EVENTS & FAMILY NEWS
Leatherneck Line
North Carolina Museum
Honors Marines, Community
In September 1941, a new Marine Corps
base was created in a sandy pine forest
along the Atlantic Coast to provide amphibious training for Marines as America
prepared for her imminent entry into World
War II.
Today, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a 246-square-mile training facility adjacent to Jacksonville, N.C. Marines
who trained there met battle in WW II, Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East. A new
museum, Museum of the Marine, aims to
“honor the contributions and sacrifices of
Marines, their units, their families and the
Carolina communities that support them.”
The 40,000-square-foot facility will
have three main galleries, an orientation
theater, a special exhibits gallery and a remembrance memorial. The Carolinas &
Edited by Mary D. Karcher
the Corps Gallery will show the impact
the base had on the small communities of
coastal Carolina. The World Warriors Gallery will emphasize the combat history of
the Carolina Marine, from World War to
Cold War, from battlefield to humanitarian rescue. The 21st Century & Beyond
Gallery will examine the equipment and
technology used to adapt to the changing
environments of modern warfighting.
Each gallery will have an exhibit that
will allow visiting veterans to record their
Marine Corps story. But contributors don’t
have to wait until the bricks and mortar
exist since the museum staff is collecting
stories now from Marines, other military
personnel, family members, friends—
anyone who wants to share his or her experience. To submit a story, click on the “Share
Your Story” link on the Web site www
. museumofthemarine.org, or send your
story to Museum of the Marine, P.O. Box
1046, Jacksonville, NC 28541.
Groundbreaking for the museum is
scheduled for 2009. Visit the museum’s
Web site to learn more or to make a donation. Donations also are accepted by
mail at the preceding address.
Museum of the Marine
MCB Camp Lejeune Web site
Children’s Book Series
Discounted for Military Kids
Michelle Bain has written a series of
books for children aged 4 to 8 that encourages teamwork, friendship and other
positive behaviors through a little guy
from Texas fashioned out of a thumbprint
and named Thumbs Up Johnnie. Parent
company Pixie Stuff L.L.C. is offering
the series at a discount to military children through the end of 2008.
ARTIST’S RENDERING FROM CALLO WAY, JOHNSON, MOORE AND WEST, P.A.
The wavelike curves in the design of the Museum of the Marine suggest the amphibious nature of the Corps. The Great Hall’s granite wall, which changes from
rough to polished, reflects the battle training of leathernecks. The 40,000-square-foot museum will be located on 61/2 acres at Lejeune Memorial Gardens near
the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville, N.C. Groundbreaking is scheduled for 2009.
