With Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 100th anniversary approaching, many businesses and beloved establishments on the base will be holding events in honor of this tremendous milestone. Specifically, The Lewis Museum will be celebrating the landmark occasion throughout the whole year, giving military personnel, veterans and their families a chance to experience and learn about Ft. Lewis and the incredible historical happenings that have taken place over the last century. Museum director Erik Flint explains the plans, philosophies and cherished artifacts available for viewing at the Lewis Museum.

The 100th anniversary of JBLM is approaching. What plans does the museum have to celebrate this milestone? (Events, activities, dinners).

The museum plans to host a number of informal events throughout the year to commemorate the centennial and 100 years of history at JBLM. Events will emphasize how local history shaped (and continues to shape) the relationships between the community and Camp Lewis, Fort Lewis and JBLM.

Cost (if applicable)?

Museum admission and events are free

What does the anniversary of JBLM mean for the museum personally?  

The mission of the Lewis Army Museum is to preserve and present the history of the United States Army in the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Army on board what is now known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord.  What makes the upcoming centennial so important is recognizing the close ties between the military and the local community.  In January 1917, the people of Pierce County passed, with 86 percent in favor, a bond measure to purchase 70,000 acres of land to donate to the federal government for the expressed purpose of establishing a permanent military installation.  That donation became Camp Lewis. In 1927, the camp became Fort Lewis, and in 2010, Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

What does it mean to you?

Over the past thirty years, I've either served on board or trained at JBLM as an Army National Guardsman, Army ROTC cadet, active-duty infantry officer, and Army Reserve officer.  The base means a great deal to me as it's been my "home" the majority of my military career.   

What relationship does the museum have with the servicemen and women on JBLM?

The Lewis Army Museum is one component of the U.S. Army Center of Military History's (CMH) newly established Army Museum Enterprise (AME).  The AME consists of 57 active-duty Army museums spread across the globe.  We are the Enterprise's representative here on JBLM.        

Essentially, we are the keepers of the Army's history here.  However, we are not simply a big box full of cool, old "stuff."  We are a training resource for soldiers.  Our artifacts, historical displays, and other historical resources are here to help make soldiers operationally ready.  The Army has three educational domains to accomplish operational readiness; Institutional (schools), Operational (deployments and training), and Self-Development.  The Lewis Army Museum engages soldiers across all three domains as a means of making them better and more ready.  We are extremely proud of that.

Presently, we are undergoing a multi-million dollar upgrade to our main-floor exhibit galleries.  When we reopen in the spring, our new exhibits will greatly enhance our ability to positively engage soldiers, their families, veterans, and the public at large. 

How does this relationship fuel the success of the museum? (Also: retired, civilians)

We have a small full-time staff and rely on two indispensable groups to make the museum a success: soldiers and volunteers.  Our soldiers serve with us on 90-day rotations and come from active Army units here on base.  Our volunteer corps is comprised of military retirees, veterans and family members, though we have non-military affiliated civilian volunteers as well.  The Lewis Army Museum is the JBLM Army community museum and we rely on the military community to make our mission a success.

What are the most interesting relics, displays, or items of interest that can be found at the museum?

My personal favorites are our two Fast Attack Vehicles (FAV).  The FAV was an experimental, high-mobility platform tested here back in the 1980s.  The FAVs were assigned to the 9th Infantry Division as a component of the High-Technology Test Bed (HTTB) program.  The FAV is essentially a combat dune buggy that mounted anything from a .50 caliber machine gun to TOW missile launchers.  Though these types of all-terrain vehicles are currently used by U.S. Special Operations Forces, they got their start right here at Fort Lewis.

What would you like people to know about the museum's upcoming anniversary celebrations?

The Lewis Army Museum is looking forward to welcoming visitors into our newly renovated exhibits and welcoming them back to enjoy our programs.

For more info regarding the Lewis Army Museum, visit https://lewisarmymuseum.com/ or call 253.967.7206.