Soldiers have to give up a lot in times of war. They say goodbye to their families, friends, and pets. Then, they travel to dangerous areas far away from their homes. Some even die in battle. A new museum in Columbus, Ohio, tells the tales of these brave men and women.
The National Veterans Memorial and Museum opened on October 27. This special space isn’t like other museums. It doesn’t focus on wars. Instead, it highlights the heroes. The museum looks at the lives of American veterans before, during, and after their service. It uses films, photos, objects, and writing to tell about these important people.
There are plenty of stories to tell. Marine Rachel Bower speaks about sharing a meal with a family in Iraq. (See Video.) And Marine pilot Pete Zoretic talks about the hassles of 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 her brother coming home to surprise the family on Christmas!
The idea for the museum came from another American hero — John Glenn. Glenn is most famous for his time as an astronaut. He was the first American to orbit the Earth. But he was also a veteran of World War II and a U.S. senator.
Glenn died in 2016, but his son was at the opening ceremony of the new museum. “For my father, nothing in his life was more significant than his military service,” said David Glenn. “So helping with the creation of this museum was very important to him. I wish he was here to see it.”
There were many veterans there for the big opening. Those included General Colin Powell. He served in the U.S. Army before holding jobs in government. Powell spoke about soldiers. “Forty-two million Americans have served in uniform in the history of our nation,” 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, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan
