National Infantry Museum is an underused resource

The U.S. Army has, time and again, been a beneficial agent of social change in American society.

It was true in 1945, when millions of servicemen began returning home from World War II and used their G.I. Bill benefits to attend college and buy homes. The American middle class grew exponentially, and the Greatest Generation gave birth to the Baby Boomers.

Putting a college education and home ownership in the hands of millions of veterans turned out to be one of the smartest ideas America ever had to create jobs, wealth, and stable communities.

It was true in 1948, when President Truman signed Executive Order 9981, requiring the desegregation of the U.S. military. It would take years and in some cases decades for America's school districts and statehouses to catch up to the military's progressive stance on racial integration.

In hindsight, it’s obvious that America's public institutions desperately needed to end racial discrimination, but at the time, Truman's step was audacious and unpopular.

It was true in 2010, when Iraq War veteran and Congressman Patrick Murphy (now Acting Secretary of the Army) authored an amendment allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly in the military. Nearly six years and several rigorous studies later, the evidence is clear: repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has had no negative impacts on operational readiness.

The military is again leading the charge with forward-thinking personnel policies, even as several states that are home to major military installations are debating so-called “religious liberty” laws that would allow private sector employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation.

And it was true in 2015, when Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that all military occupations across all services would now be open to women. In taking this bold step, it's worth noting that Secretary Carter followed the advice of the Army's top leaders who, in contrast to those in some other branches, advocated for complete gender integration.

Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver becoming the first female soldiers to successfully complete Ranger School at Fort Benning in August 2015 undoubtedly contributed to changing public opinion on women in combat roles. While it's too soon to predict the final results, I'm hopeful that we will look back on this decision as another transformational moment in the history of the Army and the nation.

It was with those history lessons in mind that I stopped by the National Infantry Museum last week to ask for information about the desegregation of the Infantry back in 1940s. I was disappointed to learn that the museum has very little on public display about the topic — and none at all about the much more recent decisions regarding gay and female soldiers.

Admittedly, the museum's focus is Infantry-specific, so larger issues pertaining to the armed forces in general aren't a top priority for exhibit space.

However, I was overwhelmed by the positive response I received from staff members at the museum. The museum's Chief Registrar, Ed Annable, who has worked there for 32 years, dropped everything to give me a lengthy personal tour and answer my numerous questions.

He also encouraged me to stop back later this year once the museum's new gallery on the 19th century opens, which will include exhibits about the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers and other African-American units from that era.

Personally, I'd love to see the National Infantry Museum devote more attention to these important chapters in the Army's history and the pivotal role it has played in transforming American society for the better. Cataloging the evolution of the Army's weapons systems and tallying its battlefield victories is worthwhile, but there are other aspects of the organization’s proud history worth telling, too.

As Mr. Annable pointed out to me, the museum's collection is largely comprised of donated artifacts, so if we want to see more exhibits about issues like diversity in the military, it's important that veterans who have played a part in those events come forward to share their stories (and rummage through their attics).

Investing in these types of exhibits might also attract scholars of military history and make the museum more interesting and relevant to a wider range of visitors, which can only help the local economy.

It would be fitting: just another example of the Army leading from the front on social issues.

This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 12:13 PM with the headline "National Infantry Museum is an underused resource."