Virtual Field Trips

Fighting for Freedom: Nisei Soldiers and World War II

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The Color Guard of the 442d Regimental Combat Team stands at attention while citations are read following fierce fighting in the Vosges, France, Nov. 12, 1944. Department of Defense

Learn about the courageous men and women of Japanese ancestry from Hawaii and the mainland United States who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, while some of their families were placed in War Relocation Authority Confinement Sites.
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The Road to Revolution: The French and Indian War

drawing of colonial era soldiers fighting in a wooded area

The defeat of General Braddock, cropped. Library of Congress

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 in order to better understand its powerful relationship to the Revolutionary War.
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The Revolutionary War Soldier’s Load: Profiles of an Army

Drawing of Revolutionary War Era Soldiers in different uniforms

American Soldiers at Yorktown in 1781 as depicted by Jean-Baptiste-Antoine deVerger. Brown University

Over 200,000 Americans served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. These diverse individuals came together to eventually form a functioning and professional Army. Join us to explore how American patriots worked together to create the Continental Army by examining the uniforms, equipment, and weapons of Revolutionary War Soldiers.
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Corps of Discovery: Lewis and Clark Expedition

Painting of Lewis and Clark expedition in canoes on a river

Lewis and Clark on the Lower Colombia by Charles Marion Russell, 1905. Cropped. Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, Amon G. Carter Collection.

The Corps of Discovery was the Army’s first diplomatic mission. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark received orders from President Thomas Jefferson to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and find a water passageway to the Pacific Ocean. Discover the mission’s lasting impacts and consequences for the Army, the nation, and the American Indians who inhabited the land.
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The Civil War Soldier’s Load: Technological Innovations

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(Left) Unknown Union Soldier with a full load. (Center) Two unidentified Soldiers with a sword and saxhorn. (Right) Unidentified Union Soldier with a canteen and rain gear. Library of Congress

The Civil War consumed the United States from 1861 to 1865. Tens of thousands of Soldiers endured hardships and challenges to carry out the Army’s military mission to preserve the Union. The items Soldiers carried into the field were invaluable to performing their duty and executing the Army’s mission. Join a Museum educator to explore the gear, weapons, and personal items that made up a Civil War Soldier’s Load.
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Hardtack and Hard Times: Civil War Food and the U.S. Army

6 Civil war soldiers sit around a table filled with food and drinks

Noncommissioned Officers’ Mess, Bealeton, Virginia, August 1863. Cropped. Library of Congress

Healthy Soldiers are essential for the U.S. Army to accomplish its mission. The food Soldiers eat is one way to keep a strong fighting force. Explore how the U.S. Army supplied its Soldiers during the Civil War. Learn how Soldiers supplemented their rations and, for many, learned to cook for the visit time.
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Beyond the Civil War: Buffalo Soldiers on the American Frontier and Overseas, 1866-1916

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Buffalo Soldiers of the 25th Infantry. Cropped. Library of Congress

On July 28, 1866, a Congressional Act create six new regiments of all-Black enlisted men who would become known as the “Buffalo Soldiers.” These Soldiers played a decisive role in the U.S. Army on the western frontier and overseas operations. In this Virtual Field Trip, examine the commitment, challenges, and sacrifices of Buffalo Soldiers immediately following the Civil War and continuing through the Spanish American War.
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“Our Girls Over There”: The Hello Girls of World War I

Three women wearing headphones sit at a switchboard

Telephone Operators at St. Mihiel. Cropped. National Archives and Records Administration

During World War I, over 200 women served the American Expeditionary Forces as telephone operators connecting calls between the front line and higher headquarters. The women, nicknamed the “Hello Girls,” worked tirelessly, under at times combat conditions as the first women to actively support combat operations. Learn more about how these female telephone operators were recruited for specific skills and how their contributions were critical to effective U.S. Army wartime communications.
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Defining “American”: Native American Soldiers in World War I and the Path to Citizenship

6 Native American men in World War I era Army uniforms stand in front of a building.

World War I Choctaw telephone squad. Cropped. U.S. Army

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 virtual field trip, 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.
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Making a Way Out of No Way: The African American Soldier Experience in World War II

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Lt. Gen. Joseph T. McNarney inspects Military Police from the segregated 92nd Infantry Division. Cropped. National Archives and Records Administration

Generations of African Americans have served their country, many serving in segregated units and not always given the respect and honor due to them. Although African Americans fought with distinction in World War II, they returned home to a segregated America. In 1948, President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which called for equal opportunity for all members of the Armed Forces. The segregated Army became a thing of the past and the segregation of American society began to crumble. Explore the commitment, challenges, and bravery of African American Soldiers serving during World War II.
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“Can’t Anything Stop These Men?”: U.S. Army Paratroopers Creating Turning Points in World War II

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

Paratroopers inspect equipment just before takeoff. Cropped. National Archives

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. 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.
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Fighting for Freedom: Nisei Soldiers and World War II

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The Color Guard of the 442d Regimental Combat Team stands at attention while citations are read following fierce fighting in the Vosges, France, Nov. 12, 1944. Department of Defense

Learn about the courageous men and women of Japanese ancestry from Hawaii and the mainland United States who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, while some of their families were placed in War Relocation Authority Confinement Sites.
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Over Here, Over There: The United States Service Organizations (USO) and the U.S. Army

Mickey Rooney, in uniform with a knife on his waistband, stands at a microphone with his mouth open. Soldiers surround him, laughing.

Pfc. Mickey Rooney entertains an audience of infantrymen of the 44th Division in Kist, Germany, April 13, 1945. National Archives

Laughter, celebrities, and frivolity are the sounds and images most closely associated with the USO. These professional-quality variety shows featured popular comedians, vocalists, and actors in some of World War II’s most uncertain battlefields. The shows brought a brief respite from the uncertainty and stress associated with wartime service. Learn how the Army values of selfless service and duty were channeled by civilians to support and uplift Soldiers during one of the darkest times in American history.
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The Accomplishment of the ENIAC and the Women Computing Pioneers

Two women rewire a computer that takes up an entire wall

MarlynWescoff (standing) and Ruth Lichterman wire the right side of the ENIAC with a new program. Cropped. U.S. Army Photo from the archives of the ARL Technical Library

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. Discover how female “computers” solved complex problems, contributing to Army innovation during World War II.
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The Question of “What if?”: The U.S. Army During the Cold War

A group of Soldiers look on at a mushroom cloud from a nuclear bomb test.

Soldiers involved in Operation Buster-Jangle observe a nuclear detonation test in the Nevada desert, 1951. Cropped. Department of Defense

During World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States worked together to fight a common enemy; and after the war that relationship fell apart. Trust between the former allies broke down and fear took hold in its place. This mutual mistrust lead the two countries to confront the looming question of “what if?” That question would color the relationship between the two for the next 50 years. As a result, the Army developed new technology, equipment, and training to better protect Americans from the possibilities and threats posed by the “what if?” In this virtual field trip, you will learn how Soldiers worked together to keep the “what if?” from becoming a reality during the Cold War.
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