Phase One of Museum of the Marine complete

Photo By Lance Cpl. Tavairus Hernandez | The Marine Corps Eagle, Globe and Anchor is revealed at the Lejeune Memorial Gardens near downtown Jacksonville, Friday. The event marks end of phase one and the ground work for the Museum of the Marine to be built upon.  

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, UNITED STATES

05.12.2016

Story by Lance Cpl. Tavairus Hernandez 

Marine Corps Installations East       

"When the museum is made, it will be a representative and educational thought to all of us in North Carolina and the Marine Corps," said retired Gen. Al Gray, 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps. "It symbolizes to me the historic training of our young warriors of the future and teaches citizens of America what we’re all about."

The museum is considered the Carolina Marine Air-Ground Task Force branch to the museum in Quantico, Virginia. It is considered an extension with a focus on North Carolina.

"For the larger Marine Corps we envision what we’re doing here as an adjunct to the big museum in Quantico," said retired Maj. Gen. Ray L. Smith. "We focus more on fine tuning the Carolina portion of the larger Marine Corps, not as a competitor of the museum but as a branch of the museum—the Carolina MAGTF branch."

Understanding the early doctrine, equipment, ways of war fighting and the ways of thinking in war fighting in the time period before modern day Marine Corps is one of the objectives of the Museum.

"The MAGTF really made its genesis in the summer of February 1954," said Gray. "When then commandant Gen. Shepard said, ‘We have long been the experts in close air support supporting ground troops; we’ve got to put together the air groups, the ground groups and of course the logistic groups and make it all happen under a single command.’"

The new command became known as the 2nd MAGTF. Their ideas and concepts began here in the Carolinas and their story will be told in the museum to include their involvement in World War II.

"Their first exercise in April of 1954 where they would make concept with the Navy and work through these concepts and ideas for them would later become indoctrinated," said Gray. "The very first helicopter landing from ship to shore carrying troops happened here at Onslow Beach after the new helicopter doctrine."

The history in this museum will be on display at the Lejeune Memorial Gardens. The gardens are home to the Vietnam Veteran Memorial, Beirut Bombing Memorial, the 9/11 Memorial built with pieces from the towers.

"I was convinced to build the memorial for the 2nd MAGTF off base for everyone to see," said Smith. "That’s the beginning of this (museum)."

• Date Taken: 05.12.2016
• Date Posted: 05.19.2016 12:19
• Story ID: 198560
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US