National Infantry Foundation unveils soldiers' sculptures

Entrance road to the museum, December, 2008. (Dave Bender)

The National Infantry Foundation on Thursday unveiled a sample of 50 life size sculptures of military personnel that will be included in the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Fort Benning, near Columbus, Ga.

Thirty-eight of the sculptures are of infantry troops, and the remaining 12 represent other historic figures.

The sculptures are modeled after live U.S. Army soldiers who each had to go through a three-hour-long casting process, according to a statement.

The museum is scheduled to open in March, 2009.

A crane hoists a Bradley Fighting Vehicle into place at the museum, June, 2007. Due to its size and weight, the vehicle was installed early on, in order to fit into the facility before the walls went up. (Dave Bender)

(PRNewswire)

Click here for more about the National Infantry Museum.

Senators want to mint new coin

U.S. flag in front of the uncompleted National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning near Columbus. (Dave Bender)

U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson want the U.S. Treasury to mint a memorial coin for the Nation Infantry Museum, set to open early next year.

They are calling on the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 350,000 silver coins honoring soldiers and commemorating the creation of the new infantry museum, according to a statement.

Sale of the coins would raise $3.5 million for the museum.

NIF officials say they’ve raised over 80 million of the 100 million dollar project so far.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about the museum.

AT&T: $1 Million to Nat'l Infantry Museum

Officials, press gather at museum ceremony, June, 2007. (file photo/Dave Bender)

AT&T Inc. says it's donating $1 million to the National Infantry Foundation for the construction of the new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center. NIF president, Jerry White:

"This gift not only affirms AT&T's commitment to the communities it serves, it demonstrates the company's allegiance to soldiers and their families and the sacrifices they make for our freedom."

The museum, being built in Columbus alongside Ft. Benning, is set to open in 2008.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the museum's construction.

Congress okays $6M for Nat'l Infantry Museum

Officials attend installation ceremony of armored vehicle
at National Infantry Museum, June, 2007. (Dave Bender).

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have agreed to include $6 million for construction of a "Soldier Center" as part of the National Infantry Museum, currently under construction next to Ft. Benning in Columbus.

The funds will appear in the 2008 Defense Appropriations bill, officials with the museum's backers, the National Infantry Foundation (NIF), say. The facility is expected to open next year.

After a final vote by House and Senate, the appropriation then goes to President Bush for his approval, according to Second Congressional District representative Sanford Bishop (D). Bishop is a supporter of the project.

NIF President Jerry White said in a statement released on Wednesday,

"Together with the $5 million provided through Congressman Bishop’s work last year for the parade field component of the project, today’s conference committee action represents a very powerful vote of confidence by Congress in support of this long overdue tribute to Infantrymen."

NIF spokesperson Cyndy Cerbin says of the $86 million project:

"If the federal money is approved... we will have raised about $76 million to date."

Work crews set donated Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle, that saw
action in Iraq into display position at museum. (Dave Bender)

The project includes a 185,000-foot museum, a seven-acre parade field, a memorial walk of honor, an "authentic World War II Company Street," and a 3-D IMAX Theatre.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about the museum.

2008 State budget earmarks $21M for Columbus projects

Two Columbus projects got a serious financial boost when Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the 2008 Georgia budget into law late Wednesday.

Just over $16 million dollars went to Columbus Technical College's health sciences building, and five million was set aside for the National Infantry Museum. The $85 million project is under construction at Ft. Benning.

"We are very lucky that we have $21 million coming to Columbus," said state Rep. Richard Smith, R-Columbus told the Ledger-Enquirer newspaper. "If you look at the numbers, Columbus did quite well."

National Infantry Museum Foundation Executive Director Ben Williams: "[Perdue] knew we were attempting to not only raise money here, but also nationally," adding, "Having the state of Georgia support the project at this level is a wonderful stamp of approval for us."

The museum installed a Bradley Fighting Vehicle among the facilities' steel construction girders in a ceremony on Friday.


Crane hoists vehicle into place
(Dave Bender)

Columbus: Nat'l. Infantry Museum gets Bradley Fighting Vehicle

Crane gingerly lifts vehicle to waiting
construction team. (Dave Bender)

An Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle that saw heavy action in Iraq was donated Thursday morning to the new National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning.

The 25-ton weapon was hoisted into place two stories off the ground on a reinforced steel platform.


Construction workers align Bradley on
cradle in museum (Dave Bender)

BAE Industries, who make the gun-studded armored car, made the donation at a ceremony among the girders and hard-hats at the still-under-construction, 180,000 square-foot facility.

Company officials say the vehicle saw hard fighting with the 4th Infantry Division around Baghdad in 2004.

Mark Willhoft, BAE project manager: “It was hit by an IED and had pretty significant damage to it; and we were able to take it in and refurbish it, and supply it back to the museum for display here at the new building.”

Soldiers manning the vehicle were not hurt in the attack.

Close to 40 Columbus and state officials, National Infantry Foundation and army representatives broke into applause as the vehicle was deftly set down for future generations to see.

Andy Hove, BAE Systems’ director of Bradley Combat
Systems looks on as workers remove cables.
(Dave Bender)
The museum is set to open late next year.