Soldiers give up a lot in war. They say goodbye to their families and friends. Then, they travel far away from home. Some even die in battle. A new museum in Columbus, Ohio, tells about these brave men and women.

The National Veterans Memorial and Museum opened on October 27. It doesn’t focus on wars. Instead, it highlights the heroes. The museum looks at veterans before, during, and after their service. It uses films, photos, objects, and writing to tell their stories.

There are plenty of tales to tell. Marine Rachel Bower speaks about visiting a family in Iraq. (See Video.) And Marine pilot Pete Zoretic talks about getting messages home. In some places, it took six weeks to mail a letter! Sandra Puskarcik shares the family’s side. Her brother Ronnie was a Marine. Puskarcik remembers him coming home to surprise the family!

The idea for the museum came from another American hero — John Glenn. Glenn was an astronaut. He was the first American to orbit the Earth. He was also a veteran of World War II and a U.S. senator.

Glenn died in 2016. His son was at the opening of the new museum. “For my father, nothing in his life was more significant than his military service,” said David Glenn. “This museum was very important to him. I wish he was here to see it.”

Many veterans were there. Those included General Colin Powell. He served in the U.S. Army. Then, he held jobs in government. Powell spoke about soldiers. “Forty-two million Americans have served,” he said. “This building will show their faces, their letters, their fears, their bravery, their anxious families.”

He added, “You will hear their stories.”


Updated November 8, 2018, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan