Fall 2025
V-J Day, Medal of Honor recipient Louis Rocco, and artifacts from the Pacific and Vietnam wars.
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12 stories
A Word from Our Founder
A lot has happened at the museum since our last newsletter. We held a successful third annual Veterans Talking to Veterans Fair May 23 – 24. We conducted our first in-house equine therapy program for veterans and family members June 8 – 14 under the tutelage of Anna Twinney, founder of Reach Out to Horses. We hosted other…
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Curatorial Department Update
The curatorial department had another very productive and busy summer season. Our team was joined this past summer by two interns, college students from Washington and Utah. During their time at NMMV, the interns became proficient as tour guides and historical researchers. We are extremely appreciative of their contributions…
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Education Department Update
As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering impactful educational resources, we partnered with the University of Wyoming’s Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program and the Wyoming Department of Education to create standardsaligned lesson plans for secondary schools. This initiative included collaboration between NMMV and…
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Eighty Years Since Surrender: V-J Day and What It Means Today
September 2, 2025, is the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day, as celebrated by the United States. While this date represents the end of World War II, a closer look reveals that there is more to this day than the signing of a surrender. For instance, did you know that not every country celebrated V-J Day on…
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CW2 Louis Richard Rocco, Vietnam War Medal of Honor Recipient
Louis Robert Rocco enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1955. After his basic training at Fort Ord, California, he then trained at the medical school at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Following his medical training, Rocco became a medic, first with the 82nd Airborne Division and then the 11th Airborne Division. His first overseas…
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Japanese Tropical Uniform Tunic
This Japanese Tropical Uniform Tunic was taken from 2nd Lt. Matsui when he surrendered to U.S. forces after the Battle of Okinawa. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) tropical tunic was unlined, made of cotton fabric, and features under-arm ventilation flaps as well as interior pockets. The multiple wear-repairs and use of wooden…
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Medal of Honor Recipient Louis Richard Rocco's Army Uniform Coat
Here at the National Museum of Military Vehicles, we are honored to have in our collection one of the Class A uniforms of CW2 Rocco. Below are detailed photos and descriptions of the awards found on this example of CW2 Rocco’s military service. Rocco’s uniform coat in the museum’s collection is a Class A in shade AG (Army…
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Tank Restoration Facility Update
Our M48A2 AVLB chassis is nearly done with repairs and sand blasting. Next it’s moving to the paint booth for a special paint scheme. The two halves of the bridge (stored outside) will occupy the blast boot next. The paint color will be Gray Desert, which incorporates a mix of colors like Sand and Field Drab taking up 90% of…
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Uncommon Valor: The Recon Company That Earned Five Medals of Honor and Included America's Most Decorated Green Beret. By Stephen L. Moore.
Stephen L. Moore’s Uncommon Valor is a gripping and meticulously researched account of one of the most elite and secretive American military units of the Vietnam War: the men of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV)-Studies and Observations Group (SOG) who were stationed at Forward Operating Base 2 (FOB-2) in Kontum…
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Did You Know? SURPRISING AND LESSER KNOWN FACTS OF MILITARY HISTORY
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the oldest U.S. serviceman to make the D-Day landing in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944 Brigadier General Roosevelt was 56 years old when he went in on the first wave of the Allied invasion on Utah Beach. Roosevelt was not only the oldest soldier to make the D-Day landing at 56 years old, but was…
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Guests Share Their Thoughts
In the Patton Gallery, you have the opportunity to Share Your Thoughts. Guests often reflect on their visit to the Museum, Veterans' service and sacrifice, and the price of American freedom. Reflection What thoughts or feelings did your visit today inspire? “I loved it. The tour was very informative and well presented. I think…
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YouTube Channel Updates
WATCH US ON YOUTUBE YOUTUBE@NMMV_USA ORIGINAL CONTENT CREATED AND PRODUCED BY NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY VEHICLES OUR VIDEOS DIVE DEEP INTO THE HISTORY AND USES OF OUR MILITARY’S VEHICLES AND THE UNIQUE STORIES THAT ACCOMPANY THEM VIDEOS INCLUDE DYNAMIC CONTENT FROM WITHIN THE MUSEUM AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES FOOTAGE FROM OUR TANK…
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