Have you ever been to a foreign military museum?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 12:28:04 -0400

Have you ever visited a foreign military museum? What was it like? If the nation was an adversary to the US, how were our Armed Forces portrayed? I visited the Yamato museum in Kure, Japan once. The ship was built in the Kure drydocks and the displays were very impressive. There was a lot of info about the ship and they even had a Japanese mini-sub and a manned kamikazi torpedo. Very little was mentioned about the United States besides the handful of bombing raids on Kure and very little was mentioned about the battle in which the Yamato was sunk. The history seemed slightly sanitized to me, but it was still very interesting.

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Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Mar 13 at 2015 12:42 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 12:42:47 -0400

CPT Mattthew Johnson, Yes, Hendon Royal A F Museum North of London. As I was taking photos an older fellow walked in front of my camera, said excuse me and asked if I was enjoying. I said, yes, that I had really came to see the Mosquito Bomber, a 2 engine, 2 crew, bomber made of plywood. His comment, "Ah, yes I flew 60 missions in the Mosquitos and we only crashed 3 times during the War".

The Imperial War Museum in South London even had a replica 'dugout' with sandbags, realistic sound and as I recall, shake, rattle and roll to simulate bombs being dropped on London during the war..

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Mar 13 at 2015 12:43 PM

SGT Jim Z. — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 12:43:55 -0400

Honestly no but I think it would be interesting.

Response by SGT Joe Sabedra made Mar 13 at 2015 12:45 PM

SGT Joe Sabedra — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 12:45:30 -0400

Yes. Germany and France.
Very cool stuff

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Mar 13 at 2015 1:28 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:28:47 -0400

I don't know if this counts as a "military museum", but I once visited the "suicide cliffs" on Okinawa where Japanese civilians tossed their children to their deaths and jumped after them. It is staggering to stand there and witness the rock maw that awaited them. It is sobering to consider the propaganda that induced them to jump rather than surrender.

I wish those who fault Truman for authorizing the nuclear detonations over Hiroshima and Nagasaki could stand there and then make their arguments. Maybe then they would have at least some small sense of how foolish they sound...

Response by SPC David S. made Mar 13 at 2015 1:33 PM

SPC David S. — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:33:44 -0400

The Alcázar of Segovia, Museo Naval de Madrid (Naval Museum) and the Museo del Ejercito (Army museum) that used to be in Madrid but is now in El Alcázar in Toledo. Very interesting stuff as Spain was aligned with Germany in WWII. That had an exhibit of El Division Azul, Spanish volunteers who fought for Hitler on the Russian front. Madrid has all sorts of history due to their civil war. I went to a church that was hit with a number of small artillery and was never repaired. Very cool and very old.

Response by CPT Keith Steinhurst made Mar 13 at 2015 1:37 PM

CPT Keith Steinhurst — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:37:22 -0400

I had a wonderful time with my Lady (an Argentine) in Buenos Aires - we toured the city to include the 'military circle' - the Country's equivalent of our 'building.' The national military museum was amazing. Interestingly, in my Lady's province I was received for an office call by the local garrison commander (who is a graduate of our Command and General Staff College), given a tour of his installation, and invited to dine with the Company officers in the Mess. He shared with me that as an allied officer, my Lady and I were welcome aboard his installation and to the hospitality of the Officer's Mess and he mentioned that another US Officer had taken leave for hunting and fishing and was indeed a past welcomed guest. Great time in Argentina!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 13 at 2015 2:03 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 14:03:59 -0400

When I did a tour in South Korea, 2001-2002, my parents flew over for my mid-tour leave. In Seoul, there is a wonderful, large war museum. It covers pretty much the history of South Korea at war. There were excellent displays, short film clips, uniforms, weapons, everything. My parents and I spent a full 8 hours going through the entire museum. It was a very nice museum.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Mar 13 at 2015 5:55 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 17:55:18 -0400

Yes; several in Israel on Jewish Community "missions". It is phenomenal to see what the Israelis can do with so little...

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 13 at 2015 6:52 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 18:52:24 -0400

I have been to the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum; Himeyuri Peace Museum and the Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters all in Okinawa.

Response by SP5 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 13 at 2015 7:23 PM

SP5 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 19:23:44 -0400

Museum of the Regiments - Calgary, Alberta. Great view of Canadian participation from WW I and II.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 13 at 2015 9:15 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 21:15:03 -0400

I visited the "War Memorial & Museum" in Seoul a couple years ago, CPT Private RallyPoint Member. It was very interesting. War there, in South Korea, is very different than it is here in the USA. Their #1 enemy is not very far away from Seoul. It's a different feeling. A different atmosphere.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/south-korea/seoul/sights/other/war-memorial-museum

War Memorial of Korea - Lonely Planet

This huge museum documents the history of the Korean War (1950–53) with heaps of black-and-white documentary footage (with English commentary)...

Response by SSgt Randy Saulsberry made Mar 13 at 2015 9:41 PM

SSgt Randy Saulsberry — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 21:41:55 -0400

I've never visited a military museum but I have been to the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, Japan and humped the trails of Iwo Jim to black beach and went to the top of Mt. Sirubachi. As a Marine Iwo Jima was the best thing I could have seen and experienced

Response by PO1 John Meyer, CPC made Mar 14 at 2015 11:52 AM

PO1 John Meyer, CPC — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 11:52:42 -0400

Yes. I was stationed in Japan for 6 years.

I've been to the museum in Hiroshima. As you can imagine, we're not portrayed all that well in that museum. But that's because the Japanese government hid the truth of why we dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For a very long time, the Japanese people didn't know the truth of the attack on Pearl Harbor. They didn't know that it was an unwarranted, surprise attack. They had been told and taught that the attack at Pearl Harbor was in retaliation for American presence in Asia. The Japanese people also didn't know of all the atrocities that Imperial Japan committed all over Asia. They didn't know that we had warned Imperial Japan that we were going to drop an atomic bomb on Japan if they didn't surrender.

There's Mikasa park right across the bay from Naval Station Yokosuka where the Japanese battleship Mikasa serves as a Navy museum. The Mikasa in from the early 1900s.

I forgot to add that I've been to Iwo Jima. I've been on Mount Suribachi. I saw were both American flags had been raised (yes there were two). I also went cave exploring and had walked on the black sands. I even had a bottle of the sands, but I can't find it. I've no idea where it went after all these years. I was there in the early 90s. I wanted to go to where we had landed on the island, but I didn't make it that far; just didn't have enough time to walk that distance since I wasn't there to be a tourist.

Response by Col Eric Walters made Mar 14 at 2015 5:26 PM

Col Eric Walters — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 17:26:09 -0400

Foreign military museums I've visited:

Museum of the Pacific War, Corregidor, Republic of the Philippines
Museum of Estonian Military History, Baltic Defense College, Tartu, Estonia.
Museum of Latvian Military History, Riga, Latvia
Museum of Korean Military History, Seoul, Korea (adjacent to Yongsan Army Garrison)
Military History Museum adjacent to Yasikuni Shrine, Tokyo, Japan
Battleship Mikasa, Yokosuka, Japan
Kanchanburi Allied War Museum (Death Railway), Thailand
"The Battle Box" and Fort Siloso, Singapore
The cruiser Aurora and the Russian Artillery Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
The predecessor of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow--an outdoor AFV park back in the Soviet days.

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Mar 14 at 2015 8:09 PM

PO2 Corey Ferretti — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 20:09:32 -0400

Yes i went to the Canadians Military Communications Museum. It was pretty cool to see what they used all the way back to WW1 and all the way to Present. The coolest thing they had there is they tried to train a duck to talk that was crazy to read.

Response by LT Jessica Kellogg made Mar 14 at 2015 8:58 PM

LT Jessica Kellogg — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 20:58:55 -0400

I've been to the museum is Chania, Greece.
It's very small, but there's some neat stuff there.

This one display (pictured), definitely put a unique perspective on our own not-quite 300 year history...

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Mar 14 at 2015 10:01 PM

CPT Jacob Swartout — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 22:01:08 -0400

I went to one in S. Korea with a group from our unit. It was three levels and full of their entire military history. Can't remember if is was in Seoul or Yongsan because it was so long ago earlier in my career. Great museum with a lot to offer in perspective on the way they viewed the Korean War and wars with other countries too.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 14 at 2015 10:41 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 22:41:58 -0400

Jihad museum, Helmand province Afghanistan. Fairly interesting, it was about the afghan victory over the Russians in the 1980s

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 17 at 2015 12:55 PM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 12:55:22 -0400

Yes! Imperial War Museum Duxford, CAMBS, UK. It was wonderful! A real testimony to the Alliance between the US and UK over the last several wars.

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Mar 18 at 2015 6:52 PM

MAJ Keira Brennan — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:52:07 -0400

I have been to both the United Kingdom's Imperial War Museum as well as Le Invalides in Paris where Napoleon is buried -- which has a first rate military museum from suits of armor to combat art. I would HIGHLY recommend them if travelling in EUCOM.

Also - if you are in Southern Germany near Ulm, Villa Lindenhof was the home of Field Marshal Rommel. There is a small museum there with many mementos as well as his Blue Max (Pour merit). Although I've been there the museum was close. His grave is near by.

More info is on tripadvisor.
Lindenhof 2, 89134 Blaustein, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Response by Sgt Nick Marshall made Mar 19 at 2015 8:37 PM

Sgt Nick Marshall — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 20:37:51 -0400

In London, imperial war museum and the HMS Belfast, I'll be in Paris this summer and will look for something similar

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Mar 19 at 2015 9:26 PM

Cpl Jeff N. — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:26:31 -0400

I've been to the Imperial War Museum in London as well as the Tower of London which has an armory in it. Also the Norfolk Tank Museum in Norfolk England. There are also some small RAF museums and sites in the countryside I have visited.

My wife is a Brit. Her Father was an RAF Officer, her Grandfather fought the Nazis as an Army Artillery Officer and her Great Grandfather fought in the trenches in France in WWI. I actually met him shortly before he passed away at 96 years old. What stories.

Did Normandy, Omaha Beach and Point du hoc, Utah Beach, St Mere Eglise (one of my all time favorites). Also a German War Cemetery (very different than ours). Also Belleau Wood in France.

Response by CPO Emmett (Bud) Carpenter made Mar 23 at 2015 10:33 PM

CPO Emmett (Bud) Carpenter — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 22:33:10 -0400

The New Zealand fighter Pilots Museum was a nice visit. I spent over half my 24 year Naval career dealing with Navy fighter pilots, I found it refreshing talking to New Zealand pilots.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2015 10:47 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 22:47:33 -0400

I have visited the WWII museum in Moscow. It was built during the Soviet era, so exact details were not released, but our tour guide estimated is cost 1 billion dollars to construct. I had just visited Washington DC prior to arriving in Russia and I was struck my the difference in the two countries monuments. Everything in Russia was enormous and dedicated to strength and power. Our monuments (Jefferson, Lincoln, etc) our dedicated to the ideas of men and their actions. It says a lot about the history of the two nations.

Response by SGT Mark Sullivan made Apr 8 at 2015 3:58 PM

SGT Mark Sullivan — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 15:58:24 -0400

South Korea has a pretty good Korean War museum.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 12 at 2015 4:26 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 16:26:48 -0400

Went to the Nagasaki museum in Japan for the A bomb fat boy and the whole thing was why America but does not mention Pearl Harbor nor what they did to China and all the islands around them.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jul 9 at 2015 5:03 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 17:03:16 -0400

I went to the RAF Battle of Britain Museum in London, it has a great collection of both German and British aircraft from the Blitz.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jan 10 at 2016 9:59 PM

CSM Charles Hayden — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 21:59:57 -0500

CPT Private RallyPoint Member South of the Thames, Britain has a great museum about the WW wars with a dugout - bomb shelter that shakes!

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Sep 23 at 2016 10:53 AM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 10:53:28 -0400

Germany - I've been to Dachau. I recommend everyone at some point in their life tour one of the concentration/death camps.

England -

1. Imperial War Museum. Probably the greatest military museum on the planet. If it occurred, its in there. Tons of stuff from friend and foe alike. Free admission. Can't beat that.

2. Royal Navy Museum Portsmouth. A good selection of exhibits and memorabilia. Not nearly as good as it should be considering the history of the Royal Navy. Imperial War Museum has better Naval stuff.

3. Royal Navy Air Arm Museum Yeovilton. Interesting large models of every aircraft carrier the Royal Navy has ever had and examples of every aircraft. Diamonds in the rough are the Harrier and Concorde test planes. No earthly idea why they are there tho! Maybe a Royal Navy test pilot was part of their crew? Hard to say.

4. British Army Museum Aldershot. Considering the history of the British Army, this museum is incredibly poor and pathetic. I'd avoid it at all costs. A lot of partial, pieces-only exhibits and very little verbage to tell you whats-what.

5. Bovington. The tank museum to end all tank museums. PERIOD. You could easily spend months there.

6. HMS Belfast, London. This ship, sadly, has a better history of the Royal Navy than the Royal Navy museum.

Response by SFC Charles Temm made Jun 16 at 2017 7:25 PM

SFC Charles Temm — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 19:25:00 -0400

The Roman auxiliary fort near Frankfurt, Ausburg maybe? The Roman History Museum in Frankfurt and it's nearby Roman Naval Museum. The Hungarian Military Museum in Budapest on Castle Hill.

All very neat but the Roman Museum in Frankfurt had no English descriptions on it's displays so it was a bit problematic!

Also the 2/4 RAR regimental museum in Townsville Barracks, Australia. Very cool though somewhat small.

Response by SGT Kevin Berman made Jun 16 at 2017 7:37 PM

SGT Kevin Berman — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 19:37:52 -0400

I've been to a few Canadian War of 1812 museums and battle sites - mostly depicts their side, but American also, always with respect.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2019 1:24 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 13:24:56 -0400

Peace Park and Museum, Hiroshima Japan.