The Military Museum of Texas

The Military Museum of Texas is a non-profit 501( c )(3) organization operating a museum in Harris County, Texas with principle interest focused on historical exhibits dedicated to the memory of those Texas citizens who have served in our nation’s armed forces.

The mission of the Military Museum of Texas is to expand the knowledge, deepen the awareness, and provide a greater appreciation, to both visitors and local residents, of the dedication and sacrifice of those citizens of the State of Texas in the defense of liberty. This commemoration may be by service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States of America being the service active, reserve or National Guard. Our goals are to commemorate those who have served in any military unit where a portion of which was made up of citizens from the State of Texas, or those who have served in the military forces of the State of Texas.

The goal of the Museum is to keep alive the memory of the sacrifices and the heroic and valiant efforts of the soldiers of Texas in keeping our nation free. The Military Museum of Texas will perpetrate the memory of the lives sacrificed in defense of freedom and liberty and stand as a tribute to those who fought. The Museum’s themes are the collection and preservation of historical military artifacts, historical research, education, and the presentation to the public of the Museum’s collection.

The military Museum will provide a large area for static and diorama displays, act as a research facility with an online computer data base, and serve as a meeting and convention center for military organization from around the state.

It is also the purpose of the Museum to collect, restore and preserve military memorabilia. In particular, vehicles, artillery field pieces, field equipment and other military support equipment for display in a manner commemorating all the wars and military engagements from World War II forward in which soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen of the United States fought.

In cooperation with the Texas Historical Society, the Center for Military History, along with other armed forces resources points, the Museum has secured a number of military vehicles and aircraft for use in diorama and display construction.

The Museum has worked with architects who understand the special requirements necessary in this particular building application. Particular concerns are the conversion of an existing facility and establishing outdoor displays and related features.

Key Components essential to successful design center to the very core of a founding principle of the Museum. It is absolutely fundamental that the Museum facility for the disabled and to provide education experiences for students from a seven county area.

The NeedWhile there are many fine military museums located in the state, most are concerned with only one service, often with only a single unit. In our belief to provide the service level essential to complement the cosmopolitan population of our community, the Museum must provide an experience for all citizens regardless of race, creed or national origin.

Beyond that, we need a comprehensive educational program to teach young people about the service and sacrifice of the citizens of Texas who fought in the cause of liberty. Since the creation of the All Volunteer Army, the gap between our nation’s soldiers and the general population has widened, as military service is no longer the universal experience it once was. The Persian Gulf conflict has awakened renewed interest in the military and there is no, more than ever, a need to provide accurate, comprehensive educational programs to preserve the memory of those who served before Operation Desert Storm. Many history books currently in use devote only small chapters to the global conflicts that shaped our world. There is even less emphasis on the personal dedication, pride and sacrifice of those who fought in those conflicts.

The Military Museum of Texas will provide a comprehensive educational program by providing an exciting collection of Texas military history with dynamic full size, walk-through environmental exhibits as well as static displays. Wherever possible, first-hand accounts from the people who were there will be provided to explain the items on exhibit and to describe the action depicted. Recorded accounts will be used extensively to provide immediacy and personalized perspectives.

The Museum will provide guided tours for school groups and visitors. As the Museum’s primary focus is on education, every effort will be made to attract and assist in hosting school groups. Bus parking will be provided and learning opportunities established for the various age groups who visit the Museum. As the Museum seeks to bring alive the colorful and dramatic history of the Texans who have served, every effort will be made to make these experiences interesting and exciting for the school groups.

Special emphasis will be given to the important role that minorities have played in American history and the active role that the armed forces have played in integrating American society.

The Museum will provide an on-lone database utilizing Internet technology that will be available to educational and historical institutions, as well as the public. This technology will allow those interested in military history to access the Museum’s records for research and development of educational programs. Persons accessing the Museum database will be prompted to complete a questionnaire prior to admittance into the Museum Internet site. This action will allow a cataloging of users to assist in program development in future growth.

The Museum will provide research facilities for re-enactment groups and sponsor re-enactment of various engagements. Re-enactment groups are a major source of research material on military history and their re-enactments make dry historical accounts come alive. Other opportunities exist for use of the Museum facilities for development of historical based plays and similar productions. Amateur theatrical groups from area schools, university and adult groups will be encouraged by such a facility existing for use.

The Museum will provide a library of printed, film and video records. Whenever possible these will be made available to schools, civic and veteran groups to check out. A goal of the Museum is to provide a learning center to include computer workstations having access into the Museum database.

The Museum will be happy to provide a meeting place for veterans groups, seminars and conferences. Aside from the comradeship and the memories of shared experiences these meetings provide to the veterans themselves, they will expose the Museum to a large source of memories, experiences and data that wold otherwise might not be available or simply lost with time.

For many years, the Museum’s founders have participated in military celebration around the state and the region. They have found the demand for military exhibits has consistently exceeded the supply. To meet this demand, the Museum will provide exhibits and other off-site exhibitions. These displays and exhibitions will primarily consist of vehicles and equipment, with properly attired guides to explain the items displayed.

A goal of the Museum is to provide student internships in military history and preservation to foster interest and scholarship I the field of military history. Wherever possible, these student interns will work on actual research and participate in the Museum’s outside activities. These educational programs will also stress the values of military service to the disadvantaged and role of the military in the desecration of American society. We will stress the role these conflicts played in the social history of this country and the context in which they we fought.

The Museum will price a wide range of social programs, interface with Military Science Departments of area High Schools, Colleges and Universities, provide summer internships for Military Science students, and conduce an aggressive outreach program to the area Schools and other educaitonal entities.

The Museum will also provide veterans of all conflicts with a place where their experiences are honored and their problems acknowledged; a place where comradeship and service are respected.

The Museum will aggressively promote, facilitate and conduct tours of the Museum by public school groups. Whenever possible the tour will have a theme, so that the experience can be more focused. In addition to tours, the Museum will conduct demonstrations and exhibitions at selected schools in concert with the school district history programs. Out intent is to provide an offsite program of learning where tours are impractical or where the demonstration will be a part of a larger program.

Initially, we will seed funding from membership drives, fund raises and grants.

Membership drives will be conducted through mailing lists from the various veterans groups, as well as community drives. In addition to their mailing lists, we will solicit donations from the veterans groups themselves.

Fundraisers will center primarily on specific projects such as a major display or particular item of restoration such as a World War II tank.

We will seek substantial funding from corporations such as USAA, General Dynamics, Texas Instruments and others having direct links to the military; and from foundation grants that endow operating budgets along with "bricks and mortar" projects. We will also approach such organizations as the Non Commissioned Officers Association and the Associations of the U.S. Army, for endowment and operating funding. Associations of the other armed forces will also be approached for support and funding.

In addition to grant money, the Museum will conduct enterprises to bring in a continuous cash flow. The fist such enterprise will be a Museum Store, which will sell Museum souvenirs and military-related products in a small retail facility located inside the Museum.

This store will be operated under the guidelines offered by the Museum Store Association and its profits will be used as operating capital on the Museum’s General fund. In addition to the retail store, the Museum Store will publish a mail-order catalog to be sent to all Museum members and others on the Museum mailing lists. The Museum will also utilize the recourses of the Internet in its marketing plan.

The Board of Directors will manage the Operating and Endowment funds, and a Board Action will be necessary for any manor expenditure. The Museum’s President, or Executive Director when funding will permit, will manage the daily operation of the Museum.

Accounting will be maintained through a computer program designed specifically for Non-Profit organizations, such as the IDS System One package, which can organize campaigns, track donor receivables for pledges and contributions and handle mailing lists. Specifically designed to meet the demanding needs of a unique organization the software package contains the accounting practices nationally accepted as applicable to museum organizations such as ours. In addition to embracing the industry-accepted standard, the Museum has the organic asset of Mr. Jed Steckel MS, CPA, as its Chief Budget Officer. An accredited tax specialist, Mr. Steckel is a key Museum associate in our continued practice of the highest standards.

Initial staffing will be small until an Operating Fund can be established to pay full and part-time salaries. After the Museum is established in a permanent site, and funding permits, an appropriate museum staff will be hired.

Volunteer help will be used when possible as docents, tour guides and exhibition staff. These volunteers will be recruited from the many veterans groups in the area. There has already been a great deal of interest from area veterans in volunteering. The skills and experiences these volunteers will bring to the Museum will be invaluable.

Automation and technology will be used wherever possible to keep staffing requirements to a minimum. In every opportunity the Museum will approach major vendors who have foundations established for donations to acquire computer equipment. An example of this is the Compac Computer Corporation located in Houston, Texas.

The Museum has already acquired a group of military vehicles and other equipment for display. Each of these items represents the highest of standards and is complete restorations from the ground up. The Museum will constantly seek to acquire equipment and vehicles from collectors, governmental agencies and retail outlets.

Fortunately, many types of equipment are available as military surplus and accessible through the Center for Military History. Essential elements, of which our organization has fully qualified, mandate the receiving organization meet all of the Federal and Host State requirements as a fully functional organization.

The Museum is unique that it is also eligible to receive surplus equipment from the State of Texas and the Federal government. The Museum will make every effort to make full use of this tremendous asset in obtainment of the Museum’s goals.

In keeping with the Museum’s educational mission, figures from the surrounding seven county area of Houston show a student population as follows.

1. Harris 550,960
2. Galveston 59,064
3. Brazoria 42,350
4. Ft. Bend 55,457
5. Waller 5,416
6. Montgomery 40,475
7. Liberty 12,142

There exists a great number of private schools, universities, junior colleges and other types of schools located in these counties. These institutions will also be contacted. The demographics used above are based upon the released occupancy totals of Texas Education Agency School System analysis.

Research of other museums in the area suggests an average of 9 busloads of students per day. (45 students per bus) with full capacity educational tours booked three years in advance. A one-year waiting period is common place for new bookings.

According to figures furnished by the Greater Houston Partnership, NASA was the largest tourist attraction in the Houston area attracting 841,746 visitors. Using a conservative 5% figure, the Museum should plan to accommodate 42,087 possible visitors. This of course does not include tours coming as result of school tours, veterans groups or military-related conventions.

The Military Museum of Texas will actively seek and support participation from veterans groups and military-related organizations (e.g. Re-enactor groups, historical societies) and will encourage the use of the Museum’s facilities to host state and regional conventions. The large number of hotels and restaurants within the immediate area of our purposed site is well suited for such events.

The Museum site must provide a physical space compatible with the goals. stated above. Critical items identified include: