Texas military members memoralized

By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Museum director and retired Brig. Gen. John Scribner oversees the facility located at Camp Mabry in Austin. -- Staff photo by Taylor

June 30, 2005 - With Fourth of July celebrations right around the corner, the Texas Military Forces Museum, located at Camp Mabry in Austin, is a good place to visit. Although the museum opened in 1992, it is still one of the best kept secrets in Texas, and offers great insight to Texans involved in wars ... all the way back to the Alamo.

Museum director and retired Brig. Gen. John Scribner, and his group of volunteers, have a wealth of information to share, and what they don't know, they know where to tell you to look for the information. Scribner was in the military a total of 37 years, including his service in the Army, National Guard and Texas State Guard.

"If I bled, it would be Army green," he says with a sparkle in his eyes. "I was probably born wearing olive drab diapers!"

The Building 6 that houses the museum has 45,000 square feet, and exhibits are divided into various areas that represent different wars of which Texans were/are a part.

One of the most unusual and outstanding parts of the museum is the various "dioramas" (miniature reproductions) which depict different battles fought over the years. The fall of the Alamo takes up 54 square feet, and each displayed character has been carefully prepared and placed to represent each of the 189 Texian volunteers that were killed, including Davy Crockett.

Another important diorama represents the Civil War's Battle of the Wilderness, so called because of the physical conditions of the land where the battle took place in Virginia. There are 800 figures for this diorama, including General Robert E. Lee.

Other exhibits include a group named the "Buffalo Soldiers," a group of African-Americans who first organized to protect Texas citizens from Indians and bandits. This group became a part of the 56th Cavalry Brigade when the 112th Cavalry was sent to the Pacific Theater during WWII.

There is one section devoted to the memories and happenings of WWI and the soldiers who served in the famous 36th Infantry Division, which included soldiers from Texas and Oklahoma.

Perhaps, one of the most interesting periods to many history buffs was during WWII. Many weapons and equipment that Americans captured from Germans, Japanese, and Italians are on display, along with other enemy equipment. Members of the "Lost Battalion," the 131st Field Artillery, a part of the 36th Division, was sent to Java in 1942. When the Dutch surrendered to the Japanese, the complete battalion became captive for 42 months, with no one stateside knowing where they were. This is the group who worked on the railroad in Thailand which built the "Bridge over the River Kwai."

Along with the dioramas, visitors can view the various uniforms worn, and equipment used, by troops during the years. As Scribner noted, as visitors and military members visit the museum, "… we tell history like it happened."

In the museum's Drill Hall Exhibit Area, there's plenty of vintage aircraft overhead, such as the Piper Cub "Grasshopper" airplanes used in WWII and the OH-58 Helicopter used by the Army in 1968 during Vietnam. Below the planes are various armored vehicles, representing different battles and wars. There's even a reproduction of the Mexican cannon, named the "Golden Standard" by the victorious troops under Gen. Sam Houston, that was used during the battle against Santa Anna. The actual cannon is believed to be on the ocean floor in the Bay of Campeche.

If visual information isn't enough, there is a 15,000 volume library available to visitors.

During the first weekend in October, the museum participates in "Muster Day" and Open House where soldiers operate some of the equipment and take part in demonstrations and "mock battles" for the public to view. School tours are welcome, and it is a great way to introduce children to the Texas military heritage.

The Texas Military Forces Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is located in Camp Mabry at 2200 W. 35th St., just west of Loop 1 (MOPAC). Volunteers can be reached at 512-465-5659 or visit online at www.agd.state.tx.us/museum.htm or www.kwanah.com.txmilmus.