Fort Meade Museum Celebrates Post's Past

From old uniforms, photographs and ration kits to a pair of World War I tanks, the Fort Meade Museum features a captivating display of military artifacts dating back nearly a century.

"We tell the story of the Army at Camp Meade/Fort Meade from 1917 to the present," said Barbara Taylor, museum exhibits specialist, of the facility that was established in 1963 as the first United States Army museum to honor the service and sacrifices of the American soldier.

In 1973, the museum permanently became the Fort George G. Meade Museum, named for the Civil War general who commanded the Army of the Potomac and defeated Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

The museum's mission now is to collect, preserve, study and exhibit military artifacts, particularly those items related to Fort Meade, along with early American armor.

The museum also provides educational services such the identification of military artifacts, lectures about military history and the history of Fort Meade, and battle staff rides to local battlefields.



Homage to the Past

Among the museum's features are two World War I tanks, including the MARK VIII, one of only four in the world, and the only one on display in the United States. Another attraction is a mural of Gen. Meade at the Battle of Gettysburg.

"Two murals in the foyer were painted by World War II GIs who were artists to decorate two service member clubs," Taylor said. "When the buildings were razed, we rescued the murals." A small room in the museum is dedicated to the general.

The changing exhibit gallery had featured a Trench Art exhibit and a history of chronicling the war by writers, artists, photojournalists and videographers.

There are many other items on display at the museum. Among them are a World War I anti-war rally poster, recruiting posters including a World War II poster featuring a Fort Meade WAC, an original Civil War artillery shell jacket, a World War I gas mask, a "Buffalo Soldier" World War I-era tunic, and photographs and letters donated by a German prisoner of war.

Also on display are a Fort Meade Cook's & Baker's school uniform, mannequins of Gen. George Patton and Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in World War I uniforms beside the MARK VIII, and a Five of Hearts Renault FT-17 tank donated by France during World War I to outfit the American Tank Corps.



Up and Out

The museum recently moved about 2,800 Army artifacts to its new storage facility outside of the Reece Road gate on Route 175 and 20th Street. The $780,000 storage facility includes a warehouse, offices, research room and library/archives. It was built adjacent to the Directorate of Information Management (DOIM) building, which is slated to become the museum's new home once DOIM moves inside Fort Meade.

The artifacts were placed in museum-grade steel cabinets. Uniforms are hung and arranged by era and nationality. Field gear is grouped by war, nationality and era. The museum's total collection is valued at $8 million to $10 million, Taylor said. Stored items will take their turn at being exhibited in the new museum.

In addition to uniforms and weapons, the museum's 4,000 artifacts include insignia, diaries, photo albums, posters and newspapers such as the Fort Meade Post and Second Army Sentinel.

One of the more unusual items is a parchment of a Knights Cross award signed by Adolf Hitler and found by the U.S. Field Artillery Unit during World War II. "They flipped it over and kept it as a map of their trip across Germany," Taylor said.

Another item is a risquŽ "Lace" cartoon drawn by Milton Caniff (of Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon fame) from Yank magazine for the men of Fort Meade during World War II.

Bayonets, knives and guns, however, are not displayed because of relative humidity. "Our humidity here is problematic, so we have few steel weapons on display because they would rust," Taylor said.



What's In Store

In a separate facility, the museum also stores artillery, limbers (boxes pulled behind towed artillery that carry ammunition), canvas-topped vehicles and captured enemy equipment, such as German mortars. A familiar landmark outside DOIM is a 1950s Nike Hercules missile that is part of the museum's collection.

The new museum is slated to open to the public by 2017 in time for the Fort Meade centennial celebration. Displaying artifacts off-post, Taylor said, will draw more visitors to the museum's vast collection.

"We have a fabulous outreach program," she said, "and we have such cool stuff."



The Fort Meade Museum is located at 4674 Griffin Avenue. Admission is free to the general public. Photo identification is required to enter the installation. Hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For tours or information, call 301-677-6966/7054.