Americans have answered the call to protect their homeland and the American way of life since the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. There is no better way to honor them than to visit one of the many museums devoted to a specific branch of the service or to one of America's conflicts.

MARINE CORPS

"It is a privilege to be part of the Marine tradition," said officer candidate Freddy Rodriguez, a visitor to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va., 36 miles south of Washington, D.C. Since the museum opened in November 2006, thousands of Marines have reaffirmed their pride in being a United States Marine, but just as many non-marines have the toured the museum. The video, "What it Means to be a Marine" explores the history of the Marines starting in 1775 when Captain Samuel Nicholas recruited the first Continental Marines in Philadelphia's Tun Tavern.

The museum gives visitors a real feel for what it was like for Marines in combat. In the World War II Gallery, visitors enter a replica of a ship's briefing room for instructions on their mission before landing on Iwo Jima, they then board a landing craft for a simulated assault. One of the original flags raised on Iwo Jima is on display along with Joe Rosenthal's iconic photographs of the flag raising.

In the Korean Gallery visitors feel the chilling cold of the Chosin Reservoir, hear Chinese soldiers advancing up the snowy mountain and watch Marines prepare for the next attack. In the Vietnam Gallery, learn about the importance of helicopters and experience being inserted onto Hill 881 South at Khe Sanh — a hot landing zone.

The life and times of the marines includes their mission in Afghanistan and Iraq. Patrick Mooney, chief of visitor services, explains, "There are only two kinds of people in the world — marines and those who want to be marines." By the end of the visit, non-marines wish they were part of the marine tradition.

THE AIR FORCE

The National Museum of the United States Air Force galleries near Dayton, Ohio is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum. The museum presents military aviation history, boasting more than 400 aerospace vehicles along with thousands of displays including an exhibit on the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

On July 19, 1941, what was then the Army Air Force began a program in Alabama to train black Americans as military pilots. Learn about Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr., a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and commander of the 332nd Fighter Group, who earned a Distinguished Flying Cross for a bomber-escort mission he led on June 9, 1944. He later rose to be the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force. Davis is just one of many stories about airmen who distinguished themselves in the service.

THE ARMY

In 2013, the National Museum of the United States Army will open its doors. Until then, visit the West Point Museum, in West Point, N.Y. It is America's oldest continuously garrisoned Army installation and the home of the United States Corps of Cadets.

Much has changed since 1778 when it was established as American's first military post but the West Point motto "Duty, Honor, & Country" has not changed. The West Point Museum and bus tour of the Point is a trip through American history. At Trophy Point, see a few links of the chain that crossed the Hudson River preventing the British from attacking upstream.

The museum's collections include nearly all aspects of military history, the evolution of warfare, and the development of the American Armed Forces plus personal stories about those who attended West Point. Pointing to the sports field, the guide related, "Eisenhower was a member of the Century Club. This is where he had to walk off his demerits."

The Navy

The National Museum of the U.S. Navy located at the Washington Navy Yard in the nation's capital is currently expanding to add a Cold War Gallery that will open in phases beginning in 2009. Touring the Barry, a decommissioned destroyer, is part of the visitor's experience. Elsewhere, there are many museums and historic ship exhibits throughout the United States that highlight the dedication of the Navy sailors. Walk the decks the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor. Launched in 1797, "Old Ironsides," is the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world.

Learn about the "Midway Magic" of the U.S.S. Midway in San Diego. No other carrier served as long as the U.S.S. Midway, serving from 1945 to Desert Storm in 1991. In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii visit the Arizona Memorial and recall "A Day that will Live in Infamy" while learning what it was like to be a battleship sailor on December 7, 1941 through survivor's stories and photographs.

AMERICAN SPIRIT IN ACTION

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard do not fight independently but as a coordinated unit with support on the home front. Their efforts are remembered in many preserved forts and battles sites scattered across the United States that immortalize events of the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the Civil War.

The D-Day Museum in New Orleans, dedicated in 2000 and designated by Congress as the country's official World War II Museum, illuminates the American experience during the WWII-era with moving personal stories, historic artifacts, and powerful interactive displays. From the Normandy invasion to the Pacific Islands and on the Home Front, the museum illustrates the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the men and women who won the war and changed the world.

The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredricksburg, Texas is dedicated exclusively to telling the story of the Pacific Theater battles of World War II. Most dramatic is the museum's Island Assault 1944 living history program staged five times a year. It is an up close experience of the sights and sounds of the weapons, tanks and tactics used by the American and the Japanese forces.

There is no better way to honor those who serve than to learn about their dedication in times of war and peace than by learning about their experience.

IF YOU GO

The following websites offer information on the many U.S. military museums throughout the United States: www.usmcmuseum.com; www.nationalmuseum.af.mil; www.history.navy.mil/museums/index.html; www.midway.org; www.nps.gov/usar; www.ddaymuseum.org; www.nimitz-museum.org

Sandra Scott is a freelance travel writer. To find out more about "columnist name" and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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