Press Release
October 5, 2004
National Archives Salutes Veterans and Active Military Personnel
Sneak Preview of New Exhibition on Veterans Day
Washington, D.C. . . . On Thursday, November 11, the National Archives honors
veterans, active military personnel and their families with an exclusive sneak
peek of the new permanent exhibition, "The Public Vaults." The exhibition
opens to the public on November 12 at the National Archives Building, located
on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW. The exhibition, which is a public-private
partnership between the National Archives and the Foundation for the National
Archives, will welcome all military personnel and their families to the free
exhibition between 10 AM and 5:30 PM. In addition, the National Archives Museum
Shop will offer a 10 percent discount to those being honored on that day.
In announcing the special preview, Archivist of the United States John W.
Carlin said, "The records of active military personnel and veterans are
such a key part of our holdings and are a highlight in this exhibition. We want
to honor those who have served this country by welcoming them as our first visitors
to 'The Public Vaults'".
The National Archives takes special pride in its role in protecting the records
of those who have protected our nation. It holds both individual service records
and unit records stretching from the American Revolution to the Gulf War, covering
all branches of the military service. Near the entrance to the exhibition, the
National Archives will have experts and information available regarding veterans'
records from the National Archives' National Personnel Records Center in St.
Louis, Missouri. The National Personnel Records Center responds to approximately
4,000 requests pertaining to military records each day, totaling more than one
million requests each year. The best way for a veteran or family member to request
records is the online application form on the NARA web site, vetrecs.archives.gov.
The new permanent exhibition, "The Public Vaults", will shine a
light into the vaults and stack areas where the treasures of the National Archives
are preserved for the American people. One major focus of the exhibition, Provide
for the Common Defense, highlights the US military. The power of these documents
is in the way they capture both individual heroism and collective sacrifice.
Together with declassified records of strategy and tactics, they bring a human
dimension to the tragedy of war.
Visitors will be able to listen in on the deliberations of Presidents as they
faced some of the country's greatest challenges, explore newly declassified top
secret documents, step into the boots of soldiers on the front lines of World
War II, learn about the recruitment process and how it has changed over time,
see Louis Armstrong's draft registration card and historic military recruitment
posters, and experience many other of the extraordinary events of our history.
The "Public Vaults" combines two elements:
- The Record of America, a timeline, that takes visitors on a journey through
time and the changing technology of communications;
- Five "vaults" based on the Preamble to the Constitution: We
the People; Form a More Perfect Union; Promote the General Welfare; Provide for
the Common Defense; and To Ourselves and Our Posterity. Each of
these five vaults combines real documents, interactive exhibits, and immersive
displays to open America's records to the public.
THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES EXPERIENCE
The "Public Vaults" exhibition is part of The National Archives
Experience, an educational initiative to create experiences that celebrate
the American spirit and reveal how our nation's past is a living part of our
nation's future.
Other Components of the National Archives Experience
National Archives Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom which
includes the permanent display of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution,
and the Bill of Rights and "The New World is at Hand", an exhibition
highlighting the creation and the impact of the Charters. The renovated Rotunda
and the Charters of Freedom opened to the public on September 18, 2003.
The Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery features special exhibitions
developed by the National Archives and traveling exhibitions from the Presidential
libraries and other organizations. "The American Presidency: Photographic
Treasures of the National Archives" opens to the public on December 7, 2004.
The William G. McGowan Theater opened in September 2004.
It features continuous showings of "Preserving the Charters of Freedom,"
a dramatic film that chronicles the behind-the-scenes preservation of the Charters
of Freedom, produced by Middlemarch Films for NOVA/WGBH and PBS. The Theater
also hosts a wide range of documentary film series and programs with the nation's
leading authors, as well as family programs, historic reenactments, and community
activities.
A New Learning Center will open in 2005 that will offer in-depth
education programs for middle and high school students as well as workshops geared
to the needs of parents and teachers. The Center will include a Learning Lab,
Resource Room, Digital Classroom, and National Teacher's program.
An Expanded Website will bring the National Archives to all
Americans as well as people from around the globe. This comprehensive website
will serve as a gateway to the vast and rich records of the National Archives.
Selected computer interactive elements from the 'Public Vaults' exhibition will
also be included on the site, as well as materials for teachers and students.
* * *
For Press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs Staff
at
202-501-5526 or 301-837-1700.
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