This museum is easy to miss if you don’t know it is there. It is located right below the IMAX Theater and right across the parking lot from the South Carolina Aquarium. There was a sandwich board outside announcing its existence. I had no idea what to expect, but since we had some time left before we had to return to our hotel, we decided to give it a try. I am so glad that we did.
This is an unusual museum in that it isn’t about weapons and warfare exactly; what it is about is the people who fought in these conflicts and the uniforms that they wore. The curator is George Meeker, and he is on the uniform board at the Smithsonian. There is an exhibit on loan, a miniature rendition of the British and Loyalists departing from Charleston.
The collection goes chronologically backwards. We begin with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and go back to the Revolutionary War. Everything in the museum is original and has been donated. It makes it so much more personal to see the name of the soldier printed on the uniform. Many of the cases also have additional information and memorabilia about that particular soldier. These are not famous soldiers either; they are the regular GI Joes. That is not to say that there are not some very rare items in the collection. There is a Buffalo Soldier’s uniform, which is the only known one in existence, and a flag that flew in Washington, D.C., during John F. Kennedy’s funeral is also on display.
You will see uniforms worn by peacekeepers in Kosovo, every service in existence, and every rank, from Brigadier General to private. There are also uniforms from all the military academies. I found the booklet entitled "Know Your Enemy: The Viet Cong particularly poignant." There were also cards telling how to treat prisoners, "You can and will; you cannot and must not; always treat your prisoner humanely."
Beyond the uniforms, you will find a sword recovered from the waters of Pearl Harbor after the attack, as well as a Revolutionary War sword. There are mess kits, patches, buttons, hats, and a five-star rank insignia that belonged to General Eisenhower. A card from World War I advises soldiers to keep smiling.
It isn’t all about men either; women are remembered as well. The first service to enlist women was the Navy. The last exhibit you go through is a mock chapel with military chaplain gear. There is a tiny store, but this is one museum that isn’t all about selling you something; it is more about showing you something.