Carolina Museum of the Marine
Exhibitions

HISTORY. MISSIONS. REFLECTION.

As the place of the most memorable experience, our three main galleries will be appointed within the 13,409 sq. ft.­ Galleries Area and will be accessible through the Great Hall and Orientation Theater.

The Corps and Carolinas Gallery

The Corps and Carolinas Gallery will explore the history of the Marines within North and South Carolina, along with that of the bases and stations that have supported them. Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune and its history since 1940 will be the principal subject of this gallery. This gallery begins with the Base’s acquisition and the initial training of the 1st Marine Division prepping for the amphibious assault of Guadalcanal. All the important units that formed at Lejeune will be discussed, along with the Base’s general history through Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, and on through the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and the continuing Global War on Terrorism. This is a format that will be followed with all the Carolina’s more significant units and their bases and stations, to include all of Lejeune’s satellite facilities: Tent Camp, Camp Geiger, Montford Point, Camp Johnson, Stone Bay and Courthouse Bay. At Camp Lejeune, Marines also had a key role in developing Close Air Support, Helicopter Assault (“Vertical Envelopment”) and Amphibious Assault Doctrines. These constitute three of the five major tactical innovations of the 20th Century and will be part of this gallery.

US-Marine-Corpse

The Corps and Carolinas Gallery Details

This exhibit will cover the unique “firsts” associated with the Carolina Marines and the many other significant contributions in the way of history, innovations and doctrine including:

  • WWII Black Marines were accessed and trained at Montford Point;
  • WWII Women Marines enlisted, were commissioned and trained for Corps-wide service;
  • WWII War Dogs and handlers were trained for combat;
  • Body Armor was introduced, tested, and fielded;
  • Amphibious Doctrine was refined along Onslow County’s shores;
  • Helicopter Assault Doctrine was refined and tested;
  • Marine Special Operations Command was established in 2006;
  • MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor technology was proven for combat; and
  • Wounded Warrior Barracks.

World Warriors Gallery

This Gallery will tell the epic battle history of the Carolina Marines, to include the many other diverse missions that took our Marines and their shipmates away from their home bases and stations and into harm’s way on foreign shores.

As with the Corps and Carolina Gallery, first person accounts will be employed where ever possible to allow the visitor to reach across the generations and better identify with the actors on this historical stage, both civilian and military, and appreciate their experiences, and their accomplishments in the face of adversity.

Material in this gallery will be presented chronologically by major period and campaign, beginning with the pre- and early-war deployments of the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions and continuing, as with the Corps and Carolina Gallery, through the Global War on Terrorism.

war-on-terrorism-
new-military-technology

Today, Tomorrow and Beyond Gallery

This exhibition will demonstrate evolving technologies and doctrine, to include new weaponry, concepts and equipment.

The specific content is undetermined but it is anticipated that the majority of exhibits will be provided by major defense contractors and consist of state-of-the-art interactive displays along with virtual/mixed reality components.

Recording Booths – Memory Zones

Within the Main Galleries will be free-standing recording booths-Memory Zones-for visitors to leave their reminiscences, in an audio or video format, following a virtual guide that will take the users through the process of recording. Here, in comfortable privacy, veterans and others can record their memories of the Corps and Carolinas for themselves, their families and future archivists and researchers to ensure that their stories are not forgotten. Those wishing to create an oral or visual history will also have the opportunity to make a CD/DVD copy for their own use.