Hawaii MOFW Commandery News, March 2022

National Infantry Museum

By COL Arthur N. Tulak In February, I had the great pleasure of visiting the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning GA. Having departed Fort Benning in 2003, to report to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, I missed the years of work to build this new national treasure, which opened its doors in 2009. Before this iteration of the “New Infantry Museum” the collection was on display at the former Hospital building on Fort Benning’s Main Post, and closed its doors in 2008 to move the collection to the new site. The effort to raise funds for a new museum was undertaken in 1998, when the 501(c)(3) National Infantry Museum Foundation was formed for the sole purpose of planning, raising funds for and operating a new museum. The new museum preserves and displays one of the greatest collections of military artifacts in the world, with 190,000 square feet of galleries standing on a 200-acre tract just outside Fort Benning, Georgia. Many of the items in the museum’s collection could not be displayed before the construction of the new museum, and were simply kept in storage until a museum with the proper dimensions could be built. The National Infantry Association is one of the primary partners in supporting the museum.

As I approached the front entrance I saw a formal social event being hosted by the Chilean Army, which was likely connected to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), which now occupies the former hospital that once housed the museum. Admittance was gratis, and the museum is sustained through donations and sales from the gift shop. Standing at the front entrance of the museum is the “Follow Me” Infantryman statue that greeted generations of Infantry Officers in front of the Infantry School at Building 4.1 Entering the museum, I went straight to the premier exhibit, the “Last 100 Yards Ramp,” which showcased the Infantry through the ages, and the hard fighting First exhibit in the “Last 100 Yards Ramp,” the assault on Redoubt #10 at Yorktown. that characterizes the “last 100 yards,” when closing with the enemy. The first exhibit was the attack and seizure of Redoubt #10 at the siege of Yorktown, which had great meaning for me, as my 4th Great Grandfather, Private Enos Campbell, served under LTC Alexander Hamilton as part of the follow-on assault element in that attack.

Moving through this exhibit, I came upon the Korean War exhibit, which featured COL Lewis L. Millett’s bayonet charge, conducted on February 7, 1951, when then Captain Millett led his Soldiers from Easy Company, 2D Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division atop Hill 180 near Soam-Ni, Korea. “With only bayonets and hand grenades the company fought a hand-to-hand assault against heavy opposing fire. “ He was awarded the Medal of Honor from President Truman for his exploits. This exhibit had great personal COL, Lewis L. Millet, leading his legendary bayonet charge while in command of E Co., 2/27 Infantry. meaning to me, because COL Millet pinned on my Expert Infantryman’s Badge when I was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, “Wolfhounds,” in 3rd Brigade, 7th Infantry Division “Light Fighters” at Fort Ord California, many years ago. COL Millet served for more than 15 years as the Honorary Colonel of the 27th Infantry Regiment, an official distinction given by the Army, and led the last known bayonet charge of the U.S. Army. He passed away on 14 February 2009. (continued on following page) 8