring over a fire. The fire would heat the substance causing some part of it to condensate then run down the funnel into another tube. Okay so obviously I don't really know all the details but at least I now understand the chemical point of it. It was exciting for me.
Fun to learn fact number two: Reason behind the Army being horribly incapable of matching their dress blue jacket to the pants. Okay I already knew the reason behind this but it was really neat to see the reason in person. This is a full uniform and equipment from the Civil war (so awesome that it has a humidity counter, thermostat and ph strip in the display case to ensure appropriate conditions for long term survival). From what I understand officers didn't wear their jackets all that often but were often marching around in their pants and shirts so the pants got faded but the jacket stayed in nice shape. Whether or not that is the case or they just didn't have enough of the really nice blue material to make pants too I haven't actually verified beyond hearsay but at least I got a chance to see where the tradition started.
