Page 10 - Explore Arkansas 2020

10PEXPLOREARKANSAS
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020
SALUTE!
Military-themed destinations in Arkansas
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETE FILE PHOTO Butch Tosh, left, and Corie Shinn look at Confederate uniforms while meandering through the
MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History in Little Rock.
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETE FILE PHOTO Richard Engel checks out the exhibits at the Jacksonville Museum of Military History.
BY CODY GRAVES
CREATIVE SERVICES WRITER
The United States has a rich military history, and Arkansas plays a big part in that history.
From learning about famous mil- itary leaders to seeing former battlefields firsthand, the following are great places to take in the state’s role in wartime and peacetime.
ARKANSAS INLAND MARITIME MUSEUM
Located on the northern bank of the Arkansas River in North Little Rock is the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. Its standout attractions, which are visi- ble from the nearby bridges, are the USS Razorback submarine and the Hoga, a World War II-era tugboat. These two vessels bookend the history of World War II as the Hoga fought fires on battle- ships such as the USS Nevada, the USS Maryland, the USS Tennessee and the USS Arizona during the attack of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. The USS Razor- back was present at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, which ended the war.
Visitors to the AIM Museum can take a tour of the USS Razorback to see what life was like for sailors in the submarine. After making the 14-foot descent into the sub, visitors are entertained by a tour guide, who shows and tells how the sailors aboard the vessel worked, slept and ate.
The museum also has a variety of ex- hibits and artifacts from Arkansas’ naval history. One of the museum’s newest ex- hibits, The History of Submarines, was created by museum curator Lyle Grisham.
“I believe it is up to my generation, and the efforts of our museum’s staff and volunteers, to ensure that Arkansas’ naval history lives on throughout many gener- ations,” said Camille Smith, director of special events. “It is necessary that we teach them about the honor and sacrifice of our state’s heroic veterans, as well as the advancement of our country’s military technology throughout the years.”
For more information, visit aim museum.org.
JACKSONVILLE MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY
Just a short drive from the Little Rock Air Force Base, the Jacksonville Museum of Military History contains a wide va- riety of artifacts, photographs, vehicles, uniforms and other military items from all periods of U.S. military history.
In front of the building, guests are greeted by an Air Force F-105 jet and an Army Bell UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. The museum site is in what used to be the ad- ministration building of the Jacksonville Ordnance Plant, which, during World War II, produced more than 1 billion components for the war effort.
The museum also has a number of exhibits and artifacts from the Battle of Reed’s Bridge, which occurred during the Civil War. This battle took place during the 1863 Little Rock campaign as Union soldiers moved south. The Reed’s Bridge Battlefield Heritage Park, on Arkansas 161, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an official Trail of Tears site.
For more information, visit jaxmilitary museum.org.
MACARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY
Located in the only surviving building from the Little Rock Arsenal, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History contains a variety of exhibits and artifacts from the state’s involvement in military conflicts.
One of the biggest connections to U.S. military history is that the Little Rock Arsenal was the birthplace of Gen. Doug- las MacArthur, one of only five five-star generals to serve in the U.S. Army.
“This is the sort of structure [where visitors] can learn about the role that Ar- kansas has played in the military in the past, then can also visit the birthplace of the general among this country’s greatest military heroes,” said Stephen McAteer, executive director of the museum.