America
Recently, we were traveling home from Casper, Wyoming following my niece competing for Miss Teen Wyoming. We like to travel through a little town called Dubois. We lived in Dubois for just over 6 years. It is where I started elementary school.
Traveling through we stopped at the National Museum of Military Vehicles. I know, I know, it sounds like a super nerdy thing that only our family would enjoy, but you would be so surprised.
When I was a kid Dubois was known for its wonderful mountain ranges and its proximity to Jackson Hole. It is a relatively quiet town. Our neighbor in Dubois was Walt Disney. I mean, we never met him, I don’t really even know if he ever visited, but Disney owned the land next to us.
The local hero in this little town is a boy named Chance.
Chance Phelpswas a Royal Ranger when my father pastored in Dubois. This particular aspect of the museum was very personal for my father. He knew this young man. This young man who lost his life, fighting for our country. Chance Phelps died in April, 2004 in the Iraq War.
Dubois has maintained it’s small town lure over the years and though one would think it’s growth would remove its magic, it reall hasn’t.
Here nestled in this little small rural town, that has worked to preserve its magic lies a SUPER HUGE a beautiful museum. How did this little town get this SUPER big museum? Why Dubois? Why military vehicles?
The question is not really why, but who?
In 2012, Dan Starks bought a tank. It was the start of something big. Since then he's acquired hundreds more tanks, jeeps, trucks, motorcycles, landing craft and other military vehicles. It's now the biggest collection of military rolling stock in in the U.S. outside of the armed forces themselves.”
This man has taken the time to fall in love with the magic of a town, understand the locals and praise a local hero, and gift the world with his hobby. It’s a strange and beautiful thing.
The moment you walk in you see “the Vault.” Cason could barely contain himself. He just headed straight in.
“Unknown Soldiers Weapons Vault
There is a smaller museum within the museum featuring a historically significant collection of firearms -- from the first sniper rifle used in combat to the fully authenticated musket that fired the first shot in the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill.”
We had only allotted 2 hours of our day for this museum. Most small town museums that we stop at, you can get through them thoroughly in two hours. The weapons vault alone is a full day excursion.
The founder himself gives the tours. That in and of itself speaks volumes of his dedication to this project.
The tour begins and you are immediately, awe struck by his knowledge.
Each exhibit transporting you to a time in our history in which lives were lost. The reminder that soldiers fought for our freedoms. The freedoms we have today were fought for. From Bunk Hill, to the shores of Normandy to the jungles of Vietnam.
As you walk through exhibit after exhibit you feel a sense of pride that is not explainable. I don’t recall if there was actual music playing, but in my mind I had patriotic tunes ringing in each room. God Bless the USA.
A little town, a BIG museum, and a HUGE mission, to preserve history and educate generations about that history.
You leave feeling proud to be an American.
I will certainly blog about this museum again in the future. I absolutely loved it and want to share it with the world.
https://www.nmmv.org
The Details…
Cost $15 adult (no seniors discount which is a little disappointing)
$10 for youth (100% worth it!!!)
7 and under FREE and military are FREE!
I did not get a chance to ask if they let librarians in for FREE. It was a bit chaotic at the desk because a tour was starting. it was not their fault, that I didn’t get the answer.
Time Needed: I would say two days.
“Let Us Have Peace”
A perfect “Bench” reflection to leave with.
