12 Things To Do Veterans Day 2020

Veterans Day! This year COVID-19 has caused many annual events to find another way of recognizing our arm forces. Veterans Day is coming soon, and the traditional parades and festivals will have to take a backseat to virtual events or not happen at all.  

The desire to celebrate and honor those who have served our country is not taking a break. We want to show our appreciation in a meaningful way. Here are several forts and museums around the state of Georgia that highlight the sacrifices and gallantry of our military.  

National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center in Columbus Honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the global war on terrorism. The Museum is a memorial honoring the nearly 7000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who have given their lives in defense of our nation.  

Fort King George in Darien is the oldest English fort remaining on Georgia’s coast. From 1721 until 1736, Fort King George was the southern outpost of the British Empire in North America. Today several cypress structures have been reconstructed for public tours. The remains of three sawmills and tabby ruins are still visible. 

Fort Pulaski in Savannah is a National Park and National Monument. For much of the 19th century, masonry fortifications were the U.S. central defense against overseas enemies. However, during the Civil War, the siege of the fort by the Union army was a landmark experiment in military science and invention due to the Union army’s new technology. At the monument, you can learn all about the history and walk along several trails.  

Old Fort Jackson is Georgia’s oldest standing brick fortification that sits on the Savannah River banks and situated so its guns could fire on any vessel coming into Savannah. Construction began in 1808 and manned during the War of 1812, and Confederate forces used it as headquarters of the Savannah River defenses during most of the Civil War. Union troops garrisoned it after the city’s surrender in December 1864. Take a tour and get a close-up view of the fort structure. Due to its location, you may get another close-up view, one of the oceangoing ships along the Savannah River.  

Aviation Wing of the Marietta Museum of History is located in Marietta, Georgia, the Aviation Wing of the Marietta Museum of History features a 15.5-acre park featuring various civilian and military aircraft from the second half of the twentieth century. You’ll also find aircraft produced locally in Marietta. Aviation in Marietta began with Bell Aircraft in the early 1940s and continued to grow with Lockheed Martin from the 1950s to the present.

Barrow County Museum in the city of Winder, Georgia, the old Barrow County jail serves as the headquarters of the Barrow County Historical Society and Museum. Visitors to the Museum will discover interesting tidbits of the county history effectively displayed. They are located behind the original Barrow County Courthouse.

Blue and Gray Museum in Fitzgerald, Georgia, is located in the historic railroad depot and depicts through rare Civil War Artifacts, memorabilia, and photographs, the City of Fitzgerald’s unique heritage, founded in harmony by Union and Confederate veterans in 1896.

Cannonball House Museum is located in Macon, Georgia, is a beautiful example of Greek Revival architecture in the area. It was named the Cannonball House because, in 1864, the house was struck by a Union Army artillery shell, a cannonball, damaging the front, and an interior wall. It was the only residential property in Macon damaged during the battle of Dunlap’s Farm. Visitors can stop by for a tour and to see firsthand where a cannonball struck the house.  

Currahee Military Museum, located in Toccoa, is a tribute to the WWII paratroopers trained at Camp Toccoa at Currahee. Members of the 101st, 11th, and 17th Airborne set the mark high while training to become some of the Army’s most physically fit men. One of the featured exhibits is a restored horse stable used as housing in Aldbourne, England, before and after D-Day 1944.

Mighty Eighth, Air Force Museum, is located in Pooler and is considered one of the most meaningful museum experiences. With vintage aircraft, artifacts, photographs, the thrilling “Mission Experience,” and personal stories, this Museum has it all! The Museum was officially recognized in 2003 by the State of Georgia as a Center for Character Education. The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, has accepted the challenge of sharing the positive character traits demonstrated by the men and women of the 8th Air Force from World War II to the present. 

Museum of History and Holocaust Education is located in Kennesaw, at Kennesaw State University. The exhibits and educational resources focused on World War II and the Holocaust to promote education and dialogue about the past and its significance today. Visitors can read the many human interest stories located throughout the Museum. 

National Infantry Museum  in Fort Benning, Georgia features world-class tribute to Infantrymen past, present, and future, is the first of its kind in the United States. Throughout the 190,000-square-foot Museum, visitors will take an interactive journey through every war the U.S. has fought over the past two centuries.

Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is located in Kennesaw, GA; the Museum is a Smithsonian Institution affiliate, housing its star attraction, the General, the locomotive stolen during the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase. The exhibits include a film depicting the chase and reproductions of the hotel where the chase began.