Added photos: Iowa Gold Star Museum

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I stopped by the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge (outside Des Moines) last week. What a great facility! Although several exhibits were under construction, it's a beautiful building with many great artifacts. As you might expect, the displays tell the military history of Iowa from Lewis & Clark through today. Highlights include a replica P-40, an original half-track, Span. Am period Gatling from the U.S.S. Olympia, a recreation of a Camp Dodge barracks, and some nice POW artifacts (including a replica piece of German issue bread, recreated by a former POW).

 

I also met the director/curator, a very friendly guy who gave me a quick tour of the back rooms.

 

Well worth a visit to Camp Dodge. The security check was painless, and it's about a ten minute drive from the front gate. Check out the website at http://www.iowanatio...seum/Museum.htm.

 

Jeff

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A shot of the Gatling. . .

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And the recreated Camp Dodge barracks. . .

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And finally, a captured WWI German artillery piece, with U.S. half track and a Huey from the Vietnam display in the background.

[doyler]

The new facility/addition is quite an improvement.It was under full construction the last time I was at the old building which I think had been an administation building.They have a great weapons display as well and a large refferance library you could use as well.On several visits I had some personal tours and even met several volunteers who were military veterans,

[gwb123]

I hope you don't mind if I tag onto your thread... I visited the Iowa Gold Star Museum during the recent Des Moines military show, with both of them being on Camp Dodge. I'd been there in 2009, and at the time they had just moved into their new building. While it was worth a visit, it was obvious there was more to come. It was worth the return visit...

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The museum exhibits date back prior to the settlement of Iowa itself... it features Revolutionary War artifacts from family that later moved to the territory.

 

Iowa's historical period begins with the explorations of Lewis and Clark and early forts securing settlements. Few people realize that the Spanish in Mexico at one time considered disrupting the expansion of the US into the middle part of the Continent.

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Iowa soldiers participated in the War with Mexico.

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I've been surprised to learn just how much Iowa contributed to the Union side during the Civil War. Per Wikipedia:

 

There were no significant battles in Iowa, but the state sent large supplies of food to the armies and the eastern cities. 76,242 Iowa men (out of a total population of 674,913 in 1860) served in the military, many in combat units attached to the western armies. 13,001 died of wounds or disease (two-thirds of the total). 8,500 Iowa men were wounded.

 

Cemeteries throughout the South contain the remains of Iowa soldiers that fell during the war, with the largest concentration at Vicksburg National Cemetery. A number also died in Confederate prison camps, including Andersonville prison. Though the total number of Iowans who served in the military during the Civil War seems small compared to the more heavily populated eastern and southern states, no other state, north or south, had a higher percentage of its male population between the ages of 15 and 40 serve in the military during the course of the war.

 

Iowa contributed 48 regiments of state infantry, 1 regiment of black infantry (the 1st Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment (African Descent)), 9 regiments of cavalry, and 4 artillery batteries. In addition to these Federally mustered troops, the state also raised a number of home guard or militia units, including the Northern Border Brigade and Southern Border Brigade, primarily for defense of the borders. Other local units included the Sioux City Cavalry.

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The museum includes a nice selection of Civil War weaponry:

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Spanish American War and pre-WWI:

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WWI: both Camp Dodge and Fort Des Moines played a significant role in training troops before they went overseas. Fort Des Moines served as a base for training African American troops.

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WWI training barracks display with full footlocker lay out.

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Uniforms, both for Machine Gun companies.

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Worn at the front...

 

The canteen is French brought back by an Amercian from Alsace.

 

The Iowa Gold Star Museum has ambitious displays for future displays... this is their vision for the WWI area.

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The war's cost: service banner from local hospital.

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Moving forward to WWII... Des Moines paper shouting the news about Pearl Harbor.

 

I thought what was interesting was the large drawing of Japanese Aircraft Carriers on the front page.

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US Navy Displays:

 

The jumper belonged to an Iowa native who was a photographer's mate who witnessed Pearl Harbor. His photographs of the attacking aircraft were later used by US Naval Intelligence.

 

From later in the war, the lobby features a large scale Fletcher class destroyer in super detail.

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Prior to America's entry into the war, Iowan's were flying as members of the American Volunteer Group.

 

One of the most impressive items in the museum is an original Flying Tigers fuselage decal.

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Memorabilia for Flying Tiger William Reed, who was later KIA flying for the Army Air Force.

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Home front items, including training rifles manufactured in Iowa.

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Iowa once again served as a training ground, and Fort Des Moines again secured a place in the history books for serving as a center for the training of the Women's Army Corps.

 

The illustration is for the graduation program of the first WAC training class, with Uncle Sam welcoming women to the ranks.

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A number of items were donated by Iowa resident Bill Leasure, who had served in the 17th Airborne.

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Naval aviation exhibit... there were also a number of USAAF items on display, which I covered in my original thread in 2009.

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POW camps: ours and theirs.

 

Iowa had a number of large POW centers, with a series of smaller camps. Prisoners were detailed to do non war related work which included working on the farms and bringing in the harvest.

 

POW displays run from WWII through Vietnam.