Rae Whitley, Curator of the National Museum of Military Vehicles

Spring Curatorial Update

Spring is a very busy season for our Curatorial Department, as we gear up for new exhibits and prepare for the 2026 summer season.

The Curatorial Department's biggest project this Spring will be the installation of multiple new exhibits in the Museum’s General Lewis Puller Gallery and General George Patton Gallery. This refresh will expand our existing Vietnam War and World War I displays. 160 newly acquired artifacts will be added, covering exhibit themes such as Trench Warfare, the Motor Transport Corps in WWI, and Special Forces during the Vietnam War.

This is just a small sample of the new exhibits being installed, so plan your summer visit to NMMV!

WWI Motor Transport Corps Collar Device.

WW1 personal body armor to go on display in the Museum's Patton Gallery.

Service ribbons on a Navy SEAL dress uniform from the Vietnam War.

The Museum will be hosting a special Vietnam Veterans Day Event March 28, including the community premier of Home From Vietnam, a film honoring Vietnam War Veteran Lee Alley. Additionally, we have updated an existing interactive display in the Puller Gallery's Firebase to include Lee Alley’s story to honor his service.

We are also planning several "Hands-On History" classes in collaboration with Central Wyoming College Dubois. A popular event in the past, "Hands-On History" gives attendees the opportunity to examine artifacts at NMMV before they go on display and learn their historical significance. Dates have been set for March 10, 20, 21, April 16, 17, 18, and May 14,15,16. Each class will begin at 6:00PM in the Museum's Dan Daly and Roy Benavidez meeting room.

We look forward to a busy summer season, including America’s 250^th Anniversary, or semiquincentennial, Celebration. The Museum is planning a special event to celebrate this occasion in addition to our participance in the Dubois 4th of July Parade. More to come on this event in the next issue of The Quarterly Dispatch!

For now, enjoy the thoughtfully included articles, artifact highlight, book review, and more. As always, we welcome your feedback. Let us know what topics you want to see in the next issue!

Rae Whitley, Curator of the National Museum of Military Vehicles