Date With History explores 'Road to Victory During the Persian Gulf War' Aug. 5
On Thursday, Aug. 5, learn about the museum exhibit, "This Will Not Stand: The U.S. Army's Road to Victory During the Persian Gulf War," during the next virtual "Date With History" from 7 to 8:15 p.m. This Zoom event is free but registration is required at fdmuseum.org.
This exhibition at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Penn., opened last November and continues until August 2023. The exhibit's curator, Molly Bompane, will discuss the exhibit's development, significance and historical context. Bompane is joined by Jeff Hawks, the education director from the Army Heritage Center Foundation. Hawks not only brings his experience as an educator to the conversation, but his perspective as a veteran of the Gulf War.
The Persian Gulf War was said to be the most concentrated and complex projection of American military power since World War II.
In 1990-1991, America led a coalition of 35 countries and sent over a half a million servicemen and women to defeat Saddam Hussein's army, which at that time was the fourth largest army in the world.
Utilizing the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center's rich artifact and archival collection, the story of how the war unfolded and was fought is told by top level leaders and decision makers, soldiers and those at home.
The exhibit looks at the U.S. Army's presence in the Persian Gulf after World War I through the present day and includes a discussion of both geo-political factors and the strategic setting to help put this war into context for our visitors.
The exhibit also provides a discussion of the significant changes and transformation that occurred within the Army after Vietnam through its deployment to the Persian Gulf, which ultimately led to its success in the Gulf War.
Hawks oversees numerous educational programs including professional development programs for teachers, the Veterans Oral History Project, The Soldier Experience Adventure Camp, and National History Day in Pennsylvania. He is a Pennsylvania certified public-school teacher with over 20 years of experience in secondary and higher education. He previously served as adjunct professor of political science at the University of Connecticut and Eastern Connecticut State University, and as a student-teacher and substitute teacher in the Carlisle Area School District, Carlisle, Penn. He holds a BA in Philosophy and a master's in political science with a concentration in Political Theory, International Relations, and American Politics from the University of Connecticut.
Hawks is a veteran of the United States Army. His service in the Infantry included more than 20 missions on the DMZ in Korea, fighting forest fires in Oregon, and six months in Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.
Molly Bompane, a native of Massachusetts, graduated from the George Washington University with a B.A. in Archaeology in 1994. She spent over a decade working as an archaeologist for various cultural institutions and engineering firms specializing in Cultural Resource Management. In 2005, she began her Army Museum career working at the First Armored Division Museum in Baumholder, Germany. In 2007, she became as the Curator of Photography at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center and later the Chief of Digital Initiatives. In 2012 she accepted the position of Chief Curator, U.S. Army Europe and worked in Wiesbaden, Germany from February 2013 to August 2017. Bompane rejoined the staff of the USAHEC as the Curator of Arms and Ordnance in August 2017. Among her many responsibilities, Bompane served as curator and team lead for this latest exhibition, "This Will Not Stand: The U.S Army's Road to Victory During the Persian Gulf War."