Our presentation on June 3, 2022 was about the Nebraska National Guard Museum presented by Col. Jerry Meyer.
Col. Meyer shared some great stories about the history of the Nebraska National Guard Museum.From their website "Igniting excitement & understanding for those who have sacrificed, persevered, & shown courage in the Nebraska National Guard".
The museum is now located in Seward, and there are some interesting stories about getting there.
Originally the museum was housed in the Nebraska National Guard arsenal which was on the edge of the Nebraska State Fair grounds. It was a small building and when the lease came up in 2014, it was time to move.
Though there were other Nebraska properties available, the Seward armory building was selected. It is a beautiful, large 3-floor building. And, with Seward being the 4th of July city, and the citizens of Seward wanting to partner, it was a natural match.
The benefit of being in the 4th of July city? In 2019 they counted 9,805 visitors! He stated that they are now part of the Nebraska Passport program which has made a big difference in the number of visitors all year long.
The museum was under construction at the same time that they were moving. Thought that can be challenging, they wanted to get things moved and open the museum as soon as possible.
Jerry shared a story about moving items from Lincoln to Seward. Everything was examined and tested upon arrival to the new location in Seward. After taking some items from the attic of the Arsenal in Lincoln, arriving in Seward, they found that some of the items were live ammunition. They had to be moved off site and detonated.
The museum was dedicated on the 4th of July and they have made that a tradition. There is always some sort of dedication on the 4th of July - the opening of a new exhibit, etc.
There are a number of rooms and exhibits with various themes and experiences.
The Colonel shared that the "I Am the Guard" has received mixed reactions from the members. Some feel it is too strong and others feel it has provide a very positive experience. It is an interactive exhibit that includes realistic drill sergeants shouting orders.
There are rooms sponsored by a number of generous donors - including a Theater, Classroom, Library and Conference Room among others.
He talked about the John and Darlene Woods Weapons Display Room. He shared that Darlene Woods wanted to honor John's time in the military. He loved fine wood cabinets and enjoyed owning various weapons. Darlene has been generous in providing a beautiful display room - including wood cabinets - and has purchased some expensive weapons to increase the value of the exhibit.
There is a full library of books - many originals that are priceless.
The Price of Freedom display shows actual telegrams that loved ones received learning that their soldiers were lost at war. On the opposite wall are touch screen displays to learn about those soldiers.
When you arrive at the museum you will see the "Prairie Trails” sculpture which is a memorial to the Nebraska Air National Guard representing the six aircraft that have been flown since 1946.
Take a virtual tour: https://www.nengm.org/virtual-tour
BIO
Colonel Meyer was born and raised in Iowa. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, where he earned a bachelors’ degree in History and Wayne State College where he earned a masters’ degree in curriculum and instruction. He joined the Iowa National Guard in 1984 as a UH-1 “Huey” crew-chief. He later enrolled in ROTC and was commissioned in 1987. He has served in numerous capacities such as company commander, battalion commander and his last assignment was the G-4 in charge of logistics for the Nebraska National Guard. He has earned the crew member wings, airborne and air assault wings over his career. Colonel Meyer served in Afghanistan on three deployments and was awarded the Joint Commendation Medal and two Bronze Stars.
As a teacher at Columbus High School he was the designer of the Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial, a student project and a tribute to the WWII boat-builder and to all the veterans who participated in amphibious landings in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Colonel Meyer is the currently the Nebraska National Guard historian. He is helping oversee the construction of new rooms and exhibits at the Nebraska National Guard Museum in Seward.
He is married to the former Mary Sullivan. They have three children: Jacob, Joshua and Meghan.