ASOMF

9/11 Memorial Flag Display
2024-09-10 10:00 - 2024-09-29 16:00 (America/New_York)
A handmade flag honoring the victims and families of 9/11 and the troops fighting in the Global War on Terrorism will be on temporary display in the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum’s lobby.
The 9/11 Memorial Flag is made up of close to 3,000 small American flags sewn together, representing each of the victims of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93. There are also 86 national flags representing the countries the victims came from, and flags of each of the first responder organizations that participated in rescue and recovery efforts.
“United We Stand, United We Sew” was the name given to an organization of Pennsylvania and New Jersey volunteers who were looking for a way to promote healing in the wake of the attacks. The giant flag, measuring 22 feet by 32 feet, was finished in five months’ time and made its national debut on the decks of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York in March 2002. Since then it has traveled across the country to be displayed in the Pentagon, state capitol buildings, military bases, airports, museums and other public venues.

2024 Field of Honor
2024-09-09 10:00 - 2024-11-11 16:00
The 2024 Field of Honor is brought to you by the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation and the Cool Spring Downtown District.
Each flag comes with its own story and displays a tag identifying both the person who sponsored the flag and the flag honoree. This living display of heroism flies as a patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of Americans, and honors all who are currently serving, those that have served, and the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s security and freedom.
All flags will proudly be displayed on the Parade Field of the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum from September 9th through November 11th, 2024.
Flags will either be shipped once the field is taken down – for a $10 additional charge – or you also have the option to donate your flags to be used for Vietnam Veteran Pinning Ceremonies.
Flags can be purchased through August 15th, 2024.
There are 500 flags available for purchase on the Parade Field, and 38 flags available for purchase on the monument walkway path leading up to the Museum ($100).
Additionally, Field of Honor photography permits are also on sale.
To ensure that the Field of Honor remains a place for people to pay their respects without disruption, photography permits cost $150 per 30 minutes, and are good for one day. The available dates are Friday, September 27, 2024, and Friday, October 4, 2024, noon until 4 PM.
If you are interested in purchasing a Field of Honor photography permit, please email finance@asomf.org.

Lindsay Lecture Series Event With Thomas A. (Tom) Ross
2024-08-15 18:00 - 20:00
To commemorate National Airborne Day, join us at the ASOM on August 15 for a Lindsay Lecture Series event with Thomas Ross, author of “Rescue in the Valley of the Tigers.” Members of the 281st Assault Helicopter Company will also be attendance.
Click here to reserve your spot.
All active duty service members and Vietnam War Veterans get in free upon registration.
Additionally, there will be a Vietnam War Veteran pinning ceremony at the conclusion of the event.
Ross will also offer book signings at the event. If you don’t have your own copy, you can purchase from the Museum Store the night of.
About The Author:

Thomas A. (Tom) Ross, was raised in Pensacola, Florida where he lived with his family until he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1966.
After receiving a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, Tom applied to and was accepted by the U.S. Army Special Forces, the elite unit also known as the “Green Berets”. Compelled to serve at a time when our country’s involvement in Southeast Asia was escalating, Tom volunteered for service in Vietnam.
After more than a year of unconventional warfare training, Tom was sent to South Vietnam as a military advisor. He arrived “in-country” during the infamous 1968 Tet Offensive that involved simultaneous enemy attacks all over South Vietnam. He was immediately assigned a combat position as the Operations and Intelligence Officer of Detachment A-502, the largest Special Forces “A” Team ever formed. These positions provided Tom with a unique vantage point from which he was able to observe both men and women as they coped with their wartime assignments.
After returning to the United States, Tom was shocked to learn that American civilians were spitting on the uniforms of returning soldiers while hurling hateful epithets at them. In response, he immediately began writing “Privileges of War”, a book that tells good stories of the selfless and courageous deeds that he witnessed in Vietnam.
The book also recounts the inspiring true story of a unique rescue mission. When three brave mountain villagers escaped the enemy captors, who had enslaved and abused them for years, they made their way to one of A-502’s outposts.
After Tom was called to the outpost, the lead villager, Mang Quang, begged him for help in rescuing his family and the other families held hostage. Responding to a passionate plea for help, Tom planned and led a rescue team deep into enemy territory. Flown to the village by the 281st Assault Helicopter Company and guided by Mang Quang, mist was still rising from a steamy jungle when the team attacked early the next morning.
August 13, 1968, Walter Cronkite reported the story on the CBS Evening News. 165 men, women and children had been freed as a result of the daring and extremely dangerous rescue mission in — the Valley of the Tigers.
Today, Tom is the President and CEO of his own successful custom design jewelry firm, The Ross Jewelry Company, in Atlanta, Georgia. Not surprisingly, he remains extremely dedicated to family, friends, community, and country.
About The Book:

Rescue in the Valley of the Tigers tells the exciting true story of a life-saving mission mounted by a small group of daring young Americans determined to give the gift of freedom to inhabitants of a remote mountain village. Deep within enemy territory, the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army had held and used the villagers as slaves for more than eight years. The story exemplifies the characteristically American traits of resourcefulness, integrity and courage that demonstrate the true nature of those who represented our country on the Vietnam battlefield.

Flag Day Story & Craft Time
2024-06-14 11:00 - 12:00
Join us at the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum on Flag Day, June 14th at 11 AM or 2 PM for a themed story time and craft session.
We request a minimum $5 donation per child. You can sign up online here, or at the door the day of the event.

Memorial Day Ceremony & National Moment of Remembrance
2024-05-27 15:00 - 15:30
On Memorial Day, Monday May 27, the Museum will be open from 10AM until 4PM. The public is invited to attend a brief ceremony at 3 PM, in front of ASOM’s Iron Mike statue. The song “Amazing Grace” will be played on bagpipes as a wreath is placed for the fallen. During this ceremony, patrons will be asked to observe the National Moment of Remembrance, an annual event that asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 PM local time on Memorial Day, to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the United States.

Flow for the Fallen
2024-05-26 11:00 - 12:00
Join us this Memorial Day weekend, as we honor the service and sacrifice of those who have died while serving our nation. Sanford Yoga and Community Center will lead the yoga session in the Museum’s Reflection Garden. Tickets are $10, and Museum Members get in free.
To purchase your tickets, click here.

Hidden in Plain View: United States Army Special Forces Berlin, 1956-1990
2024-04-23 10:00 - 2024-09-11 16:00
“Hidden in Plain View: United States Army Special Forces Berlin, 1956-1990” was curated exclusively by six dedicated Jack Britt High School students from Cumberland County, North Carolina. The students’ unique exhibit chronicles the virtually unknown story of U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Berets” operating in Cold War Berlin.
Following World War II, the Allies divided Berlin, Germany’s capital, into East and West zones. The Soviet Union occupied East Berlin, while West Berlin was divided between the United States, England, and France.
This covert unit of Green Berets participated in some of the Cold War’s most sensitive operations. They wore civilian clothes, spoke fluent German, and stayed on constant high alert in the event the “cold war” between the Soviet Union and the West turned “hot.” If war broke out, these highly trained Special Forces Soldiers were to cross into East Germany and strike specific Soviet targets.
The students’ work on “Hidden in Plain View” has not only increased their understanding of the Cold War and the role of United States Army Special Forces in Berlin during that turbulent period in American history, but it has also exposed them to the museum profession in ways that just visiting a museum cannot.
“Hidden in Plain View, ” created by these exceptional and dedicated students’ from Jack Britt High School, will be on exhibit through September 1, 2024.

GWOT MEMORIAL FLAG EXHIBIT
2024-04-08 10:00 - 2024-04-30 16:00
On Memorial Day 2018, the Veterans Athletes United (VAU) group completed the traveling Global War on Terror (GWOT) Memorial Flag to honor close to 7,000 GWOT fallen heroes and Gold Star Families. This moving exhibit will be on display in the Reflection Garden at the ASOM from April 8 – 30, 2024. The purpose of this exhibit is to raise awareness of the sacrifice paid by our nation’s heroes.

About the GWOT Memorial Flag
The GWOT Memorial Flag is 28 feet wide and 6 feet tall. The design symbolizes the shape of a flag when draped on a fallen service member’s casket. Approximately 7,000 dog tags form the flag, all belonging to those who were killed during the War on Terror. Additionally, there are 50 gold stars honoring all Gold Star Families nationwide. Displayed in front of the flag is a battle field cross sculpted from mahogany wood by female veteran artist Alicia Dietz.

Tags are in alphabetical order ranging from September 11, 2001 to December 31, 2019; thereafter the tags are in chronological order of the date Killed in Action (KIA).

Women’s History Month: A Leadership Perspective
2024-03-26 18:00 - 20:00
In observance of Women’s History Month, the next Lindsay Lectures Series event will feature two outstanding leaders: CSM JoAnn Naumann, Command Senior Enlisted Leader of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and LTC Rachel M. Cepis who serves as the USASOC Women in ARSOF initiative Director and Women, Peace, and Security/Gender Focal Point Advisor.
To reserve your spot, click here.
All active-duty service members get in free upon registration.
CSM JOANN NAUMANN

Command Sergeant Major JoAnn Naumann was born and raised in New Jersey. She attended the College of William and Mary, majoring in American Studies and Government. After college, CSM Naumann enlisted in the Army as a 35P, Voice Language Analyst, in February 1996. She completed the Arabic Basic Course at the Defense Language Institute and Advanced Individual Training at Goodfellow Air Force Base.
CSM Naumann’s assignments include: 311th Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Campbell, KY; 344th Military Intelligence Battalion, Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX; and assignments to a Special Mission Units. She completed fourteen deployments throughout CENTCOM and AFRICOM. CSM Naumann served as the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) J2 Senior Enlisted Advisor and Command Sergeant Major for the 15th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), JSOC Intelligence Brigade, and Special Operations Command – Korea. She currently serves as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Army Special Operations Command.
CSM Naumann’s military schools include: Arabic Basic Course, Air Assault Course, BLC, Rappel Master Course, ALC, Basic Airborne Course, Instructor Supervisor Course, Military Freefall Course, and SOF Intel Leaders Course. She is a graduate of the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy.
CSM Naumann’s awards and decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star w/ 1OLC, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal w/ 2OLC, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal w/ 3OLC, and Army Achievement Medal w/ 2OLC. She is a recipient of the Order of Saint Michael and the Knowlton Award. CSM Naumann is married and has one stepdaughter.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL RACHEL M. CEPIS

Lieutenant Colonel Rachel M. Cepis graduated from the University of Toledo in 2005 and was commissioned a 2LT in the U.S. Army as a Chemical Officer.
Lieutenant Colonel Cepis attended the Civil Affairs Qualification Course in 2009 at United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. She graduated the Civil Affairs Qualification Course in March 2010 as a 38A and was assigned to Alpha Company, 98th Civil Affairs Battalion Special Operations (SO) Airborne (A) where she served as an Assistant Operations Officer (Asst. CMOC Chief), Rear Detachment Commander and Civil Affairs Team Leader. In 2011 Lieutenant Colonel Cepis deployed as a Team Leader with Delta
Company, 98th Civil Affairs Battalion (SO) (A) to Central and South America in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM CARIBBEAN, CENTRAL AMERICA then redeployed and was assigned as the AS-3 for the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion (SO) (A). Following her AS-3 assignment, in 2014 Lieutenant Colonel Cepis became a Civil Affairs Qualification Course instructor/course manager in Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne). After her assignment as an instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Cepis served as Civil Affairs advisor Commander’s Initiative Group, USAFJSWCS.
In 2016, Lieutenant Colonel Cepis was assigned to Echo Company, 91st Civil Affairs Battalion (SO) (A) where she served as the Company Operations Chief supporting missions throughout Africa. In 2017, Lieutenant Colonel Cepis was assigned to the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade Headquarters where she served as the Brigade Chief of Operations and in 2018 she was selected to serve as a Battalion Operations Officer and Civil Affairs Advisor in Iraq in support of Special Operations Joint Task Force Inherent Resolve. Immediately following her deployment Lieutenant Colonel Cepis assumed Command of Bravo Company, 98th Civil Affairs Battalion (SO) (A). In 2020, she deployed forward with her company to Honduras where she dual served as the Civil Affairs Commander and Special Operations Chief of Staff/Deputy Commander responsible for 16 additional SOF elements forward deployed in Central America and the Caribbean. After successful completion of company command, Lieutenant Colonel Cepis served as the 83d Civil Affairs Battalion Operations Officer, responsible for the only conventional Civil Affairs Immediate Response Force in support of XVIII Airborne Corps global response. From 2021 to 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Cepis served in the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (SO) (A) as the Plans and Future Capabilities Director. From 2022 until present, Lieutenant Colonel Cepis is serving as the USASOC Women in ARSOF initiative Director and Women, Peace, and Security/Gender Focal Point Advisor.
Lieutenant Colonel Cepis’s military schooling includes Airborne School, Chemical Basic Officer Leader Course, Toxic Agent Training, Environmental Compliance, Military Police Officer Career Course, Survival and Evasion Course (High Risk), Spanish Language Training, Civil Affairs Qualification Course, Jumpmaster, and Army Basic Instructor Training Course. Her awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with C device), Army Commendation Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster), National Defense Service Ribbon, Iraqi Campaign Ribbon (with Bronze Star), Global War on Terrorism Service Ribbon, Over Seas Service Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Peruvian Parachutist Badge and the Army Parachutist Badge.

OPENING THE VAULTS: Treasures of the Fort Liberty Museums
2024-03-14 10:00 - 2024-12-30 16:00
Opening the Vaults: Treasures of the Fort Liberty Museums” is a temporary exhibition that showcase some of the rarest collection pieces from the Fort Liberty Museums, made up of the ASOM, 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum, JFK Special Warfare Museum, and the U.S. Army Reserve Command History Office.
Visitors will have a behind the scenes look at unique artifacts dating back to the American Civil War (1861-1865) to the present day used or captured by Soldiers on the battlefield, along with historical context. “Opening the Vaults” will be at the ASOM through December 29, 2024.
About the Fort Liberty Museums:
The 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum is located at Ardennes and Gela Streets on Fort Liberty. Established in 1945, the museum chronicles the history of the 82nd Airborne Division from 1917 to the present.
The JFK Special Warfare Museum is located in Building D-2815 on the corner of Rock Merritt Avenue and Ardennes Street on Fort Liberty. Established in 1962, it operates under the umbrella of the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS), the schoolhouse for Special Forces, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations. It shares the history of Special Operations Soldiers.
The U.S. Army Reserve Command History Office has over 20 offices, each with an individual mission and function that contributes to the accomplishment of the overall mission of the command. The History Office acts as the proponent of all historical activities within the Army Reserve, and accurately collects, preserves, interprets, and communicates the Army Reserve’s (AR) history and material culture to the USARC Commander, Decision Makers, the Force, and the Nation.
Established in August 2000, the ASOM is a first-class institution that efficiently and effectively captures, preserves, exhibits, and presents the material culture and heritage of the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Forces from 1940 and into the future. The Museum celebrates over 80 years of Army Airborne and Special Operations history and honors our nation’s Soldiers – past, present, and future. Located at 100 Bragg Blvd in downtown Fayetteville, North Carolina, admission to the ASOM is free.

Tet Offensive Focus Exhibit
2024-03-04 10:00 - 2024-05-01 16:00
3d Brigade Combat Team, 82d Airborne Division deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in February 1968 in response to the Tet Offensive.

The Offensive was an unexpected series of attacks launched in South Vietnam by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) during Tet, the Vietnamese New Year holiday.

3d Brigade was initially responsible for combat operations in the Hue-Phu Bai area of the I Corps sector. The Brigade continued operations until late October before redeploying to Fort Liberty, then Fort Bragg, North Carolina in December 1969. 3d Brigade is the only 82d Airborne Division element to fight in Vietnam.

This exhibit displays items from both U.S. and NVA Soldiers. It was curated by Zoey Bernier and is currently located in the ASOM’s lobby.

Zoey Bernier began her Mentorship with the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum in June 2023. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oregon.

Lindsay Lectures with Terese Schlachter & COL Gregory Gadson (Ret.)
2024-02-07 18:00 - 20:00
Join us February 7th at the ASOM for our Distinguished Speaker Series with Terese Schlachter & Colonel Gregory Gadson (Ret.)!
To reserve your spot, click here.
All active-duty service members get in free upon registration.
Terese Schlachter & Colonel Gregory Gadson (Ret.) will discuss their new book, Finding Waypoints: A Warrior’s Journey Towards Peace and Purpose. After he lost both legs in an IED attack in Iraq in 2007, Colonel Gadson felt his sense of self had been obliterated. Yet within eight months, he was mentoring the NY Giants to their 2008 Super Bowl win and would later star in the major motion picture, Battleship. He is now a much sought-after motivational speaker. The co-authors will discuss Colonel Gadson’s early life, his path from the Army football team to a distinguished military career, his injury, its incredible aftermath, and the waypoints that sustained him throughout.
The title of the book comes from an encounter with an Army major during his posting at the former Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty. It’s an inspirational story, and one that will resonate with today’s soldiers.
About The Book:

A hybrid of biography and autobiography, the book is the result of an extraordinary relationship between journalist Schlachter and her subject Gadson—a man who survived the worst and has used his experience to enrich the lives of others.
What starts as a minute-by-minute account of a disaster in a war zone quickly turns into an uplifting story of survival and triumph. Within eight months of losing his legs due to injuries sustained in Iraq, Gadson mentored the New York Giants to their Super Bowl win in 2008. “Greg instilled in our team a tremendous example of sacrifice and self-denial for a greater cause,” says Tom Coughlin, the team’s former coach.
Publishers Weekly calls Finding Waypoints “Intense and inspiring…a fast-moving, unsparing account of a fascinating life.” Gary Sinise, actor and founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation says “Colonel Greg Gadson’s journey is humbling, healing and inspirational. Finding Waypoints is a story of hope and recovery, a motivational biography told from inside one of our nation’s military families who gave so much to this country and in the end, see their sacrifice as a blessing. I have known Colonel Gadson since the early days of his injury and am honored to call him friend. This story will lift you up.”
About the Authors:
Terese Schlachter is a Washington-DC based writer and producer of videos and documentaries (NBC News, Dept of Defense) who first met Colonel Gadson when covering the new veterans facility at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2007. She became his fast friend and confidante during his painful recovery and rehabilitation. Terese is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer, and founder and Chief Storyteller of Ridgeback Communications. Her short film “Picture Perfect” was nominated for “Best Short” at the 2017 DC Indie Film festival as well as a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy. She lives in Shady Side, Maryland with her husband Jon, and Lillian, a Rhodesian Ridgeback dog.

Colonel Gregory Gadson, (Ret.) was grievously wounded in an IED attack in Iraq in 2007 while he and his unit were returning from a service for two fallen soldiers. He subsequently lost both legs and severely injured his right arm, and, in the course of his rehabilitation and recovery, he became a source of inspiration and motivation for other war-wounded at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Due to his longtime connection with West Point as a football player there, and his friendship with the coach of the then-struggling NY Giants in 2007, Gadson soon became a motivational co-coach and spiritual guide, helping the team go from nearly last place to Superbowl Champions in 2008. Gadson subsequently starred in a major Hollywood movie, “Battleship”, and has been an admired motivational speaker and coach for numerous organizations both civilian and military, for several years now.
An avid outdoorsman and enthusiast of skiing, cycling, and deep-sea fishing, he has led numerous adventure-travel expeditions for wounded veterans. He is the recipient of the 2010 NCAA Inspiration Award and the 2017 Henry Biscardi Achievement Award. In his honor, in October 2022, the new veterans center at Wayne State University was named the Colonel Gregory Gadson Office of Military and Veterans Academic Excellence. When not traveling around the country as a motivational speaker, Gadson enjoys time at home in Alexandria, VA with his wife, children, and grandchildren, and continues to pursue his acting career and his love of photography.

Live Music with the 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus
2023-12-07 11:30 - 12:30
Join us on December 7th at 11:30 AM for holiday and patriotic music performed by the 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus! Following their performance, there will be a short meet and greet.

Lindsay Lectures with William Yeske
2023-11-11 13:00 - 15:00
To commemorate Veterans Day, join us at the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum on November 11th for our Distinguished Speaker Series event with William Yeske, author of “Damn the Valley”.
This event is free for active-duty service members upon registration. To reserve your spot, click here.
About William Yeske:
William (Will) Yeske is a combat veteran who served 11 years in the United States Army. He is a serial entrepreneur who brings significant expertise in marketing, IT, and project management. He currently runs and operates a marketing company, No Limits Marketing Group (NLMG), founded to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. It uses a combination of modern marketing techniques coupled with a non-lethal targeting framework learned within the military to provide clients with winning strategies. Will was also a founding board member of a Veteran non-profit, Rally for the Troops (now part of Racing for Heroes) and has worked on other veteran-based projects.
He is currently attending Columbia Business School while running current business projects, creating new possibilities for future endeavors, and parenting his two children with his wife, who is also a United States military veteran.
About “Damn the Valley”:
“Damn the Valley” is a first-hand account from a lower enlisted perspective within Bravo Company, 2-508 PIR, 82nd Airborne, during Operation Enduring Freedom, 2009–10.
“DAMN THE VALLEY” was a phrase regularly uttered by the men that spent any amount of time in the Arghandab River Valley during the deployment of 2 Fury to Afghanistan in 2009–2010. The valley has claimed bodies from the troops of Alexander the Great, the British Empire, and more recently, the Russian Army. Operating in the valley was like nothing the men could have envisaged, they called it the “meat grinder.”
It was a deployment that the media didn’t talk about, and the government doesn’t acknowledge. Three of the company were KIA, more than a dozen suffered life-changing injuries, and half the company had Purple Hearts—not many modern-day deployments have a 52% casualty rate. At one point, the entire prosthetics ward at Walter Reed was full of the men who patrolled that deadly area of the world.
Since their return, many of the survivors have struggled to move on with their lives, and the unit has been declared at “extraordinary risk” by the Department of Veteran Affairs. No one who entered that region was left unscathed. This book shares the perspective of the men that were on the ground for that deployment during the fighting season of 2010.

Mogadishu Mile 5K
2023-09-30 08:00 - 10:30
Join the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation as we honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia AKA Operation GOTHIC SERPENT. To sign up for this race, click here.
The event name, “Mogadishu Mile”, refers to a route that was run by United States Army Rangers and Special Forces soldiers from a helicopter crash site to an appointed rally point held by the 10th Mountain Division on National Street during the Battle of Mogadishu in October 1993. These acts were the inspiration for the 2001 movie, Black Hawk Down.
The MOG Mile 5K is not a timed race so there will be no prizes or places for the top three winners. Participants will run at their own pace.
Registration is open to anyone 18 and over. Kids under 18 can participate at no charge, but only with a registered adult.
This event is made possible through the support of the following sponsors:

Distinguished Speaker Series with Howard Simkin
2023-09-14 18:00 - 20:00
Join us at the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum on the eve of National POW/MIA Day for our Distinguished Speaker Series event with local author, Howard Simkin. Click here to register for this event.
All active-duty service members are free upon registration.
About the Author:
Howard R. Simkin has over 40 years of combined experience in military, law enforcement, and business. During his military service, he had 16 Years of intensive Special Operations experience. He has conducted Special Reconnaissance, Foreign Internal Defense, and Unconventional Warfare Missions. He received a Masters of Administrative Science from the Johns Hopkins University. He is also a U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command proclaimed “Mad Scientist.” He lives in North Carolina with his wife of 48 years, in a multi-generational home. In addition to “Home Run”, he has authored articles in Naval History Magazine, Small Wars Journal, the Strategic Multilayer Assessment Forum, and the Mad Scientist Blog.
About “Home Run”:
Imagine that you are deep behind enemy lines. Your plane was shot down or perhaps you have just escaped from a prisoner of war camp. The enemy is hunting you, seeking to throw you behind barbed wire for the duration of the war. What will you do? Do you have a plan, and the skills, to make it to friendly territory?
During World War II, the Germans and Japanese held over 306,000 British and 105,000 U.S. service members as prisoners. The number of successful evaders and escapers, both U.S. and British, exceeded 35,000. Many of these were aircrew, who received intense training because of the high risk that they would have to evade or escape. This book will relate how they fared in enemy hands or managed to remain free.
This book provides a complete overview of U.S. and British escape and evasion during World War II. It tells the story of the escape and evasion organizations, the Resistance-operated lines, and the dangers faced by the escapers and the evaders in a logical and compelling narrative. Heroism, betrayal, sacrifice, and cowardice are all elements of this fascinating part of the rich tapestry of World War II.
To purchase from the Museum Store, click here.

2023 Field of Honor
2023-09-11 08:00 - 2023-11-12 17:00
The 2023 Field of Honor is brought to you by the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation and the Cool Spring Downtown District.
Each flag comes with its own story and displays a tag identifying both the person who sponsored the flag and the flag honoree. This living display of heroism flies as a patriotic tribute to the strength and unity of Americans, and honors all who are currently serving, those that have served, and the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s security and freedom.
All flags will proudly be displayed on the Parade Field of the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum from September 11th through November 12th, 2023.
Flags will either be shipped once the field is taken down – for a $10 additional charge – or you also have the option to donate your flags to be used for Vietnam Veteran Pinning Ceremonies.

Distinguished Speaker Series with James Fenelon
2023-08-16 18:00 - 20:00
Join us at the ASOM for our Distinguished Speaker Series with James Fenelon on National Airborne Day. Fenelon is the author of “Four Hours of Fury“, the untold story of the American 17th Airborne Division’s combat jump over the Rhine River in March 1945. His most recent book, “Angels Against the Sun“, follows the 11th Airborne Division’s campaign through the Pacific and their eventual landing in Japan as the vanguard of the occupation forces. Register for this event here.

Fenelon served for twelve years and is a graduate of the US Army’s Airborne, Jumpmaster, and Pathfinder schools. He is a regular contributor to World War II magazine and has been previously published in FlyPast, Britain’s largest selling aviation magazine as well as ARMY and Military History. An alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin, he lives with his wife in Texas.
Can’t Make This Event But Still Want to Support the ASOMF?
Click here to make a donation to support future programs and author visits.

Distinguished Speaker Series with Dr. Marcus Cox
2023-07-20 18:00 - 20:00
Join us on July 20th for our Distinguished Speaker Series with Dr. Marcus Cox.
Dr. Marcus Cox will give a lecture on the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Korea in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. Dr. Cox is Dean and Founding Director, Gillis-Jones Institute for Ethics and Leadership and Professor of History at Fayetteville State University.
To reserve your spot, click here. All active-duty service members get in for free.
Dr. Marcus Cox Biography
Before Dr. Cox joined the team at FSU, he came from the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was a Fellow. He also served as associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was also the founding director of the African American and Diaspora Studies program. Prior to that, he served as assistant dean of The Citadel School of Humanities and Social Sciences and associate dean of The Citadel Graduate College with responsibility for Evening Undergraduate Studies at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.
Dr. Cox specializes in African American civil-military history, the Modern Civil Rights Movement, African American history, and U.S. history post-1945. He is the author of over two dozen articles, reviews, and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and academic publications on the history of African American military history, black higher education and military training programs at black colleges and universities.
Dr. Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in history from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from The Tommy and Victoria School of Business at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. He earned his Ph.D. in American history from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Distinguished Speaker Series with LTC (RET) Harry "Hank" Cramer, III
2023-06-14 17:30 - 19:30
Join us on June 14, 2023 to celebrate the U.S. Army’s birthday with a special presentation by LTC (RET) Harry “Hank” Cramer, III. His father, Captain Harry Griffith Cramer, was the first US Army Vietnam War casualty. He is a SME on his father’s unit, the 14th SFOD, the first Special Forces team to deploy to Vietnam. To sign up for this event, click here.
Can’t Make This Event But Still Want to Support the ASOMF?
Click here to make a donation to support future programs and author visits.

Distinguished Speaker Series with Miriam Kleiman, U.S. National Archives
2023-05-18 19:00 - 20:00
Join us at the ASOM for our Distinguished Speaker Series with Miriam Kleiman, Management and Program Analyst, Research Services at the U.S. National Archives, for a discussion titled: “Nazi War Crimes, Army Investigations, AND the Search for Justice: From the Nuremberg Trials to the National Archives, Congress, Hollywood and Beyond.” To sign up for this event, click here.
Former researcher and longtime National Archives staffer Miriam Kleiman uncovered Army documentation at the National Archives that helped shatter Switzerland’s neutrality myth and exposed Swiss culpability in hiding Jewish assets stolen by the Nazis during World War II. Kleiman will discuss her research, subsequent investigations and litigation, the issue’s lasting impact, and related National Archives resources.
Biography

Miriam Kleiman started as a researcher at the National Archives in March 1996, when she was asked to explore the issue of lost Jewish assets in Swiss banks during World War II. This initial two-day assignment lasted four years – working for a law firm that sued the Swiss Banks and German companies on behalf of Holocaust survivors and their heirs. After the cases settled, she was hired by the National Archives as a historical researcher for the Interagency Working Group to Implement the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act. She then spent many years in Public Affairs proudly promoting the agency but recently returned to her first love – Research Services.
Articles on Ms. Kleiman and her research have appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, and U.S. News and World Report. She has been interviewed on Good Morning America, and worked as a consultant to both the New York Times and ABC News. Previous to her work on this issue, Ms. Kleiman worked on Capitol Hill and for various non-profits. Miriam first met ASOM Director Jim Bartlinski in 2000, and they’ve been close friends and collaborators ever since.

Can’t Make This Event But Still Want to Support the ASOMF?
Click here to make a donation to support future programs and author visits.

Distinguished Speaker Series with Todd DePastino
2023-04-27 17:30 - 19:30
UPDATE: This event is at capacity and we are no longer accepting registrations.
Join us at the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum on April 27th for our Distinguished Speaker Series with Todd DePastino, who will present an illustrated talk on the great World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin, an Army infantry sergeant who rocketed to fame at age twenty-two with his wildly popular feature “Up Front.”
Week after week, Mauldin defied army censors, German artillery, and General Patton’s pledge to throw him in jail for insubordination to deliver his grim depictions of war to “Stars and Stripes” and hundreds of home front newspapers. There, readers followed the stories of Willie and Joe, two wise-cracking ‘dogfaces’ whose mud-caked uniforms and army slang and slum dialect bore eloquent witness to the world of combat and the men who lived- and died – in it. We have never viewed war in the same way since.

About Todd DePastino

Todd DePastino is founder and executive director of the Veterans Breakfast Club, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to sharing veterans’ stories with the public. He is the author of the award winning “Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front”, and six other books. He has a Ph.D. in American History from Yale University and lectures widely on American History topics.

About The Exhibit:
Now through June 11, 2023 the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum is hosting a new temporary exhibit, “Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin and the Art of War.” On loan from the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Drawn to Combat explores Mauldin’s career with an in-depth focus on his unmatched skill in documenting and satirizing military life and political affairs.
This exhibit features nearly 150 of the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist’s original drawings and published cartoons, as well as personal material from Bill Mauldin’s exceptional career.
Can’t Make This Event But Still Want to Support the ASOMF?
Click here to make a donation to support future programs and author visits.

Task Force DAGGER Temporary Exhibit
2023-04-20 08:00 - 2023-09-03 17:00
Jack Britt High School students curated our new temporary exhibit featuring artifacts from Task Force DAGGER, America’s military response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The ASOM’s curatorial staff collaborated with Jack Britt’s Social Studies Department to launch the inaugural Curatorial Apprentice program, which provides hands-on experience for students interested in working in museums and learning about the steps involved in curating museum exhibits.
In addition to their research, students interviewed Task Force DAGGER veterans, including members of the United States Army’s 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), selected artifacts from the mission, wrote exhibit text, designed the text panels, created an interactive touchscreen program, and installed the exhibit.
To see a video of this exhibit that was created by Cumberland County Schools, click here.
The exhibit will run from April 20 until September 3rd and is available for viewing at no charge during the museum’s hours of operation.

Budweiser Clydesdales Visit
2023-03-23 14:00 - 16:00
Mark your calendars for this family-friendly, FREE event- the famous Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum on March 23rd from 2-4 PM!
Enjoy looking at these beautiful show horses while eating an Italian Ice from Sunset Slush of Grays Creek!

About the Budweiser Clydesdales

In April 1933, August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III surprised their father, August A. Busch, Sr., with the gift of a six-horse Clydesdale hitch to commemorate the repeal of Prohibition of beer.
Realizing the marketing potential of a horse-drawn beer wagon, the company also arranged to have a second six-horse Clydesdale hitch sent to New York to mark the event. The Clydesdales drew a crowd of thousands on their way to the Empire State Building. After a small ceremony, a case of Budweiser was presented to former Governor Alfred E. Smith in appreciation of his years of service in the fight against Prohibition.
This hitch continued on a tour of New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, thrilling thousands, before stopping in Washington, D.C., in April 1933 to reenact the delivery of one of the first cases of Budweiser to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Shortly after the hitch was first introduced, the six-horse Clydesdale team increased to eight. On March 30, 1950, in commemoration of the opening of the Anheuser-Busch Newark Brewery, a Dalmatian was introduced as the Budweiser Clydesdales’ mascot. Now, a Dalmatian travels with each of the Clydesdale hitches.

The Clydesdales Today

Today, the Budweiser Clydesdales continue to be an enduring symbol of the brewer’s heritage, tradition and commitment to quality, making hundreds of appearances across the country each year.
To properly prepare the Clydesdales for their appearances, a team of dedicated handlers oversees their care. Expert groomers travel on the road with the hitch at least 10 months out of the year. Another team oversees their diet; each hitch horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of whole grains, minerals and vitamins, 50 to 60 pounds of hay, and up to 30 gallons of water on a warm day.
When they’re not making appearances around the country, the Budweiser Clydesdales also continue to be marketing stalwarts for Anheuser-Busch. They first appeared in the Super Bowl in 1975, and have since appeared in countless Super Bowl commercials for the company.

D-Day: Freedom from Above
2023-01-04

Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin and the Art of War
2022-12-20 08:00 - 2023-06-11 17:00
December 20, 2022 through June 11, 2023 the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum will host a new temporary exhibit, “Drawn to Combat: Bill Mauldin and the Art of War.” On loan from the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Drawn to Combat explores Mauldin’s career with an in-depth focus on his unmatched skill in documenting and satirizing military life and political affairs.
This exhibit features nearly 150 of the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist’s original drawings and published cartoons, as well as personal material from Bill Mauldin’s exceptional career.

Distinguished Speaker Series with Operation HALYARD
2022-11-15 18:00 - 20:30
Join us at the ASOM on November 15th for a discussion with John Cappello, President of the Halyard Mission Foundation, to discuss the greatest rescue mission of WWII. Opening remarks will be made by H.E. Mr. Marko Djuric Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States of America. There will be a meet and greet, followed by a tour of the exhibit. Light refreshments will be available.
Also in attendance will be several family members of the pilots who were rescued. They will be answering questions after the discussion concludes.
This is a free event, click here to register.
About John Cappello

Lt. Col. John Cappello retired from the United States Air Force (USAF) in 2014 after serving over 24 years. He served as the USAF Attaché to Serbia and Israel. He is a Command Pilot having accumulated over 3,000 flying hours.
H.E. Mr. Marko Djuric Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States of America

Ambassador Djuric assumed the duties of Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States of America in January 2021. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Mr. Djuric served as foreign policy advisor to the President of the Republic of Serbia, the Head of the Serbian Negotiating Team for Chapter 35, in the process of accession negotiations with the European Union, and as the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. Mr. Djuric spent more than six years heading this Office (as its longest-tenured Director since 1999 launch) tasked with creating and implementing the state policy and coordinating all activities of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija in the midst of political and security challenges of utmost complexity. Mr. Djuric was head of delegation in 221 rounds of talks with representatives of Pristina PISG in Brussels, with participation of the EU and other stakeholders.

About The Exhibit

Running concurrently with The Bielski Brothers exhibit in the ASOM’s Lobby, Operation HALYARD highlights the heroic mission to rescue downed U.S. airmen from Nazi occupied Serbia during the waning months of World War II.
Operation HALYARD was the largest and most successful rescue mission of American aircrews in our nation’s history. Learn how between August through December 1944, a three-man OSS team, along with Serbian anti-fascist/anti-communist partisans, known as “Chetniks,” and the 1st Air Crew Rescue Unit of the U.S.15th Air Force, airlifted more than 500 U.S. airman out of Serbia.
Operation HALYARD: The Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II is on loan from the Halyard Mission Foundation and is on display from July 4, 2022, through November 13, 2022.

Last of the 357th Infantry - A Special Evening With WWII Veteran Harold Frank
2022-11-10 18:00 - 20:00
On November 10, 2022, the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum will show the documentary, “The Last of the 357th Infantry”, and host author Mark Hager to discuss his book, “The Last of the 357th Infantry: Harold Frank’s WWII Story of Faith and Courage.” Harold Frank is the special guest of this event.
This is a free event. Reserve your spot here: https://bit.ly/lastofthe357
About Harold Frank

D-Day 1944: Twenty-year-old PFC Harold Frank had moved as one with his battalion onto the shores of Utah Beach, pushing into France to cut off and blockade the pivotal Nazi-occupied deep-water port of Cherbourg. As a recognized crack shot with WWII’s iconic American automatic rifle, Frank fought bravely across the bloody hedgerows of the Cotentin Peninsula. During the most intense fighting, Frank was ambushed and wounded in a deadly, nine-hour firefight with Germans. Taken prisoner and with a bullet lodged under one arm, Frank found himself dumped first in a brutal Nazi POW concentration camp, then shipped to a grueling work camp on the outskirts of Dresden, Germany, where the young PFC was exposed to the vengeance of a crumbling Nazi regime, the menace of a rapidly advancing Russian military—and the danger of thousands of Allied bombers screaming overhead during the firebombing of Dresden.
Historian Mark Hager builds on hundreds of hours of interviews with Harold Frank, sharing the intimate and heart-pounding account of Frank’s journey as a child of the Great Depression to the bloody shores of the D-Day invasion, into the bowels of Nazi Germany, and back to the U.S. where as a young man Harold would spend years resolutely dealing with the lingering effects of starvation rations while determinedly building a new life—a life always mindful of the legacy of his POW experience and his faithful service in America’s hard-fought war against Nazi aggression.

Distinguished Speaker Series with Robert Bielsky
2022-10-13 19:00 - 21:00
Join us at the ASOM on October 13th for a lecture with Robert Bielsky and exhibit curator Erin Blankenship of the Florida Holocaust Museum.
Robert Bielsky
Bielsky is the son of the legendary partisan commander, Tuvia Bielski portrayed by Daniel Craig in the Paramount Vantage film “Defiance”. He lectures throughout the world about the exploits of his father and his uncles and the successful mission that saved over 1,200 Jewish lives during the Holocaust. Robert is active in many Jewish Organizations. He is a member of the Associates Board of the “Museum of Jewish Heritage,” a living memorial to the Holocaust. Robert was born and raised in Brooklyn and currently resides in New Jersey with his wife, Irene.

This is a free event, please click here to register.
Courage and Compassion: The Legacy of the Bielski Brothers
Operating in Western Belorussia (Belarus) between 1942 and 1944, the Bielski partisan group was one of the most significant Jewish resistance efforts against Nazi Germany during World War II. As portrayed in the popular film Defiance, the three brothers, Tuvia, Asael, and Zus Bielski, took refuge from the Nazis in the forests surrounding Novogrudok, Belarus. In the forest, they formed a community of men, women, and children. Through the brothers’ leadership, the group survived starvation, harsh winters, and the threat of the Nazis and their collaborators.
While its members did fight against the Germans and their collaborators, the Bielski group leaders emphasized providing a safe haven for Jews, particularly women, children, and elderly persons who managed to flee into the forests.
For more than two years the brothers commanded their partisan unit in the Belorussian forests. Under the protection of the Bielski group, more than 1,200 Jews survived the war, one of the most successful rescue efforts during the Holocaust.
Their acts of rescue during extremely dangerous times stands as a monument to courage and compassion. The Bielski brothers may be called Upstanders, individuals willing to put their own lives in danger on behalf of others. This exhibition tells their story.
Courage and Compassion: The Legacy of the Bielski Brothers is on loan from The Florida Holocaust Museum and is on display in the ASOM’s temporary gallery through November 13, 2022.

This is event is made possible through the generous support of the:

"Mother of Normandy" Movie Screening & Book Signing
2022-09-29 15:00 - 17:00
In celebration of All American Week, join us at the ASOM’s Yarborough Bank Theater on September 29, at 3:00 PM for a screening of the film, “Mother of Normandy”, a documentary about a woman who bridged an ocean between her beloved corner of France and the families who lost loved ones in the battle for the liberation of Europe during World War II. Simone Renaud, wife of the wartime Mayor of Sainte Mere-Eglise, spent 44 years expressing to the families of the fallen, and to surviving veterans of the D-Day invasion, her undying gratitude for freeing her country from Nazi occupation. She expressed that gratitude one letter at a time, one personal visit at a time, and by arranging commemorations that continue today, nearly 25 years after her death.
Following this screening, there will be a discussion with Monsieur Maurice Renaud, son of Mayor Alexander and Simone Renaud, and Doug Stebleton, producer of the “Mother of Normandy” movie. Jeff Stoffer, author of “Mother of Normandy: The Story of Simone Renaud”, Monsieur Renaud and Mr. Stebleton will also sign books that will be available for sale.
This is a free event.
