New Infantry Museum Will Be A “Must See” Tourist Destination
Here at Military RVing we not only tell you about current military RV news, but we also keep you "up-to-speed" on the future. An all new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center is being built on a 200-acre site that will be known as “Patriot Park”. 
Located next to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, civilian visitors will no longer need to go through the hassle of presenting ID, proof of insurance and standing in line just to get on Fort Benning proper where the present museum is located. There are also plans to establish an Armor Museum here as well.
This state of the art museum will have 160,000-square-feet of exhibit, classroom and meeting space. It will have a 3-D IMAX Theatre, adventure simulator attractions as well as a themed café and gift shop.
The exhibit galleries are being created by top-notch exhibit designers and will cover Infantry history from pre-Revolutionary times to the present. The mission of the museum is, “To teach the lesson that freedom is not free and to help Americans see the faces of the men who sacrifice so much for our freedom”. 
Patriot Park is much more than a museum; it will also be a history maker. Patriot Park will be the site for public military graduation ceremonies on a seven acre parade field with a grand-stand. Over 30,000 Infantry School students will graduate here each year. 
These graduation ceremonies draw more than 150,000 friends and family members from all across the country each year.
But wait, we’re not done yet! Right next to the parade field is an authentically recreated World War II Company Street which includes a functional chapel for reunion groups, weddings or other special events. 
The World War II Company Street also includes barracks, mess hall, day room, supply room and the headquarters and sleeping quarters used by General George Patton prior to his deployment to North Africa in WWII. 
A Memorial Walk of Honor will feature monuments from many Infantry units currently scattered across Fort Benning. There will also be a replica of one of the famous 250-foot jump towers. Every airborne student past and present has been dropped from one of these towers, so it will be a “towering” feature of Patriot Park. 
State of the art Patriot Park will also include exhibits like the “Cold War Gallery” highlighting the “Vietnam Experience” with a glass-enclosed, heat- and humidity-controlled environment where visitors will feel and sense the dangers of face-to-face fighting in this jungle environment. 
World War II Street should be completed soon. 
Construction on the museum and parade field began in January 2007 and completion is expected in 2008. 
What is amazing is that this is being done by a private non-profit organization known as the “National Infantry Foundation” which has already raised 61 million dollars and continues to raise money toward the project goal of 85 million dollars.
When complete Patriot Park will truly be a “Must See” tourist destination! You can learn more and make a donation here: Patriot Park
Located next to Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, civilian visitors will no longer need to go through the hassle of presenting ID, proof of insurance and standing in line just to get on Fort Benning proper where the present museum is located. There are also plans to establish an Armor Museum here as well.This state of the art museum will have 160,000-square-feet of exhibit, classroom and meeting space. It will have a 3-D IMAX Theatre, adventure simulator attractions as well as a themed café and gift shop.
The exhibit galleries are being created by top-notch exhibit designers and will cover Infantry history from pre-Revolutionary times to the present. The mission of the museum is, “To teach the lesson that freedom is not free and to help Americans see the faces of the men who sacrifice so much for our freedom”. Patriot Park is much more than a museum; it will also be a history maker. Patriot Park will be the site for public military graduation ceremonies on a seven acre parade field with a grand-stand. Over 30,000 Infantry School students will graduate here each year. These graduation ceremonies draw more than 150,000 friends and family members from all across the country each year.But wait, we’re not done yet! Right next to the parade field is an authentically recreated World War II Company Street which includes a functional chapel for reunion groups, weddings or other special events. The World War II Company Street also includes barracks, mess hall, day room, supply room and the headquarters and sleeping quarters used by General George Patton prior to his deployment to North Africa in WWII. A Memorial Walk of Honor will feature monuments from many Infantry units currently scattered across Fort Benning. There will also be a replica of one of the famous 250-foot jump towers. Every airborne student past and present has been dropped from one of these towers, so it will be a “towering” feature of Patriot Park. State of the art Patriot Park will also include exhibits like the “Cold War Gallery” highlighting the “Vietnam Experience” with a glass-enclosed, heat- and humidity-controlled environment where visitors will feel and sense the dangers of face-to-face fighting in this jungle environment. World War II Street should be completed soon. Construction on the museum and parade field began in January 2007 and completion is expected in 2008. What is amazing is that this is being done by a private non-profit organization known as the “National Infantry Foundation” which has already raised 61 million dollars and continues to raise money toward the project goal of 85 million dollars.When complete Patriot Park will truly be a “Must See” tourist destination! You can learn more and make a donation here: Patriot Park
Labels: Army
posted by Jim Twamley at
9:25 AM
|
0 comments
Fort Benning, Georgia is home to the Infantry whose motto is “Follow Me!” In order to get to the Uchee Creek Campground you really do need someone to lead you because it’s not easy to find. However, once there you’ll discover a jewel of a military campground. 
Nestled between the Chattahoochee River and Uchee Lake this campground is pristine. There are 35 RV sites near the pool area and 36 RV sites in the long term area. Each site is paved with a table and BBQ. The current price list is located at the bottom of the article.
You will see white tail deer, many birds and an armadillo now and then. Did you know that research doctors use these guys to study leprosy because the majority of them carry it? 
Be careful hiking in the woods. I ran into this guy (literally) on the road to the campground.
There are 50 cabins (which by the way MWR unwisely placed on spots designated for RV’s and now it’s hard to reserve an RV space). 
Uchee Lake is flanked on one side by large cabins which are very nice. You can sit in a swinging chair and offer yourself as a sacrifice to the mosquitoes while enjoying picturesque views of the lake. 
It also has a fishing dock, but please don’t feed the alligators as it’s against the law. 
Wrestling them may be OK, but you better check with the folks at the office before you try it. 
For reservations call (706) 685-3060 ext. 202. Reservations can be made Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Uchee Creek is out in the sticks, so it’s nice to have the store for emergency items like soda, milk, hot dog buns, marshmallows, chocolate and gram crackers. 
On base you will find all the amenities you would expect. The big news is that they are building a new Exchange shopping mall which should be completed soon. Right now you can not really park an RV in the PX or Commissary parking lot in the front (due to construction), however you can park up by the gas station. We have to wait and see how the new PX parking lot comes out to see whether it will accommodate large RVs.
The new “Follow Me Chapel” is awesome and so are the services. 
Dress is casual for the Protestant contemporary service and they have many activities including pot-lucks, Bible studies and kids programs.
The new theatre features first run movies and is quite nice.
An RV wash rack is available next to the class-6 store, The RV wash rack is at the end of the regular car wash, however I recommend entering by way of Ingersol Street to avoid the tree branches. 
There are several museums in town and many points of interest on base – look for the historical marker indicating where President Eisenhower lived in base housing when he was just a Major. 
Other famous Generals lived here as well, so it's worth driving around and exploring Ft. Benning itself. 
You can watch students fire machine guns, practice jumping out of mock-up aircraft, parachute from the towers and swing like monkeys on the parachute trainers. 
Or, you may choose to take in an outdoor concert on the lawn of the General's house which is also a famous old mansion. There is lots to do on base and more to do downtown.
Columbus, Georgia has many fine restaurants as well as the standard chain restaurants like Cracker Barrel, Cheddars, TGI Fridays and Chilies. There is a brand spanking new Super WalMart and Sam’s Club here as well as a fabulous indoor mall. If you can’t find it here, Atlanta is only a short drive away.
Notes: Cell phone coverage at the campground is weak. The base also has riding stables and a golf course. The military hospital will see Tricare patients in the emergency room. 