Cantigny's First Division Museum celebrates 50 years

A group of happy children climb atop 11 inoperable tanks that once were feared weapons of war.

It's a scene that has played out countless times outside the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park. The "tank park" has been a fixture since the military museum opened in Wheaton a half-century ago.

"Many people around here have grown up with fond memories of climbing on the tanks," said Paul Herbert, museum executive director. "I think if I tried to stop them now, I'd probably be the bad guy of DuPage County."

More importantly, Herbert said, the hands-on outdoor display - complete with an armored personnel carrier and four artillery pieces - represents the museum's approach to educating the public about the famed 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.

"You can't show military history simply through uniforms and decorations and things that you put in cases," Herbert said.

In keeping with that tradition, the museum will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a Saturday dedication of a newly restored Bell UH-1C helicopter. The "Huey" aircraft served during the Vietnam War and sustained combat damage.

"There was bullet damage," said Terri Navratil, curator of collections. "They were repaired in theater, so you can see the patches."

Meanwhile, a "50th birthday observance" for the First Division Museum is planned for 1 p.m. Friday at Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road. Cake will be served along with brief remarks from VIP guests.

"We've come a long way in 50 years," Herbert said. "But we've always stayed true to our mission of preserving and interpreting the history of the 1st Infantry Division and providing an opportunity to learn more about our country's military heritage."

The Colonel's legacy

When Chicago Tribune publisher Col. Robert R. McCormick died in 1955, he donated his 500-acre estate to become a public park and museum and funded the creation of a charitable trust, which is now the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Years before, McCormick renamed the estate Cantigny after the village in France where he and other members of the 1st Infantry Division fought during World War I. The Battle of Cantigny was America's first victory of the Great War.

"McCormick loved the 1st Division," Herbert said. "He loved his experience as a soldier."

So McCormick's original board of trustees decided to build the First Division Museum at Cantigny. The museum opened on Aug. 20, 1960, in a renovated horse stables building that is now part of the Cantigny Park Visitors Center.

Unlike others, the 1st Infantry Division has been on continuous active duty since 1917. It's currently deployed to Iraq and has fought in every major conflict except the Korean War.

From the day the doors opened, the First Division Museum has benefited from World War I and World War II veterans who were willing to donate items, Herbert said. The Army also loaned various vehicles and equipment.

The museum moved to its existing 38,000-square-foot home in 1992. Today, there are more than 13,000 artifacts. And the Robert R. McCormick Research Center, which is open to the public, houses the museum's library, archival and photo collections.

Eric Gillespie, director of the research center, says the center handles more than 2,000 inquiries a year from media outlets, researchers, veterans and their families. He said the historic photo collection includes more than 100,000 images and the military library has more than 10,000 books.

While books and images tell the story, Herbert said, the tanks and vehicles on the Cantigny grounds provide a connection to historic events.

"I come out here all the time and I'll see some gray-haired guy, roughly my age, explaining to somebody where the bogie wheels are or how to use the coax machine gun," he said. "You can't do that if we make people stand away from it."

Living history

Even though the museum was built to honor the 1st Division, it stands today as a tribute to all who have served our country in the armed forces, officials said.

Visitors can walk through the exhibits that re-create the trenches of World War I, the beaches of World War II and the jungles of Vietnam.

"The idea of the entire exhibit hall is to let the visitor walk through the history of the 1st Division," Herbert said. "We have artifacts in cases, but we don't want it to be just looking at things in cases. We want people to experience what the soldiers experienced."

Originally, the museum used dioramas to depict battles. Now with life-size mannequins, vehicles and props, entire exhibits are transformed into snapshots of a battlefield.

Steven Hawkins, the museum's director of publications, says his favorite example is the Battle of the Bulge exhibit, which includes a massive mural and a real tank.

"We want an immersive experience for people," Hawkins said. "We don't want them to just to be standing off and looking at something. We want them to be a part of something."

That approach has resulted in a lot of positive feedback. Last year, roughly 147,000 people visited the museum, an increase of 29 percent compared to 2008.

"That's one of the great things about the History Channel," Hawkins said. "It has sparked interest and people want to learn more about it (military history)."

Navratil said people are drawn to seeing the real uniforms, flags, helmets, footwear, weapons and medals that were a part of history.

"The whole web experience can only take you so far," she said. "It's always great to see the actual object that a soldier used in World War II."

Look to the future

While it's exciting to celebrate 50 years, Herbert said he's focusing on what the museum is going to look like a half-century from now.

"We aren't going away and the 1st Division isn't going away," Herbert said. "One of the things we are working on very hard right now is documenting and recording this generation's service."

That means the museum will need more space sometime in future. Exhibits also could change greatly as visitor expectations and technology evolve.

"I don't want anybody to think we're going to look like this with these exhibits forever," Herbert said. "We are constantly changing. We are constantly keeping up with the continuing story, and we have an obligation to the future."

First Division Museum at Cantigny 50th anniversaryThe following 50th anniversary events are being held this week at the First Division Museum at Cantigny, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. For details, visit firstdivisionmuseum.org.THURSDAY, AUG. 1910 a.m. to 2 p.m. Historic military vehicles and LCVP10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Animal Adventures - Meet exotic animals that soldiers encounter all over the world, including the Burmese python, wallaby and tarantula.1 to 3 p.m. History Alive! (children's drop-in program about Desert Storm)FRIDAY, AUG. 209 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mobile blood drive10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Historic military vehicles, LCVP, and "Huey" helicopter10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Active duty 1st Division displays 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Artillery park tours10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Water balloon artillery challenge1 p.m. 50th birthday observance for the First Division Museum8:30 p.m. Movie in the park: "The Big Red One"SATURDAY, AUG. 219 a.m. Memorial service honoring Vietnam dead and missing (visitors center)10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Historic military vehicles and LCVP11 a.m. Unveiling and dedication of restored UH-1C "Huey" gunship helicopter in the First Division Museum parking lot.10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Active duty 1st Division displays10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vietnam-era 5th Special Forces re-enactors10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Veterans Welcome Tent10 a.m. to 3 p.m. "How Does it Fly?" (children's drop-in program about helicopters)10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3 Soldiers Exhibit (visitors center)False20001606The First Division Museum opened on Aug. 20, 1960, in renovated horse stables that are now part of the Cantigny Park Visitors Center.Courtesy of Cantigny ParkFalse