To educate and to honor: The Airborne Special Operations Museum continues its mission to serve as an education tool and memorial

By Kate Griffin, posted Aug 3, 2023 on BizFayetteville.com

Guests enter the exhibit portion of the museum by walking through an interior
mockup of a C-47 Transport Plane - PHOTO PULLED FROM THE ASOM WEBSITE

Located in Downtown Fayetteville, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum has been a longstanding fixture of military history and memorial for Fayetteville, NC. Officially established on Aug. 16, 2000, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum is a free-to-enter, state-of-the-art facility that educates the community and honors the people who served. The quality, detail and professionalism is often compared by some to the museums of the Smithsonian Institution. The Airborne and Special Operations Museum lends a truly noble and professional presence to the City of Fayetteville.

“The U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum houses thousands of artifacts that honor and celebrate over 80 years of Army Airborne and Special Operations history,” shared Executive Director of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation Renee Lane.

In 2005, the ASOM Foundation gifted the Museum to the U.S. Army. The ASOM Foundation continues to operate and is solely responsible for community outreach and fundraising to sustain the Museum’s mission, programs and future exhibits.

“Within the Army organizational structure, the ASOM is part of the Fort Liberty Museums, under the umbrella of the Army Museum Enterprise, (AME), which falls under the U.S. Army Center of Military History (CMH), whose higher headquarters is the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC),” said Lane.

While the Museum is nearing its 23rd year in operation, Lane shared that the Airborne and Special Operations Museum was in the works long before.

“Retired General James J. Lindsay was one of the driving forces behind the Museum. He said the first meeting to discuss the possibility of a museum focusing on airborne and special operations troops was held during the first week of August 1990,” said Lane. “The museum initially was going to be built on post and a groundbreaking was held, but fundraising fell through. Lindsay then called friends and business leaders in the Fayetteville community who embraced the museum concept. Lindsay credits local leaders for putting the museum near Hay Street, where it helped transform the entrance to downtown and provide easy access off-post.”

The museum’s main exhibit immerses the visitors into the environments and throughout the notable events of the US Airborne and Special Operations’ history. The exhibits start in the Parachute Test Platoon of the 1940s and continue all the way to the War on Terrorism. The museum contains many top-notch dioramas and exhibits, with endless details to learn about.

“Designed by Winston-Salem native Michael West, the exposed steel rafters [of the museum’s interior] are shaped to symbolize the wingspan of a C-47 aircraft, as well as the towers from which fledging paratroopers make their first jumps,” said Lane.

The museum is expanding and growing with the passing times, with future plans of innovation.

“Work has begun on an updated storyline for the permanent gallery and in the next few years, visitors will experience a transformed gallery with new artifacts, immersive exhibits and interactive technologies to enhance the learning experience,” said Lane.

The theater portion of the museum sustained damage, which the museum hopes to remodel into room for additional exhibits.

“In addition to a permanent gallery renovation and expansion, a STEAM Innovation Lab will provide a dynamic educational experience for younger visitors. Our intent is to partner with the NC Department of Public Instruction and military equipment research and development companies in North Carolina to provide a unique learning experience for kindergarten through high school students,” shared Lane.

To keep up with the ever-increasing costs, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation has currently raised $5 million, with an end goal of $15 million for the upcoming renovations.

The Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation works alongside many local governments and organizations and school districts. The museum provides programs like the Memorial Paver and Monument Program, where one can pay tribute to their loved ones with engraved granite pavers.

The museum offers a Distinguished Speaker Series that features renowned authors and figures for visitors of the museum to listen to.

“Our next Distinguished Speaker Series is with James Fenelon, author of “Four Hours of Fury”, the untold story of the American 17th Airborne Division’s combat jump over the Rhine River in March 1945,” shared Lane.

In partnership with Cool Spring Downtown District, the museum has the yearly “Field of Honor” where hundreds of sponsored fags will be set up on the museum parade field, Sept. 11 to Nov. 12.

“This living display of heroism flies as a patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of Americans and honors all who are currently serving, those that have served and the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s security and freedom,” said Lane.

The Airborne and Special Operations Museum has been a fixture of many people’s lives for the past two decades. It has told the story of heroes gone before and inspired the hearts of many to remember and to learn from. With the high concentration of Special Forces and Airborne soldiers in the Fayetteville and Fort Liberty area, the Airborne and Special Forces Museum along with the Memorial Paver and Monument Program serves as a hub for connection within the military community, in addition to education and remembrance. In the past 23 years, the ASOM has given millions of visitors lasting memories of military history and the Airborne and Special Operations Soldiers who fought for liberty and freedom in many corners of the world.

Whether the visitor is a veteran, an active duty military service member, a family member, or someone with no familiarity with the military, there is something for everyone.

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