National Museum of the United States Army

Women’s Army Corps: Marching into History

Wednesday, August 7, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

Discover how women in World War II ushered in new economic and social changes that would forever alter the role of women in American society.

Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States mobilized for war. The Women’s Army Corps brought women into the effort.

Female Soldiers were lauded for their professionalism and commitment. However, as the war dragged on and women’s roles expanded, social pressure to conform to traditional gender roles challenged WAC Soldiers. Some women, burned out by the intensity of wartime service, looked forward to a post-war life built on domesticity. Others hoped to transition into civilian jobs. A few would have liked to build Army careers. A society that accepted women in emergency wartime service proved resistant to permanent change.

Women’s military service was scheduled to end with the war. Recognizing women’s valuable service, military leaders lobbied Congress to make it permanent. In 1948, President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. The Act granted women the right to serve as permanent, regular members in all four branches of the military.

Since 1948, the scope of women’s military service has expanded. Today, all military occupational specialties, including combat roles, are open to women. Women’s World War II military service kicked open the door that generations of female Soldiers have since marched through.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, August 7. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

The Accomplishment of the ENIAC and the Women Computing Pioneers

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

Two women rewire a computer that takes up an entire wall

Discover how a talented group of female mathematicians laid the groundwork for the field of computer programming.

Winning World War II required an all-out effort. Thousands of women on the home front answered their country’s call to join the military, industry, and the civil service. In 1943, the U.S. Army recruited seven women mathematicians to set up and operate the Army’s newest top secret weapon: the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC). These unsung heroes wired the electrical connections that enabled the world’s first electronic, digital computer to complete 300 calculations per second. In doing so, they built a framework for the field of computer programming.

Examine how female “computers” solved complex problems, contributing to Army innovations during World War II.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, August 14. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

“Can’t Anything Stop These Men?”: U.S. Army Paratroopers Creating Turning Points in World War II

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

Two Soldiers in front of an airplane. One Soldier inspects the gear of the other soldier.

Just after midnight on June 6, 1944, American paratroopers were dropped behind enemy lines to prepare for an invasion force that would arrive at dawn. The Soldiers’ mission was to capture roadways and establish river crossings to support the D-Day invasion. The use of airborne troops, a vital of part the Allies’ campaign plans, was born out of wartime necessity.

Army airborne units were developed to support the concept of vertical envelopment, or the ability to strike an enemy from behind when ground forces could not go around prepared defenses. Born out of response to German success in Holland and Greece, the U.S. Army grew its airborne units from a small test platoon in 1940, through battalion and regimental combat in North Africa and Italy, to multiple combat-ready divisions by D-Day. Following the invasion, airborne troops would be deployed during Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge and earned a reputation for changing the battlefield as soon as they entered it.

Explore how the U.S. Army developed new technology, training, and strategies to overcome challenges and accomplish the mission. Learn how Army airborne troops contributed to Allied turning points during World War II.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, August 21. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

The Road to Revolution: The French and Indian War

Wednesday, September 4, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-Person

Before the American Revolution, a different conflict divided the colonies and set the stage for tension between the colonies and Great Britain. Originally a land struggle between European powers, the French and Indian War provoked resentment toward Great Britain. In this virtual field trip, visitors will investigate the long-reaching effects of the French and Indian War to better understand its powerful relationship to the Revolutionary War.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, September 18. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

The Monuments Men: Preserving Cultural Heritage During World War II

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-person

During World War II, a team of historians, museum professionals, scholars, architects, and archivists came together to protect European cultural sites from war damage. Known as the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, the team spread out throughout Europe and the Pacific to ensure that sites of cultural significance would be preserved and protected for future generations. This work earned them the nickname the Monuments Men.

As the war progressed, their mission evolved to include locating, recovering, and reconstituting works of art that had been looted by Nazis. Through careful intelligence work, the Monuments Men uncovered thousands of stolen artworks across Germany and Austria hidden in salt mines, castles, and other hidden bunkers. Their service prevented the destruction of some of the world’s most famous artworks including Jan Van Eyck’s “Ghent Altarpiece,” Johannes Vermeer’s “The Astronomer,” and Michelangelo’s “Madonna and Child.”

In this History Talk, learn more about the commitment, accomplishments, and sacrifices of the Monuments Men. Understand how their determination and dedication to duty protected and secured European and Japanese culture history and heritage during World War II.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, October 16. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

Defining “American”: Native American Soldiers in World War I and the Path to Citizenship

Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-Person

From the Revolutionary War through the present day, American Indians have proudly served the U.S. Army often without recognition or the benefits of citizenship.

During World War I, nearly 12,000 Indigenous Soldiers served in the armed forces with distinction. Their actions to protect the nation focused attention on disparities among Indigenous Americans and paved the way for all Indigenous people to enjoy the promise of American citizenship.

In this History Talk, explore the commitment, challenges, and bravery of Native American Soldiers during World War I. Learn how their actions led to citizenship for all Native people and helped lay the groundwork for voting rights.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, November 20. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

The “Problem of Flight”: The Wright Brothers and the U.S. Army

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 | 12 p.m. ET | Virtual and In-Person

On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their heavier-than-air machine, over 100 feet in 12 seconds at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This flight, the first of three that day, marked the world’s first powered, sustained, and controlled airplane flight. During those three short test flights, the aerial age was born.

The Army has frequently been a leader in recognizing and developing new technology and inventions to improve its effectiveness on the battlefield. Following the Wright Brothers’ success, the Army challenged the inventors to provide an aircraft that would carry two passengers, fly 40 miles per hour, and remain airborne for an hour. The result, the Wright Model A, was tested and accepted by the Army in 1909 at Fort Myer, Virginia. The purchase constituted the Army’s first air force.

Discover how the Wright brothers countered the problems of control and balance through experimentation to achieve success. Discover how the U.S. Army harnessed this new technology to improve readiness and learn how in turn that technology impacted civilian life.

This program is offered virtually and in-person on Wednesday, December 18. In-person seats are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

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