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Images: Behind the scenes at the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park

  The collections area at 1st Division Museum, that is not open to the public, is filled with cabinet after cabinet holding historical items related to the 1st Division and the U.S. military. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The McCormick papers are under lock and key in the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research center in the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. The McCormick papers fill 599 boxes full of correspondence and documents. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  This is just a small selection of the collection of personal photos, military records, correspondence and memorabilia items from 1st Division veterans ranging in rank from privates to generals at the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center. The center is located in the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  A German World War II grenade, that has been rendered inert, is housed in a vault along with other items such as artwork and other weapons at the 1st Division Museums collections area. The collections area is not open to the public. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The Medal of Honor of World War I and 1st Division veteran Sam Parker is housed in a vault along with other items such as artwork and weapons in the 1st Division Museums collections area. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  These movable book shelves house military books of all kinds and are made available electronically to libraries around the country. The Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center is located in the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Items such as this World War I-era machine gun are housed in a vault along with other items such as artwork and other weapons in the 1st Division Museums collections area. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  A bust of Colonel Robert R. McCormick in the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Items such as these rifles and machine guns are housed in a vault along with other items such as artwork and other weapons in the 1st Division Museums collections area. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The U.S. Army’s 1st Division is portrayed during the World War II and the landings at Normandy. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center has a collection of personal photos, military records, correspondence and memorabilia items from 1st Division veterans ranging in rank from privates to generals. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The U.S. Army’s 1st Division is portrayed during Desert Storm in the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Eric Gillespie, director of the McCormick Research Center, pulls a volume of the official record of the 1st Divisions actions during World War I, the record consists of 29 volumes that were typed up following the end of the war. The Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research center has several copies of the complete official history and acquires extra copies when they come available. The research center is housed on the lower floor of the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Gillespie opens one of the many boxes of photographs made by the U.S. Army Signal Corps of the 1st Division during World War 1 and World War II. The photos are available for research but are not on public display and access to them is handled by the center’s staff. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The full record of the 1st Divisions actions during World War I is written in 29 volumes that was typed up following the end of the war. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research center has original Abraham Lincoln letters on display in the reading room. The letters were written to Robert R. McCormick’s grandfather, Joseph Medill who ran the Chicago Tribune in the 1850s and was a supporter of Abraham Lincoln. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The U.S. Army’s 1st Division is portrayed during the World War I in the village of Cantigny, France, at the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Eric Gillespie shows off some of the boxes containing the McCormick papers, that are under lock and key, in the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The 1st Division Museum has a large collection of 1st Division helmets such as this World War I helmet sporting the “Big Red One”. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Donated books are ready to be cataloged at the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Items such as these tank rounds, that have been rendered inert, are housed in a vault along with other items such as artwork and other weapons in the 1st Division Museums collections area. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  A cold war-era M47 Patton tank on display outside the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  William Brewster, Curator of Collections shows off some of the flags in the archives of 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton where the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center is located. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Eric Gillespie shows the microfilm archive of the history of the 1st Division during World War II. The collection fills several cabinets. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The 1st Division Museum has such items as these 1st Division World War I service coats. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Space is at a premium in the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research center as boxes of items fill the isles. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Some of the volumes of the official record of the 1st Divisions actions during World War I. The record consists of 29 volumes that were typed up following the end of the war. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Displays of the predecessors to the 1st Division dating back to the revolutionary war, at the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The 1st Division Museum has such items as this helmet with a bullet hole through the top that was worn and donated to the museum by Ronald Campsey, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, Vietnam 1968. Campsey was uninjured by the gun shot and did not know his helmet was shot until he returned to base. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Items such as this Thompson machine gun captured by soldiers in Vietnam are housed in a vault along with other items such as artwork and other weapons at the 1st Division Museums collections area. The collections area is not open to the public. This weapon was sold to the French by the United States, used by U.S. soldiers in Vietnam then captured by the Vietnamese from the French then used against the United States soldier and subsequently captured by U.S. forces. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The 1st Division Museum has such items as this 1st Division Patch from World War I that orbited the Moon on Apollo 11 in 1969. Astronaut Michael Collins brought his father’s 1st Division patch with him on the trip to the moon. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The 1st Division Museum has such items as these 1st Division World War I service coats. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center has a collection of personal photos, military records, correspondence and memorabilia from 1st Division veterans ranging in rank from privates to generals. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  Boxes of photographs made by the Army Signal Corps of the 1st Division during World War 1 and World War II. The photos are available for research but not on public display and access to them is handled by the center’s staff. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  A World War I M1917 light tank on display outside the 1st Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
  The 1st Division Museum has such items as this Flag of the Red Crescent used by Task Force 3-37 AR, signed by General Norman Schwartzkopf. The flag was donated to the museum by Brigadier General David Gross who was a Lt. Colonel during Desert Storm. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
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