A Word from the Founder

Honoring Our Veterans

What is U.S. military service worth? How often do most Americans think about this question?

Hundreds of Americans from all over Wyoming came together March 28 to celebrate National Vietnam Veterans Day and Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day at the Museum. It was a day of education, recognition, and appreciation.

One highlight of the event was viewing the WyoPBS documentary “Home From the Vietnam War”. It gave us a glimpse of the lifelong impact war has on combat Veterans and their families. Human connection and empathy were the most important parts of the day. Veterans were there along with their service dogs. Think about the price these combat Veterans have paid every day for their combat experience more than 50 years ago.

Another highlight was education about the history of the Vietnam War. Most schools do not teach this history, so the Museum does. It is true that we have to know our history to make the best decisions going forward and avoid repeating mistakes of the past.

Thank you everyone who turned out March 28 to support our Veterans and their families. You made it a great day.

GEARZ® Season 20, Episode 4 “The National Museum of Military Vehicles”

Gearheads have watched Stacy David on national television for 25 years educating and entertaining audiences about restoring and fabricating cars and trucks. Stacy and a film crew visited the museum and our restoration shop March 26 – 28. The visit resulted in GEARZ® Season 20, Episode 4 “The National Museum of Military Vehicles” that premiered on Racer Networks April 29, 2026. See stacydavid.com for the schedule of re-airs on Racer Network and YouTube.

New Exhibits will installed Before the 4th of July

The work we began last year creating new exhibits for the museum is coming to fruition. Exhibits are being fabricated as this article is being written and will be installed June 8–26, just in time for the 4th of July. New exhibits in our Patton Gallery will expand what we say about the U.S. experience in WWI. One theme is the transition from horses to horsepower with the introduction of motorized ambulances and creation of the U.S. Army Motor Corps.

Another theme is how machine gun technology led to trench warfare, tanks, and fighter planes in WWI. Exhibits will cover the U.S. Army’s valor at the Battle of Cantigny, the legacy of the Marine Corps at the Battle of Belleau Wood, and Sgt. York’s Medal of Honor for capturing 132 Germans during the Meuse Argonne campaign. We will conclude with the consequences of WWI. Four empires were destroyed. New countries formed. The Treaty of Versailles contributed to WWII.

New exhibits in our Puller Gallery will expand what we say about the role of tunnels in the Vietnam War. One tunnel system alone, the tunnels of Cu Chi, contained three underground levels and extended 150 miles. American “tunnel rats” went into these tunnels alone with a flashlight and a pistol to gather intelligence, kill the enemy and destroy supplies. Is it any wonder Vietnam Veterans came home suffering from PTSD?

Other new exhibits in the Puller Gallery tell the story of Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and Navy Special Operation Teams, such as UDT and SEAL. We also are expanding what we say about the draft and Agent Orange. We can’t wait to have our new exhibits in place and begin sharing them with you starting June 27.

U.S. 250th Birthday Celebration

The 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. is almost here. You are invited to celebrate with us. What better way to celebrate than to watch tanks crush cars? Why not have fun as well as education and reflection? See our website for a full schedule of special events at the museum July 3 that will include tank and machine gun demonstrations, military vehicle rides, a guest speaker, and dinner in the USS Wyoming/ Cowboy Guard room. Dinner is timed so that guests can attend the Dubois rodeo that evening beginning 7:30 p.m.

Dubois 4th of July Parade

The next morning, come to our restoration shop where you can visit and climb in the vehicles we will be driving in the Dubois 4th of July parade. Get food and beverage at the Army field kitchen we will set up downtown along the parade route.

The 4th of July parade itself starts at 2:00 p.m. and is not to be missed. You will not see 25 tanks and other historic military vehicles drive down the main street of any other town or city that day in the entire U.S. The Dubois parade will be a rare, authentic celebration of American independence for family and friends to enjoy and remember forever.

There will be activities in the town park following the parade and fireworks that evening as usual.

Liberty Lodge Update

The 70 room Liberty Lodge currently under construction next to the museum will open January 2027. Once the Liberty Lodge opens, our Canteen restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breaking Ground for a New Museum Building

After Richardson Construction completes the Liberty Lodge, Randy Richardson and his team will begin construction on a new 140,000 square foot expansion to the museum.

The first priority for the new building will be to open a Cold War gallery. Schools do not teach younger Americans that the world spent 45 years during the Cold War 1946-1991 comparing socialism and communism with democracy and capitalism. We already know that the “warm embrace of collectivism” leads to disaster, loss of freedoms, and a lower standard of living. The Cold War gallery will teach this critical history to help younger Americans avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

The new building eventually will include galleries covering the Gulf Wars, 9/11 and Afghanistan, and the Global War on Terror. It will also cover chapters in the history of American freedom that have not yet been written. Stay tuned.