“Gee!! I wish I were a man, I’d join the Navy” 1917 recruiting poster by Howard Chandler Christy This week we will be looking at an iconic piece of recruiting history from World War I, a poster that brought not just patriotism but challenged gender roles. The 1917 “Gee!! I wish I were a man, I’d join the Navy” is a classic and early representation of recruiting history for the U.S. Navy. Howard Chandler Christy was the artist that created this poster and at the bottom of the

Courtesy of That's All Brother and David M. Barrera In honor of our Warbird Weekend, we are reposting this classic blog from 2024. This weekend is a very special one for the Arkansas Air and Military Museum as we have the honor of hosting a legend. The C-47 Skytrain, That’s All Brother, will be the star of our Warbird Weekend starting today and continuing through Sunday, so this Artifact Friday will be dedicated to it. C-47s played an important role in World War II. Designed

In preparation for our Warbird weekend next week, we will be looking at a rotating artifact that will be in our museum and available to view temporarily, the B-25 “Yellow Rose.” The Yellow Rose is a vintage B-25 Mitchell World War II bomber. The bomber was christened with the name “Yellow Rose” in honor of the song “The Yellow Rose of Texas” due to the aircraft being restored and flown by the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing. The Yellow Rose has been restored to its

In commemoration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we will be taking a look at a Filipino Sundang sword. A Sundang sword, also known as a moro kalis, is a combat and highly prestigious sword used within the Southern Philippines. This sword is similar to swords from cultural regions in South East Asia. It is a long, double-edged steel blade that is curved from its base to the top, maximizing the cutting efficiency of the blade. Due to the

Mothers influence us in every way possible, from our childhoods to how they shaped us as adults, we can appreciate them. Mother pillows have been a long standing tradition within the American military for centuries, dating back to the war of 1812, that show historical love for a mom. This gesture is one of tradition, love, and remembrance. The mother pillows were first handmade by soldiers from old grain sacks and would have simple phrases such as Mother and Sweetheart. Durin

World War 1 set the precedents for the next world war, which would follow just twenty years later. The US M1917 Doughboy Helmet in our WW1 display case is just a piece of history that details the conflict between 1914 and 1918. When fighting broke out, the United States chose the British MK helmets, mostly for their 400,000 immediate availability to troops. By 1917 the The United States started to make its own helmet, the M1917, in the fall of 1917. Essentially, the M1917 was

To commemorate Earth Day this year, we are looking at our very own Space Force patch that is on display. The Space Force is the newest branch of the military that was added in 2019 and it operates under the United States Air Force. The goal/mission of the Space Force is to train, organize, and prepare personnel to protect U.S. interests in space. This consists of providing satellites, missile defense, and navigation capabilities that ensure U.S. space superiority. The Cold Wa

That's right, everyone, we got a new artifact! It is a tank! Isn't she a beauty? She was picked up on the airfield and is slowly acclimating to the collection! Tankette is one of two box turtle species in Arkansas. They typically, prefer grasslands or forests for homes, usually not runways! Box turtles have a diet of varied things including insects, fruits, veggies, and leafy items. Some species can live between 30 and 50 years! Box turtles (tank :)) prefer the wild, so unfor

Pilot gear, helmets, and uniforms are a unique visual product to the new era of flight that has taken over the modern age, especially within the Military. The Gentex HGU-55/P Helmet has been a standard choice within the Air F orce and Navy for decades since 1980. It has been chosen as the primary helmet for Military pilots for a number of reasons that make it remarkable. The visor has a bungee visor system that helps the vision of the pilot by being tinted. It includes integr

This week we will be taking a look into one of our newer collection items and at our new exhibit here at the museum. THe BPH-2 Helmet is a part of a new collection that shows the impact and history of service. This particular BPH-2 Helmet was used primarily in 1965 and 1966, Its coloring and engraving is unique to its own. This helmet was designed for aircrews for patrol, transport, and reconnaissance missions, essentially for non fighter or non high performing fighter jets.

The Army Air Corps during World War 2 found many different types of personalities, strong-willed persons, and people willing to fight for freedom in the extreme. Harold and Phyllis Caskey was one of these people,, and they found love and commitment within it. Phyllis Caskey grew up in Minden, Iowa, and decided she would be a nurse one day. After high school she attended Jennie Edmundson School of Nursing. She graduated in 1943 and joined the Army Air Corps as a nurse in the s

With a new season coming in bloom, we have new exhibits coming up here at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum. In building three, our curator, John Townsend, did a new display on the Japanese Pacific Theater of World War II. On display in that case is a Japanese officer's field hat, which we will be covering this week in our artifact Friday. A Japanese officer's field hat, also called a Ryaku-bou, was a standard cloth hat used by officers in the Japanese Imperial Army and Na