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Culture > Special
Warfare Museum
The Special Warfare Museum provided members of the Special
Forces community and others a collection of exhibitions about
Special Forces, Psychological Operations, and Civil Affairs
history. It was located on Fort Bragg, North Carolina until
closed by the United States Army Special Operations Command
(USASOC) in 2020.
The museum houses artifacts from World War I to the present
conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. It was
established in 1963 by BG William P. Yarborough. Some of the
collections include weapons used by the Office of Strategic
Services (OSS) during World War II. There are several displays
of ethnographic materials from Southeast Asia that relate to the
Vietnam War.
Displays and exhibits feature the First Special Service
Force, the OSS, Detachment 101 in World War II, the Korean
conflict, as well as more recent actions in Operations Desert
Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. The museum helps to
preserve the history of the unique and specialized part played
by the various units of the Army's special warfare community
during conflict and peacetime. The history of unconventional
warfare spans more than 250 years - dating back to the French
and Indian War and Rogers Rangers.
The museum is a favorite destination for former and retired
Green Berets, current members of the Special Forces community,
and those seeking to explore career opportunities in Special
Forces, Psychological Operations, and Civil Affairs.
In the summer of 2017 the museum moved from its location in
Building D-2502 on the corner of Marion Street and Ardennes
Street to Building D-2815 located on the corner of Ardennes and
Zabitosky Streets just across the street from the JFK Chapel.
In the last few years the Special Warfare Center and School
at Fort Bragg has been in the midst of a huge building project -
mainly along Ardennes Street. This new "campus" is updating the
school facilities and classrooms for the students in the special
warfare community. The Special Warfare Museum is rumored to have
a facility designated within the footprint of this new campus.
But apparently the space has been allocated for other purposes.
US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum
Association.
The association is a non-profit organization. It was established
to provide an opportunity for all people, military and civilian,
to create and maintain a memorial or memorials of and aid in the
preservation of history and traditions of Special Warfare units,
past and present. The association is organized exclusively for
historical, charitable, and educational purposes. It qualifies
as a tax exempt organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of Law.
Membership in the association is open to all military and
civilians. There are several categories of membership and donor
contributors. The association is administered by volunteers
consisting of an Executive Board and a fifteen-member Advisory
Council.
https://www.jfkwebstore.com/about.php
Museum Gift Shop.
The Gift Shop is operated by a Gift Shop Manager, with a small
staff, and works with the Museum Association Secretary and
Treasurer. The Gift Shop's purpose is to support the US Army JFK
Special Warfare Museum while providing various souvenirs
throughout the Special Operations community. The Gift Shop
operates as a non-profit organization.
https://www.jfkwebstore.com/store/
Closing of the Special Warfare Museum
'Closed for Inventory'. The closure of the
museum by USASOC was seen by many SF veterans as a 'behind the
scenes' move with very little transparency. The first indication
that something was amiss was the closure of the museum in
December 2019 to 'conduct inventory'. USASOC indicated that the
museum would reopen by the end of February 2020 - never
happened.
Museum Given New Name. Then in January 2020
a USASOC press release announced a name change - to the ARSOF
Museum. The 'new' museum would incorporate the history of the
Ranger Regiment and the 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment. Special Forces veterans were dismayed with this news -
it appeared that the emphasis on SF in the museum would be lost
- and many SF related exhibits would be put into boxes to make
way for other newer exhibits relating to the Ranger Regiment
(Fort Benning) and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
(Fort Campbell).
Museum Facility Closed. Subsequent USASOC
press releases provided more news - that the new ARSOF museum
would be a 'virtual experience'. Some artifacts would be
displayed for short periods of time at ARSOF units all across
the country. The 'brick and mortar' museum would be closed.
SF Community Response. The response from the
SF community was immediate. SF social media was set ablaze with
comments about the Special Warfare Museum closing. Opinion
articles were published (see below) questioning the motive and
reasoning for the closure of the museum.
Petition to Save the Museum. An online
petition was established to save the museum by Dr. Josee Bourget
- the widow of a Special Forces soldier who died in Africa
during a deployment. She had donated numerous articles belonging
to her husband to the Special Warfare Museum. A big concern of
hers (and many others) was what would become of these articles
and if she could ever get them back.
Keep the JFK Special Warfare Museum Open
Fall 2020 Status. Eventually USASOC
'saw the light' and revisited the museum issue. An external
'advisory committee' was established to study the issue and
report back to the USASOC commander -
LTG Fran Beaudette - with possible courses of action (COAs)
in late summer 2020.
LTG Beaudette on SF History. USASOC
acknowledged the huge negative response by the SF community to the
closure of the museum. In an August 2020 address by LTG
Beaudette to the membership of the Special Forces Association
during their annual (virtual) convention he stated [1]:
"We heard your voice loud and clear on the museum. Thanks for
keeping us honest".
LTG Beaudette continued with the following statement:
"Eventually, today's Green
Berets will transition on. Their legacy of self-service to the
nation, just like yours, must be captured and preserved. We
honor their history by faithfully telling the story of our
regiment and its soldiers. The way people interact with history
is evolving and so must we. Our history should preserve our past
but also inspire future generations towards the opportunities
that Army Special Operations has to offer. We will make sure
these stories are told to future generations. Our regiment, our
soldiers, and our families deserve it."
JFK Museum Gift Shop. For years current and
former members of Special Forces were able to buy swag at the SF
Gift Shop located on Ardennes Street on Fort Bragg, NC.
Apparently the US Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum
Association's gift shop was closed by the USASOC History Office
with little notice to the museum association or to the manager
of the gift shop. The Gift Store (as of August 2020) is being
operated from the Special Forces Association National
headquarters on 4990 Doc Bennett Road, Fayetteville, NC. Swag,
Yarborough knives, and other mechandise can be ordered via email
at store@jfkwebstore.com.
The gift shop will be managed by the Special Forces Association.
Websites about the Special Warfare Museum
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum
U.S. Army Center of Military History
https://history.army.mil/museums/jfk-swm/index.html
John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum
United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)
https://www.soc.mil/SWCS/museum.html
JFK Special Warfare Museum
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jfk-Special-Warfare-Museum-Ft-Bragg-Nc/212706605444953
JFK Museum Gift Shop
https://www.jfkwebstore.com/store/
Army Museum Enteprise, U.S. Army Center of Military History
https://history.army.mil/museums/
Airborne and Special Operations Museum
Fayetteville, North Carolina
https://history.army.mil/museums/IMCOM/fortBragg_airborneSpecOps/index.html
U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum
https://www.asomf.org/
News Articles about the Special Warfare Museum
June 17, 2020.
"Military Widow: Sign the petition to save the JFK Special
Warfare Museum", by Dr. Josee Bourget, Fayetteville
Observer.
May 9, 2020.
"Army Special Operations Command Closes Museum and Stirs
Controversy", by Steve Balestrieri, SOFREP.
May 6, 2020.
"USASOC Closes Special Warfare Museum on FBNC", SOF
News.
March 6, 2020.
"Renovation of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare
Museum", USASOC.
April 24, 2020.
"ARSOF History: Embracing the Future", USASOC Public
Affairs Office.
January 25, 2020.
"Army Special Operations Forces Museum", SOF News.
January 24, 2020.
"U.S. Army JFK Special Warfare Museum becomes Army Special
Operations Forces Museum", USASOC Public Affairs Office.
July 2006.
"Hidden Treasures of the JFK Special Warfare Museum", by
Robert Bruce, Small Arms Review.
Endnotes
[1] LTG Beaudette's 'loud and clear' comment is made at the
7:00 minute mark of this video. His comment honoring Special
Forces history begins at the 14:20 minute mark of the video.
USASOC Commanding General Comments to Special Forces
Association, YouTube.com, August 22, 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLQgC0Umits
Top Image: The original Special Warfare Museum on Ardennes
Street, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
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