Hello Everyone,
Those who have followed this web site for several years are aware we posted an article on Colorado Springs' three military installations in November 2014. One of these was Fort Carson Museum which relates through exhibits the fascinating history of the 4th Infantry Division. In 2016, the museum was enlarged, exhibits redone with the addition of many United States and German artifacts, and new high quality dioramas put into place better telling their story.
FORT CARSON
To appreciate the museum, it’s important to understand the base’s history. Named in honor of legendary Army scout and general, Christopher “Kit” Carson, the camp was established immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The first building, headquarters, was finished on January 31, 1942. At peak construction, more than 11,500 were employed. Although a bare field in 1942, by 1943, it was a full base.
During World War II, more than 125 units were activated here with the 89th Infantry Division being the first. Others were the 71st, 104th, and 10th Mountain Divisions. A total of 104,165 soldiers trained at Camp Carson during that period.
The Camp trained nurses, cooks, mule packers, tank battalions, a Greek infantry battalion, and an Italian ordnance company, in addition to all types of soldiers. Toward the war’s end, after the divisions and established units departed, the Camp trained replacement troops and provisional companies. Its peak strength was in late 1943 when 43,000 provisional companies based there.
Starting on January 1, 1943, it was also home to 9,000 Axis prisoners of war during World War II. Most were Germans or Italians captured in North Africa. The POWs did general farmwork ranging from canning tomatoes to cutting corn and aiding in logging operations on Colorado’s western slope.
The prisoners made their own furniture, had a performing troupe, and published their own newspaper in German. In January 1946, a large number of German prisoners still resided at Camp Carson. However, by July 21, 1946, all had been returned to Europe or released. On display in the museum is a wood box that a POW carved and hand painted.
In January 1943, 23 buildings of the POW camp were destroyed by fire at a cost of one million in damages. The prisoners rebuilt these structures. On January 17, 1950, a fire, driven by 50 miles per hour winds, started at the Broadmoor Hotel then drove eastward reaching the base. It initially burned down the POW barracks and some warehouses, more than 33 buildings by noon. It appeared that all of Camp Carson was likely of being lost. The fire was finally extinguished by midnight with 92 buildings destroyed and two others heavily damaged. The total cost was three million with the loss of nine people - eight soldiers and one civilian from fighting the blaze.
ARMY MULES
Army mules were a common sight on base between 1942 and 1956. The first shipment of mules arrived by train from Nebraska on July 30, 1942. The men of the 604th and 605th Field Artillery trained them for six to eight weeks. First, they had to break them then get them used to walking around with field packs. Eventually, they carried equipment, weapons, and supplies over mountainous terrain.
As some soldiers are goldbricks, one mule named Useless qualified as well. He was assigned to the 602 Field Artillery. He failed as a pack mule then as a messenger mule then when he was hitched to a wagon used to haul hay. Useless was useless.
One mule that succeeded was Hambone (Hamilton T. Bone), with his silvery white coat, the pride of the 611th Field Artillery. He carried First Sergeants for 13 years up Ute Pass to Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. He was purchased in St. Joseph, Missouri as a pack mule and had two combat tours overseas in Germany. He also made three movies in Hollywood. In 1946, at Fort Riley, he won the jumping contest against horses but was disqualified because he was a mule. In July 1949, Life magazine published a feature story on him.
Hambone spent his retirement years as a star attraction with the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and the Pikes Peak Range Rodeo. He died in 1971 with full military honors and is the only animal with a headstone at Fort Carson. He is buried in front of the Division Artillery Headquarters.
The mules were deactivated on December 15, 1956 when 322 animals were replaced by helicopters. In 1970, the mule barns were razed making way for a central maintenance facility.
ARMY DOG TRAINING CENTER
Camp Carson was the only Army training installation for military canines in the United States until 1957 when dog training transferred to the Air Force. It is now at Lackland Air Force Base. Located on the Mary Ellen Ranch on the base, dogs trained for eight to twelve weeks before graduating to be scouts, messengers, or sentries.
Besides messages, messenger dogs carried food, ammunition, and medical supplies. Scout dogs detected enemies by smell. Sentry dogs were the only ones trained to attack persons. They patrolled area such as a warehouse or ammunition dump attacking intruders entering the fort.
MOVIES SHOT AT FORT CARSON
In 1951, “The Korean Story” starring Robert Mitchum was filmed at the Camp. It related the story of an American Army officer during the Korean War’s early stages. Camp Carson was chosen because its terrain reminded the film’s producers of Korea.
During the 1980's, part of the BBC production of “The Oppenheimer Stories” was filmed here as well as part of a film about Marilyn Monroe.
A LITTLE MORE HISTORY
During early 1946, military strength had dropped to around 600 at the Camp initiating talk of closing the base. However, in April, the War Department announced it would remain open and troop strength increased. On August 17, 1954, Camp Carson officially became Fort Carson.
Over time, three realistic training sites were constructed. Following “The Korean Story", the area where filming took place was used as a realistic training setting for troops headed for Korea. Before that, during World War II, the 89th Division created a replica of the French village of Beauclaire. During the Vietnam War, the Fort created Bung Cong Village. It combined armored personnel carriers and helicopter assaults.
The 4th Infantry Regiment arrived for the first time in 1970. In 1995, they were sent to Fort Hood returning in 2009. Today, almost 26,282 are on active duty at the base. Besides the 4th Infantry Division, this includes the 43rd Support Brigade, 10th Special Forces, and such support groups as medical, engineers, military police, and dental.
Another part of area history was Camp Hale, located 20 miles west of Leadville, Colorado. It started in April 1942 with the purpose of training troops in mountain warfare. This led to the formation of the 10th Mountain Division, a unit dedicated to moving appropriate weapons over mountainous terrain in all types of weather. In 1946, they were deactivated and replaced with the Mountain and Cold Weather Training Detachment at Fort Carson.
With the Korean War, the Army realized the need for broader mountain training. The Mountain Training Command at Carson (MCWTC) replaced the detachment. In December 1951, it was the army’s only unit of its kind. The MCWTC trained, in 1953 and part of 1954, 330 trainees every six weeks who passed their knowledge onto others. The unit was transferred to Fort Greely, Alaska in July 1957 with Camp Hale becoming a training site for Carson ski teams. Camp Hale closed June of 1965.
This was the beginning of the ski industry in the United States. A trail of huts from Leadville to Brecksville, Colorado exists today. These are apart by one day skiing and are run by the 10th Mountain Division Association.
FOURTH INFANTRY MUSEUM AT FORT CARSON
The mission of the 4th Infantry Division Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret historically significant artifacts related to the history of the division and to support post education, training, research, and historical programs. It is a task it takes seriously and does extremely well. It originally opened in 2009 then closed for eight months starting November 1, 2015 while it was completely renovated. Ribbon cutting was on June 24, 2016.
I had heard that Fort Carson expanded their museum, but the whole museum has been completely redone with many new historical items and a rewrite of the 4th Infantry Division storyline from World War I to current operations. All exhibits explain about the United States Army, Fort Carson, and the 4th Infantry Division with videos and interactive displays in some areas. The flooring changes throughout reflecting the various terrains the soldiers fought through. Space has been expanded from 3500 to 3900 square feet.
“The biggest difference with the new museum,” said its curator Joe Berg, “is that it is now an immersive experience. So now you are now walking through World War I trench lines or walking off the end of a landing craft on Utah Beach being greeted by Theodore Roosevelt Jr. as he waves you ashore.”
WALKING THROUGH THE MUSEUM
At the museum’s front is a huge silver punch bowl set with a fascinating story. During China’s Boxer Rebellion in 1900, the 9th Regiment was sent to that country to engage in the relief of Tientsin. While assaulting the fortress walls, Colonel Liscum was mortally wounded while holding the United States flag. He passed the colors onto another soldier and directed his regiment to “Keep up the fire.” These words became the motto of the 9th Regiment who succeeded and protected the Tientsin mint. To thank the unit, the Chinese sent two bars, 92 pounds of silver, to a jeweler who made it into the Liscum bowl and punch set.
Visitors will also see Clinton Romesha’s M4 rifle. He was a leader of the 4th Infantry. Romesha received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Kamdesh in 2009 during the war in Afghanistan.
A case has Fort Carson patches and license plates while above it is a huge photograph of Hambone. You’ll also see a 2011 Army combat uniform.
WORLD WAR I
For the remainder of the museum, you’ll walk through 4th Infantry Division history. The first diorama is of Camp Greene, North Carolina where the 4th Infantry formed December 10, 1917. They received two weeks of outdoor training before being shipped to France. The 3rd Division had left for overseas before them taking most of the supplies. A lot of the 4th’s soldiers had wooden rifles in the beginning as well as a lack of insignia and uniforms.
Because of the Roman numeral designation IV, people started calling the 4th Infantry the “I-V” or Ivy division. To symbolize the name, four ivy leaves were crossed to produce the division’s shoulder patch. “Steadfast and loyal” became their motto, taken from ivy’s traditional significance.
You’ll see a case of personal effects. Canteens were made of wood before aluminum. The one displayed is aluminum. A stamp set is also exhibited that was used to create dog tags - round metal stamps with name and identification number. Check out the 1917 safety razor, World War I tent, and the meat can set used for meals with a pan and utensils.
Another case has a mannequin wearing a Purple Heart. These were originally issued between the world wars. During World War I, soldiers received a wound stripe instead when they were injured. Check out the 1918 U.S. Army gas mask containing asbestos cloth. Soldiers breathed through a charcoal canister. You’ll also spot a 1917 German Lugar. German soldiers carried blue Lugars while German officers sometimes had ones made of chrome. The case also contains a 1911 Colt 45 revolver. During World War I, the government could not produce enough automatic pistols so they used ones Colt had manufactured for the Indian Wars. These were machine made and used by officers and senior enlisted personnel.
Two models of rifles were used during World War I. On exhibit is a 1903 Springfield rifle. Springfield had been making the 1903 model for the U.S. Army. Other manufacturers, then producing Enfields for the British, started making the M1917 for the United States.
One of the interactives is next to the World War I diorama of a trench scene. It’s a trench periscope. The scene depicts the Aisne-Marine counteroffensive in central France. That was a series of multiple allied attacks which forced the Germans to abandon a path to Flanders in favor of maintaining their own line. Observe the Vickers machine gun, the scene’s centerpiece. The gun, a water-cooled design, was borrowed from the British. The diorama also has a trench rat and a French helmet that has seen better days. The Meuse-Argonne in World War I was the largest offensive ever conducted by the U.S. Army.
Next to the diorama is a German case with German hobnail boots, matches, coat buttons, and a spiked helmet. The helmet is called a Pickelhaube. Since spikes stood out on these, it was difficult for the German soldiers to stay hidden.
Helmets are also on display. The steel helmet was developed in 1916. It was made deeper the next year to cover the head and neck. The case also contains a 1917 gas mask and a 1915 German fragmentation hand grenade which is very rare to find. The Germans carried them by the sackful and threw them out on both sides as they jumped over the trenches.
Armistice was declared November 11, 1918. The 4th Infantry Division marched into Germany as part of the army of occupation nine days later. In less than six months, the 4th had fought for 83 days, advanced 19 miles, earned five campaign streamers, and suffered 13,000 casualties. They breached the German Hindenburg Line and were the only American division to see action in both the British and French sectors.
The 4th Infantry Division was deactivated in 1919. It was revived again in 1940, and the unit went to England in 1944.
WORLD WAR II
The 4th Infantry was the first unit to wade ashore at Utah Beach where Teddy Roosevelt Jr. and his Cheyenne code talker greeted them. You will see a mannequin of Roosevelt and a large picture of Seawall Utah Beach. The men were supposed to land two miles south of where they did. Roosevelt is supposed to have said when the first men arrived, “The war starts here.” Stop and watch the video on World War II at this point in the museum.
The 4th was the first American division to reach Paris. One of the war correspondents who was attached to them was Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway led a group of the French resistance to Paris liberating the Ritz Hotel. There are rumors that he did an excellent job of also liberating the hotel’s champagne. Another author who gained fame after the war was J. D. Salinger who was intensely involved in the fighting in the Hürtgen Forest with the 4th Infantry.
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s restaurants, was a cook for the 4th Infantry during the Korean War. He was part of the battalion of cooks and bakers sent to that country where he learned to cook.
This section has a case full of American artifacts from World War II as well as a German case. The American one has a Browning automatic rifle which was a United States .30 caliber light machine gun. These fired 600 rounds a minute.
It also contains a helmet, jacket, boots, and leggings. The first high top boots were issued in 1943. Before that, due to a shortage of leather, leggings were worn instead. Look for the 1944 Lucky Strike cigarettes and the K Rations consisting of meat, fruit, and crackers. “They were like eating pate for a meal,” said Joe Berg.
The German case contains an MG42 which fired 1200 rounds a minute. It needed reloading continuously. “It sounded like a sheet tearing,” said Joe.
You’ll also spot a service cap, coat, Field Marshall Keitel’s shoulder boards, and German medals. Look for the C96 broom handle revolver. It’s portrayed as an exotic pistol in movies and was used as Hans Solo’s blaster pistol.
Signage talks about the German Siegfried Line. It consisted of rows of hardened concrete bunkers, pillboxes, barbed wire, minefields, and antitank defenses known as Dragon’s Teeth. In September, the 4th Infantry Division fought to break through the line.
The diorama in this section is about the Hürtgen Forest Battle which occurred November 1944. It was overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge and was fought by nine American divisions. The 4th Infantry Division was the only one to make it through the forest - one side to the other. They came out at 34 percent strength. They suffered 7,500 casualties from enemy fire and extremely cold weather.
Other signage covers the division’s advancement. Though supposed to be resting, the 4th held the southern edge of the Bulge, at Luxembourg, decisively. Later they captured Würzburg on March 29. After moving through several cities, they crossed the Rhine to Austria.
As the 4th Infantry Division got ready to go to Japan, the war ended. One hundred thousand Purple Hearts had been made because of the fear of invading Japan. Soldiers wounded in Afghanistan today receive Purple Hearts from the 1940's because so many were made at that time.
The final thing you’ll see in this section is the Willy’s Jeep with a flathead four engine. Valves were on the engine’s side, and it had 60 horsepower.
VIETNAM
During this war, the 4th Infantry Division split up. Two brigades were stationed in the Central Highlands with one in the south in the jungle. The 4th swapped a brigade with the 25th Infantry Division which is why some men truthfully claim that they served in both divisions.
The American case has a sign featuring Snoopy indicating a friendly village and an early version of an M-16 assault rifle. These rifles were originally issued without cleaning kits. Joe advised me that did not last long. The government didn’t purchase super clean ammunition so the rifles quickly became fouled and rusted. Look for the netting which protected soldiers from insects.
The boots had insoles to let water out. Of course, they also let water in. Boots also had steel plate soles as protection from punji sticks. C Rations are also in the case, a major step up from the World War II K rations.
Another case exhibits what the Viet Cong and villagers used to wear. Viet Cong fighters wore sandals made out of rubber tires.
The diorama depicts a Vietnamese scene. It contains an actual bicycle which was used and captured from the North Vietnamese Army. Its owner had French boots, Chinese hand grenades, and a traditional straw sun hat. Next to the scene is a rotating slide show about this war.
OTHER EXHIBITS
Part of the steel from the fallen World Trade Center in New York City is exhibited. You’ll also see an American flag with 49 stars which hung over the 22nd Infantry Regiment’s headquarters in Afghanistan, quite accidentally.
In the Iraq section, note Saddam Hussein’s pistol and the plug to the spider hole where they found him December 13, 2003. They have a drapery from the palace and a sniper rifle given to him by his son, Uday. It was the 4th Infantry Division who did the legwork in capturing him on December 13, 2003 during operation Red Dawn.
More than 600 soldiers sealed off more than 1.5 square miles south of Tikrit. They found Saddam under a styrofoam cover cowering in an underground bunker. He was sentenced to death and executed by his countrymen.
The final diorama is a scene of Iraqui counterfeiters complete with their original printing plates and mechanism to print numbers on bills. They were caught by the Finance Battalion Intelligence and tried by the Iraquis.
I noted that the greatest expansion in signage was about Operation Iraqui Freedom. The 4th Infantry Division has been deployed three times in the Middle East since 2003. Between July 2013 and July 2014, they served in Kanahar to fulfill a NATO mission. The division supported the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF). Their job was to conduct security operations to defeat the Taliban as well as expand security in key terrain areas.
Due to the 4th’s support, nearly 3,000 insurgents were captured or killed, thousands of pounds of explosives seized, and enemy initiated attacks were reduced 40 percent. This contributed to the Afghanistan presidential and provincial elections in April 2014 being secure as well as the presidential runoff that June.
OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM
Take time to notice the array of army tanks from World War II to the present outside the museum. They include two World War II light tanks - an M24 Chaffe and an M5Stuart. You’ll also see a Walker Bulldog from just after Korea; an M20 utility vehicle, M8 Greyhound, and M4 Sherman from World War II. They also have an M551 Sheridan from Vietnam and two Patton tanks, an M60 and an M47. They’re working to add further examples to their collection. Near to the main gate rest an M1 Abrams tank, an M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, an Anti-tank variant Stryker, and an AH-1 Cobra helicopter.
“We are known as one of the best small museums in Colorado Springs you have never heard of,” said Joe Berg. “We are hoping to become the best little museum in Colorado Springs that you have heard of.”
The museum is located at 1205 Nelson Blvd, BLDG 6013, Fort Carson 80913 - just outside Gate One. Their telephone number is (719) 524-0915. It is open Monday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free admission.
Those who have followed this web site for several years are aware we posted an article on Colorado Springs' three military installations in November 2014. One of these was Fort Carson Museum which relates through exhibits the fascinating history of the 4th Infantry Division. In 2016, the museum was enlarged, exhibits redone with the addition of many United States and German artifacts, and new high quality dioramas put into place better telling their story.
FORT CARSON
To appreciate the museum, it’s important to understand the base’s history. Named in honor of legendary Army scout and general, Christopher “Kit” Carson, the camp was established immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The first building, headquarters, was finished on January 31, 1942. At peak construction, more than 11,500 were employed. Although a bare field in 1942, by 1943, it was a full base.
During World War II, more than 125 units were activated here with the 89th Infantry Division being the first. Others were the 71st, 104th, and 10th Mountain Divisions. A total of 104,165 soldiers trained at Camp Carson during that period.
The Camp trained nurses, cooks, mule packers, tank battalions, a Greek infantry battalion, and an Italian ordnance company, in addition to all types of soldiers. Toward the war’s end, after the divisions and established units departed, the Camp trained replacement troops and provisional companies. Its peak strength was in late 1943 when 43,000 provisional companies based there.
Starting on January 1, 1943, it was also home to 9,000 Axis prisoners of war during World War II. Most were Germans or Italians captured in North Africa. The POWs did general farmwork ranging from canning tomatoes to cutting corn and aiding in logging operations on Colorado’s western slope.
The prisoners made their own furniture, had a performing troupe, and published their own newspaper in German. In January 1946, a large number of German prisoners still resided at Camp Carson. However, by July 21, 1946, all had been returned to Europe or released. On display in the museum is a wood box that a POW carved and hand painted.
In January 1943, 23 buildings of the POW camp were destroyed by fire at a cost of one million in damages. The prisoners rebuilt these structures. On January 17, 1950, a fire, driven by 50 miles per hour winds, started at the Broadmoor Hotel then drove eastward reaching the base. It initially burned down the POW barracks and some warehouses, more than 33 buildings by noon. It appeared that all of Camp Carson was likely of being lost. The fire was finally extinguished by midnight with 92 buildings destroyed and two others heavily damaged. The total cost was three million with the loss of nine people - eight soldiers and one civilian from fighting the blaze.
ARMY MULES
Army mules were a common sight on base between 1942 and 1956. The first shipment of mules arrived by train from Nebraska on July 30, 1942. The men of the 604th and 605th Field Artillery trained them for six to eight weeks. First, they had to break them then get them used to walking around with field packs. Eventually, they carried equipment, weapons, and supplies over mountainous terrain.
As some soldiers are goldbricks, one mule named Useless qualified as well. He was assigned to the 602 Field Artillery. He failed as a pack mule then as a messenger mule then when he was hitched to a wagon used to haul hay. Useless was useless.
One mule that succeeded was Hambone (Hamilton T. Bone), with his silvery white coat, the pride of the 611th Field Artillery. He carried First Sergeants for 13 years up Ute Pass to Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. He was purchased in St. Joseph, Missouri as a pack mule and had two combat tours overseas in Germany. He also made three movies in Hollywood. In 1946, at Fort Riley, he won the jumping contest against horses but was disqualified because he was a mule. In July 1949, Life magazine published a feature story on him.
Hambone spent his retirement years as a star attraction with the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and the Pikes Peak Range Rodeo. He died in 1971 with full military honors and is the only animal with a headstone at Fort Carson. He is buried in front of the Division Artillery Headquarters.
The mules were deactivated on December 15, 1956 when 322 animals were replaced by helicopters. In 1970, the mule barns were razed making way for a central maintenance facility.
ARMY DOG TRAINING CENTER
Camp Carson was the only Army training installation for military canines in the United States until 1957 when dog training transferred to the Air Force. It is now at Lackland Air Force Base. Located on the Mary Ellen Ranch on the base, dogs trained for eight to twelve weeks before graduating to be scouts, messengers, or sentries.
Besides messages, messenger dogs carried food, ammunition, and medical supplies. Scout dogs detected enemies by smell. Sentry dogs were the only ones trained to attack persons. They patrolled area such as a warehouse or ammunition dump attacking intruders entering the fort.
MOVIES SHOT AT FORT CARSON
In 1951, “The Korean Story” starring Robert Mitchum was filmed at the Camp. It related the story of an American Army officer during the Korean War’s early stages. Camp Carson was chosen because its terrain reminded the film’s producers of Korea.
During the 1980's, part of the BBC production of “The Oppenheimer Stories” was filmed here as well as part of a film about Marilyn Monroe.
A LITTLE MORE HISTORY
During early 1946, military strength had dropped to around 600 at the Camp initiating talk of closing the base. However, in April, the War Department announced it would remain open and troop strength increased. On August 17, 1954, Camp Carson officially became Fort Carson.
Over time, three realistic training sites were constructed. Following “The Korean Story", the area where filming took place was used as a realistic training setting for troops headed for Korea. Before that, during World War II, the 89th Division created a replica of the French village of Beauclaire. During the Vietnam War, the Fort created Bung Cong Village. It combined armored personnel carriers and helicopter assaults.
The 4th Infantry Regiment arrived for the first time in 1970. In 1995, they were sent to Fort Hood returning in 2009. Today, almost 26,282 are on active duty at the base. Besides the 4th Infantry Division, this includes the 43rd Support Brigade, 10th Special Forces, and such support groups as medical, engineers, military police, and dental.
Another part of area history was Camp Hale, located 20 miles west of Leadville, Colorado. It started in April 1942 with the purpose of training troops in mountain warfare. This led to the formation of the 10th Mountain Division, a unit dedicated to moving appropriate weapons over mountainous terrain in all types of weather. In 1946, they were deactivated and replaced with the Mountain and Cold Weather Training Detachment at Fort Carson.
With the Korean War, the Army realized the need for broader mountain training. The Mountain Training Command at Carson (MCWTC) replaced the detachment. In December 1951, it was the army’s only unit of its kind. The MCWTC trained, in 1953 and part of 1954, 330 trainees every six weeks who passed their knowledge onto others. The unit was transferred to Fort Greely, Alaska in July 1957 with Camp Hale becoming a training site for Carson ski teams. Camp Hale closed June of 1965.
This was the beginning of the ski industry in the United States. A trail of huts from Leadville to Brecksville, Colorado exists today. These are apart by one day skiing and are run by the 10th Mountain Division Association.
FOURTH INFANTRY MUSEUM AT FORT CARSON
The mission of the 4th Infantry Division Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret historically significant artifacts related to the history of the division and to support post education, training, research, and historical programs. It is a task it takes seriously and does extremely well. It originally opened in 2009 then closed for eight months starting November 1, 2015 while it was completely renovated. Ribbon cutting was on June 24, 2016.
I had heard that Fort Carson expanded their museum, but the whole museum has been completely redone with many new historical items and a rewrite of the 4th Infantry Division storyline from World War I to current operations. All exhibits explain about the United States Army, Fort Carson, and the 4th Infantry Division with videos and interactive displays in some areas. The flooring changes throughout reflecting the various terrains the soldiers fought through. Space has been expanded from 3500 to 3900 square feet.
“The biggest difference with the new museum,” said its curator Joe Berg, “is that it is now an immersive experience. So now you are now walking through World War I trench lines or walking off the end of a landing craft on Utah Beach being greeted by Theodore Roosevelt Jr. as he waves you ashore.”
WALKING THROUGH THE MUSEUM
At the museum’s front is a huge silver punch bowl set with a fascinating story. During China’s Boxer Rebellion in 1900, the 9th Regiment was sent to that country to engage in the relief of Tientsin. While assaulting the fortress walls, Colonel Liscum was mortally wounded while holding the United States flag. He passed the colors onto another soldier and directed his regiment to “Keep up the fire.” These words became the motto of the 9th Regiment who succeeded and protected the Tientsin mint. To thank the unit, the Chinese sent two bars, 92 pounds of silver, to a jeweler who made it into the Liscum bowl and punch set.
Visitors will also see Clinton Romesha’s M4 rifle. He was a leader of the 4th Infantry. Romesha received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Kamdesh in 2009 during the war in Afghanistan.
A case has Fort Carson patches and license plates while above it is a huge photograph of Hambone. You’ll also see a 2011 Army combat uniform.
WORLD WAR I
For the remainder of the museum, you’ll walk through 4th Infantry Division history. The first diorama is of Camp Greene, North Carolina where the 4th Infantry formed December 10, 1917. They received two weeks of outdoor training before being shipped to France. The 3rd Division had left for overseas before them taking most of the supplies. A lot of the 4th’s soldiers had wooden rifles in the beginning as well as a lack of insignia and uniforms.
Because of the Roman numeral designation IV, people started calling the 4th Infantry the “I-V” or Ivy division. To symbolize the name, four ivy leaves were crossed to produce the division’s shoulder patch. “Steadfast and loyal” became their motto, taken from ivy’s traditional significance.
You’ll see a case of personal effects. Canteens were made of wood before aluminum. The one displayed is aluminum. A stamp set is also exhibited that was used to create dog tags - round metal stamps with name and identification number. Check out the 1917 safety razor, World War I tent, and the meat can set used for meals with a pan and utensils.
Another case has a mannequin wearing a Purple Heart. These were originally issued between the world wars. During World War I, soldiers received a wound stripe instead when they were injured. Check out the 1918 U.S. Army gas mask containing asbestos cloth. Soldiers breathed through a charcoal canister. You’ll also spot a 1917 German Lugar. German soldiers carried blue Lugars while German officers sometimes had ones made of chrome. The case also contains a 1911 Colt 45 revolver. During World War I, the government could not produce enough automatic pistols so they used ones Colt had manufactured for the Indian Wars. These were machine made and used by officers and senior enlisted personnel.
Two models of rifles were used during World War I. On exhibit is a 1903 Springfield rifle. Springfield had been making the 1903 model for the U.S. Army. Other manufacturers, then producing Enfields for the British, started making the M1917 for the United States.
One of the interactives is next to the World War I diorama of a trench scene. It’s a trench periscope. The scene depicts the Aisne-Marine counteroffensive in central France. That was a series of multiple allied attacks which forced the Germans to abandon a path to Flanders in favor of maintaining their own line. Observe the Vickers machine gun, the scene’s centerpiece. The gun, a water-cooled design, was borrowed from the British. The diorama also has a trench rat and a French helmet that has seen better days. The Meuse-Argonne in World War I was the largest offensive ever conducted by the U.S. Army.
Next to the diorama is a German case with German hobnail boots, matches, coat buttons, and a spiked helmet. The helmet is called a Pickelhaube. Since spikes stood out on these, it was difficult for the German soldiers to stay hidden.
Helmets are also on display. The steel helmet was developed in 1916. It was made deeper the next year to cover the head and neck. The case also contains a 1917 gas mask and a 1915 German fragmentation hand grenade which is very rare to find. The Germans carried them by the sackful and threw them out on both sides as they jumped over the trenches.
Armistice was declared November 11, 1918. The 4th Infantry Division marched into Germany as part of the army of occupation nine days later. In less than six months, the 4th had fought for 83 days, advanced 19 miles, earned five campaign streamers, and suffered 13,000 casualties. They breached the German Hindenburg Line and were the only American division to see action in both the British and French sectors.
The 4th Infantry Division was deactivated in 1919. It was revived again in 1940, and the unit went to England in 1944.
WORLD WAR II
The 4th Infantry was the first unit to wade ashore at Utah Beach where Teddy Roosevelt Jr. and his Cheyenne code talker greeted them. You will see a mannequin of Roosevelt and a large picture of Seawall Utah Beach. The men were supposed to land two miles south of where they did. Roosevelt is supposed to have said when the first men arrived, “The war starts here.” Stop and watch the video on World War II at this point in the museum.
The 4th was the first American division to reach Paris. One of the war correspondents who was attached to them was Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway led a group of the French resistance to Paris liberating the Ritz Hotel. There are rumors that he did an excellent job of also liberating the hotel’s champagne. Another author who gained fame after the war was J. D. Salinger who was intensely involved in the fighting in the Hürtgen Forest with the 4th Infantry.
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s restaurants, was a cook for the 4th Infantry during the Korean War. He was part of the battalion of cooks and bakers sent to that country where he learned to cook.
This section has a case full of American artifacts from World War II as well as a German case. The American one has a Browning automatic rifle which was a United States .30 caliber light machine gun. These fired 600 rounds a minute.
It also contains a helmet, jacket, boots, and leggings. The first high top boots were issued in 1943. Before that, due to a shortage of leather, leggings were worn instead. Look for the 1944 Lucky Strike cigarettes and the K Rations consisting of meat, fruit, and crackers. “They were like eating pate for a meal,” said Joe Berg.
The German case contains an MG42 which fired 1200 rounds a minute. It needed reloading continuously. “It sounded like a sheet tearing,” said Joe.
You’ll also spot a service cap, coat, Field Marshall Keitel’s shoulder boards, and German medals. Look for the C96 broom handle revolver. It’s portrayed as an exotic pistol in movies and was used as Hans Solo’s blaster pistol.
Signage talks about the German Siegfried Line. It consisted of rows of hardened concrete bunkers, pillboxes, barbed wire, minefields, and antitank defenses known as Dragon’s Teeth. In September, the 4th Infantry Division fought to break through the line.
The diorama in this section is about the Hürtgen Forest Battle which occurred November 1944. It was overshadowed by the Battle of the Bulge and was fought by nine American divisions. The 4th Infantry Division was the only one to make it through the forest - one side to the other. They came out at 34 percent strength. They suffered 7,500 casualties from enemy fire and extremely cold weather.
Other signage covers the division’s advancement. Though supposed to be resting, the 4th held the southern edge of the Bulge, at Luxembourg, decisively. Later they captured Würzburg on March 29. After moving through several cities, they crossed the Rhine to Austria.
As the 4th Infantry Division got ready to go to Japan, the war ended. One hundred thousand Purple Hearts had been made because of the fear of invading Japan. Soldiers wounded in Afghanistan today receive Purple Hearts from the 1940's because so many were made at that time.
The final thing you’ll see in this section is the Willy’s Jeep with a flathead four engine. Valves were on the engine’s side, and it had 60 horsepower.
VIETNAM
During this war, the 4th Infantry Division split up. Two brigades were stationed in the Central Highlands with one in the south in the jungle. The 4th swapped a brigade with the 25th Infantry Division which is why some men truthfully claim that they served in both divisions.
The American case has a sign featuring Snoopy indicating a friendly village and an early version of an M-16 assault rifle. These rifles were originally issued without cleaning kits. Joe advised me that did not last long. The government didn’t purchase super clean ammunition so the rifles quickly became fouled and rusted. Look for the netting which protected soldiers from insects.
The boots had insoles to let water out. Of course, they also let water in. Boots also had steel plate soles as protection from punji sticks. C Rations are also in the case, a major step up from the World War II K rations.
Another case exhibits what the Viet Cong and villagers used to wear. Viet Cong fighters wore sandals made out of rubber tires.
The diorama depicts a Vietnamese scene. It contains an actual bicycle which was used and captured from the North Vietnamese Army. Its owner had French boots, Chinese hand grenades, and a traditional straw sun hat. Next to the scene is a rotating slide show about this war.
OTHER EXHIBITS
Part of the steel from the fallen World Trade Center in New York City is exhibited. You’ll also see an American flag with 49 stars which hung over the 22nd Infantry Regiment’s headquarters in Afghanistan, quite accidentally.
In the Iraq section, note Saddam Hussein’s pistol and the plug to the spider hole where they found him December 13, 2003. They have a drapery from the palace and a sniper rifle given to him by his son, Uday. It was the 4th Infantry Division who did the legwork in capturing him on December 13, 2003 during operation Red Dawn.
More than 600 soldiers sealed off more than 1.5 square miles south of Tikrit. They found Saddam under a styrofoam cover cowering in an underground bunker. He was sentenced to death and executed by his countrymen.
The final diorama is a scene of Iraqui counterfeiters complete with their original printing plates and mechanism to print numbers on bills. They were caught by the Finance Battalion Intelligence and tried by the Iraquis.
I noted that the greatest expansion in signage was about Operation Iraqui Freedom. The 4th Infantry Division has been deployed three times in the Middle East since 2003. Between July 2013 and July 2014, they served in Kanahar to fulfill a NATO mission. The division supported the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF). Their job was to conduct security operations to defeat the Taliban as well as expand security in key terrain areas.
Due to the 4th’s support, nearly 3,000 insurgents were captured or killed, thousands of pounds of explosives seized, and enemy initiated attacks were reduced 40 percent. This contributed to the Afghanistan presidential and provincial elections in April 2014 being secure as well as the presidential runoff that June.
OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM
Take time to notice the array of army tanks from World War II to the present outside the museum. They include two World War II light tanks - an M24 Chaffe and an M5Stuart. You’ll also see a Walker Bulldog from just after Korea; an M20 utility vehicle, M8 Greyhound, and M4 Sherman from World War II. They also have an M551 Sheridan from Vietnam and two Patton tanks, an M60 and an M47. They’re working to add further examples to their collection. Near to the main gate rest an M1 Abrams tank, an M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, an Anti-tank variant Stryker, and an AH-1 Cobra helicopter.
“We are known as one of the best small museums in Colorado Springs you have never heard of,” said Joe Berg. “We are hoping to become the best little museum in Colorado Springs that you have heard of.”
The museum is located at 1205 Nelson Blvd, BLDG 6013, Fort Carson 80913 - just outside Gate One. Their telephone number is (719) 524-0915. It is open Monday-Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free admission.
Front of Fort Carson Museum with M47 Patton Tank
French 75 MM Artillery Piece
Hambone in Life Magazine
Liscum Bowl
Fort Greene - Birth of 4th Infantry Division
Close Up of I-V Symbol on Shoulder Patch
Canteen and Meat Can Kit from World War I
Stamp Set for Dog Tags
Uniform and Artifacts from World War I Such as Gas Mask and Pistols
Trenches at Aisne-Marine - World War I
German Helmet, Gas Mask, and Hand Grenade from World War I
Teddy Roosevelt Jr. at Utah Beach
American Case from World War II - Uniform, Boots, Leggings
Willy's Jeep
Nan and Joe Berg, Museum Curator, Looking at Patton Quote
Vietnam Case
Captured Viet Cong Bicycle
Counterfeiters Discovered as Part of Operation Iraqui Freedom
Saddam Hussein and the Pit Cover
49 Star Flag That Flew in Afghanistan
Tanks Outside Museum