Honor: Drawing on the heritage of the 101st Airborne, Special Operations soldiers and Fort Campbell; The Wings of Liberty will be a tribute to the traditions of soldier patriots, those who have served to protect the freedom enjoyed by all Americans. The museum seeks to remind each visitor that these heroes are not just soldiers; they are sons, daughters, husbands, and wives, who have accomplished extraordinary feats.
Educate: The preservation of America's patriotic journey is the best way to guarantee that future generations will understand the sacrifices made to ensure everyday liberties. Through a unique learning experience, the museum will seek to educate young and old and build a bridge between the military and civilian communities.
Inspire: The term patriotism has meanings as individual as those who speak the word. Is it best expressed by displaying a flag, or is it about adopting the American tradition of volunteerism and sacrifice? One of the chief goals of the Wings of Liberty is to inspire each visitor to leave with a renewed commitment to patriotism and fresh ideas on how to demonstrate one’s patriotism.
Foundation Facts
The Foundation has one mission: to support the Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum and the upcoming Fort Campbell Historical Complex in the fields of development, promotion, and marketing.
The Foundation is a public, non-profit, 501.c.3, educational foundation (Form 990) established in 1992 to support the development of the Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The Foundation is committed to a multi-million dollar fund raising effort to construct a new Fort Campbell Historical Complex to be open in the near future.
The Foundation guideline for the new development of the Fort Campbell Historical Complex is a structure with 80,000 square feet of exhibit space and an IMAX-style theatre.
The Foundation is authorized, with U.S. Army concurrence, to design, contract for, and construct approved buildings for the new Fort Campbell Historical Complex which will then be titled over to the U.S. Army which will own, operate, and maintain the facility.
The Foundation has a small number of dues paying members across the country, and is dedicated to steadily increasing those numbers each year.
The Foundation will organize, train, and sustain a Volunteer Organization to provide essential support to many vital areas of museum support and development.
The Foundation will produce a quarterly newsletter to keep members informed of necessary information regarding the Museum and the Foundation. Other military history publications, interactive computer displays, limited edition art, symposia, distinguished lecturer series, exhibits and special events will be sponsored by the Foundation in the interest of educating the public about the history of Fort Campbell, the units, and the personnel who have served both past and present on the post.
Foundation History
The Fort Campbell Historical Foundation was started in 1992 as the Don F. Pratt Museum Foundation. It's mission is to support the Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum in the areas of development, promotion, and marketing. Two of the early founders of the organization, who continue their work with us today, are Colonel Robert E. Jones, U.S. Army, Retired and Colonel Ted A. Crozier, U.S. Army, Retired.
The Foundation has two volunteer boards. The Board of Directors includes community leaders, unit representatives, and military veterans and is active in all committee and policy decisions. The Board of Advisors consists of international leaders, politicians, and business executives.
Currently, the Foundation is focusing on a campaign entitled "Wings of Liberty" which is raising funds to build the new Fort Campbell Historical Complex. To ensure the success of this project, the Foundation continues to expand and focus its efforts on the areas of development and marketing.
Campaign Review: The Fort Campbell Historical Complex
The new Fort Campbell Historical Complex, is conceived and dedicated to honor the patriotic men and women who have trained, served, and worked at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. This dynamic structure is designed to house the historical complex including the Fort Campbell Historical Offices, Collection Management, Exhibits Management, and the Wings of Liberty Museum.
The design will serve as a military museum and will replace the modular building the exhibits have known for more than 25 years. The exhibits of the new structure will represent all past, present, and future units of all services stationed at Fort Campbell, some of which will include:
XX Corps and XVIII Airborne Corps
12th, 14th, and 20th Armored Divisions
3rd, 5th, and 6th Infantry Divisions
11th and 101st Airborne Divisions
187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team
173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate)
US Army Training Center and Campbell Army Airfield
101st Corps Support Group (Eagle Support Brigade)
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
Fort Campbell Garrison and D.A. Civilians
The main exhibit area will display an impressive array of vintage aircraft and military equipment ranging from those used in the D-day Invasion of Normandy, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. Some of these valuable artifacts are currently displayed in the open and exposed to the elements. The history of Camp and Fort Campbell is a proud and glorious one that is to be preserved and passed on to others, both military and civilian.
The mission of the museum is to preserve, restore, and relocate the artifacts displayed in the existing museum. It is also to add to this truly important collection -- one that already includes personal articles of Generals William C. Lee, Maxwell D. Taylor, Wayne C. Smith, Medal of Honor recipients SGM Paul Huff, PFC Hernandez, and many others.
The new museum includes a large open exhibit area, a 200-seat IMAX-style theater, catering area, bookshop, gift shop, and collection storage area.
Outside, visitors will enjoy an 33-acre memorial park with monuments dedicated to combat and non-combatant units with space to accommodate growth and expansion for future generations to come.
The Fort Campbell Historical Complex will preserve significant artifacts, and serve as a lasting, stirring tribute to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have served their nation at Fort Campbell.
A Quest Becomes Reality...
The Fort Campbell Historical Complex
During the five decades since World War II, Fort Campbell has evolved into one of the Army's premier installations. Troops from Fort Campbell are trained and deployed throughout the world to fulfill many wartime and peacetime missions. Additionally, the post serves as a major force in the regional economy of middle Tennessee and western Kentucky. Its presence evokes feelings of national pride and confidence in our armed forces.
The legendary feats of the numerous units that have served at Fort Campbell since 1941 indeed are worthy of recognition. Their heroic accomplishments, individually and collectively, deserve to be remembered, told, and shared.
There now exists a growing commitment to build a museum of national caliber at Fort Campbell...a place to honor the heritage and uphold the traditions of those who served. The proposed $40 million project is being developed in two phases. The Fort Campbell Historical Complex will be a world-class facility encompassing the history of land warfare equipment and capabilities from WWII to the present. This dynamic setting will provide a meaningful learning and entertaining experience for children and adults, civilians and military.
