May 6th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

First thing this this morning, a few ladies took a walk. We hit the nature trail in the campground. It was as well maintained as the rest of the park!

Today our events, with Yankee RV Tours, were military centric. Our first stop was the US Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum. It is part of the United States Army Museum System and located near Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It is free admission and has been open to the public since 2000.

When you walk through it’s like being on the streets of war-torn Normandy and see a glider delivering a jeep into battle, hear troopers exiting a helicopter in Vietnam, watch the rooftops as soldiers and an MH‐6 "Little Bird" rescue Kurt Muse in Panama, witness troops defending freedom in Iraq and fighting the war on terror in Afghanistan. The Airborne & Special Operations Museum recounts the actions of heroic soldiers from the early days of the Parachute Test Platoon to the ongoing Global War on Terrorism. The museum preserves the extraordinary feats performed by the United States Army's Airborne and the Special Operations Forces, all who jump from the sky, into battle.

The excitement and uncertainty of the first US soldiers to jump is felt as the Test Platoon forges a new weapon of war, the American paratrooper. Lieutenant Bill Ryder, leader of the Test Platoon, on August 16th, 1940 became the first American fighting man to stand in the door and jump. He was followed by Private William King, the first U.S. enlisted paratrooper. The work that followed in the next four years was amazing. Developing full-scale airborne operations while engaged in a world war required the passion and dedication of many great leaders. The names are legendary; John Ward, Bud Miley, Bill Yarborough, Red King and Bill Donovan only begin the distinguished list. North Carolina native Major General William C. Lee would come to be known as "the Father of the Airborne."

World War II saw the most concentrated use of airborne operations, with five Army divisions dedicated to using this new method of putting men and equipment on the battlefield. The 11th, 13th, 17th, 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions spearheaded many operations, and were joined by early special operations soldiers from units such as the Rangers, OSS, and the 1st Special Service Force. Conventional American airborne forces from WWII until 1948 were composed roughly of equal parts paratroopers and glider troops. Gliders were used to bring soldiers and equipment including jeeps, engineering and artillery pieces, to the battlefield. Places such as Sicily, Normandy, and Corregidor became legendary proving grounds for the paratroopers, glider troops, and special operations soldiers, and were the building blocks of victory in Europe and the Pacific.

On display is a replica of part of a French village from the Normandy Invasion of June 1944. As you walk the streets of the village, you are surrounded by images of war. From the bullet holes in the stucco walls to the C-47 "Skytrain" flying low overhead with jumper in the door, the museum transports you to war torn occupied France at the dawn of Europe's liberation. Then transported to the Pacific-Asiatic Theater of Operations, immersed in excitement and uncertainty as they prepare for combat in the thick jungle. Multimedia displays here and throughout the gallery show original newsreel footage and other scenes of American troops in action. One of the most rare and impressive displays is that of a completely restored WACO CG-4A glider. Gliders were used extensively in the war, and the largest operations used them by the thousands. The gliders were very fragile, had little peacetime use, and have not been used by the military since 1950-51. For these reasons there are only a handful of gliders left in the world, and few of these have been properly restored. The museum's glider is one of the finest examples in existence.

In the years following WWII, the air was thick with the new, invisible threats of the Cold War. American airborne and special operations units were kept busy in the Korean War, with combat jumps by the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team and the use of Airborne Ranger Companies. PSYWAR Radio Broadcast and Leaflet teams added pressure by fighting for the hearts and minds of the combatants. United Nations partisan forces fought deep behind enemy lines in a little remembered special operations effort. In the early 1950s the power of special and unconventional warfare became increasingly clear. A natural progression of the special operations units of the OSS that had proven themselves during World War II was the establishment of the 10th Special Forces group at Fort Bragg in 1952, the first of the Army's Special Forces units. In 1965, airborne and special operations troops were called to the Dominican Republic. The 7th Special Forces Group and the 82d Airborne Division were joined by South American countries to set up a peacekeeping force. It was the 82d Airborne's largest overseas deployment since WWII, and it shared the nation's attention with another war that was raging, this one in Southeast Asia.

The museum takes a close look at the soldiers, equipment, and campaigns of the war in Vietnam. The "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division, the 3d Brigade of the 82d, and the legendary "Sky Soldiers" of the 173d Airborne Brigade fought valiantly in Southeast Asia, and the Special Forces proved themselves time and again by working with the indigenous people in their fight for freedom. On exhibit at the museum is a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter. The pilot is at the controls, the door gunner is at the ready, and two paratroopers are on the ground ready for action. Hidden in the bush is the point man for a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, silently surveying the action. Nearby is a Viet Cong prisoner of war (POW) camp in South Vietnam's U Minh Forest, also known as the "Forest of Darkness," due to its dense jungle. Here the visitor will see Green Beret, first lieutenant James "Nick" Rowe held in a bamboo cage plotting his escape. After five years of captivity Rowe escaped his Vietnamese captors in December 1968. Because of his experience as a POW, Rowe was charged by the U.S. Army to design its Survival, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training program, which is now part of the Special Forces Qualification Course.

Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the United States has been involved in many peacekeeping and contingency operations. The Army has used this time to further develop the mission, use, and training of airborne and special operations soldiers. With successful operations in places from Grenada and Panama to the war in the Persian Gulf, U.S. airborne and special operations soldiers have continued to spearhead the nation's fighting power. The M551 Sheridan armored reconnaissance vehicle on exhibit, was heavy enough to be considered a tank by many, but light enough to be dropped into combat by parachute. Veteran of many airborne operations, this Sheridan on display in the museum's Operation Just Cause exhibit, with a member of "America's Guard of Honor," the 82d Airborne Division, ready for combat alongside, is an example of those used against dictator, General Manuel Noriega's Panamanian Defense Forces in December 1989. Overhead is an AH-6 "Little Bird." This small but deadly helicopter represents the use of special operations airpower. From the early airplanes that dropped paratroopers and towed gliders to the blistering modern gun-ships like the AC-130H Specter, aircraft have always been an intrinsic part of airborne and special operations. In 1989, a "Little Bird," like the one in the museum, was used by U.S. Army Special Operations soldiers in the daring rescue of Kurt Muse, an American citizen held in Panama's infamous Carcel Modelo, a prison in Panama City.

Almost immediately after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the US Army Special Operations Command, Central Intelligence Agency, and other US military units, began planning a response. One of the several Joint U.S. Military Special Forces components established, for what was dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2014), was designated Task Force DAGGER. Sit-down with our Special Forces soldiers in an Afghan hut and learn how a handful of these well-trained warriors, working with local warlords, defeated the Taliban during the early stages of the war. Deploy with elements of the XVIII Airborne Corps to Afghanistan and Iraq to see how they fought and continue to fight alongside our country's international partners to triumph over terrorism.

Located next to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, the North Carolina Veteran’s Park is the first park in the state dedicated to military veterans from all branches of the armed services: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard! With its rich military heritage, Fayetteville is the perfect place to house the North Carolina Veterans Park. North Carolina is proud to call itself the “Most Military Friendly” state, and the Veterans Park incorporates many natural and architectural elements that represent the state. Symbolic features pay homage to the veterans from over 100 North Carolina counties and represent the citizens who support them.

Inside the visitor’s center are displays of the NC involvement is all the wars and conflicts. Plus a 3,500-square-foot chandelier that is made from 33,500 “dog tags”.

The outside wall of the Visitors Center is a wall of the US Armed Forces awards and decorations. They are primarily the medals, service ribbons, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments. Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career.

Displays of public art in the NC Veterans Park take visitors on a veteran’s journey: life before, during, and after service. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County led the public art project, a beautiful and meaningful acknowledgement of North Carolina’s veterans and their service to our nation, by coordinating with all 100 counties in North Carolina.

One facet of the tribute to NC State’s veterans consists of a wall bearing the bronze cast right hands of veterans from every North Carolina county. These hands are identified with the county’s name and represent all veterans from the prospective county – past and present, women and men, living and deceased, from every branch of service.

In order to demonstrate the community’s support for our veterans, each of the state’s 100 counties also chose four additional people whose hand castings are displayed on columns in the park. The names of individuals are not incorporated on the walls or columns because each is intended to represent all veterans and supporters in each county. However, their names are archived in the visitor’s center of the park.

A third major public art component is a sculpture garden in the Service Plaza. This plaza signifies a Veteran’s life during service; the sculpture garden within is titled “if these walls could talk.” Salvaged decommissioned military artifacts are incorporated into the design the sculptures. The salvaged artifacts serve as symbols of the objects “witnessing” events relevant to the lives of veterans during service. 

Each of the sculptures use one of the following touchstone words as inspiration for their conceptual sculpture design: Commitment, Courage, Dedication, Heroism, Sacrifice, Service and Strength. These extraordinary public art components truly establish the park as a place for reflection, rebirth and healing.

Follow along, as our adventures continue!