The original Fort Douglas military installation was founded in 1862. The museum is devoted to collecting histories of World War II veterans and other Utah persons who experienced that war.
Exhibits in the museum include military uniforms dating from 1858. Of more than 71,000 people from Utah, 3,660 did not return.
In 1990 there were still over 40,000 World War II veterans living in Utah.
The buildings include five architectural styles that are in a circular drive
The exterior grounds have a number of tanks, artillery, and warplanes on display
Note: Accessibility to this facility is adequate with the exception of steps for lower level rooms. The outside exhibits may be hard to maneuver unless the ramp at curbside is correctly positioned. Parking is available alongside the main drive however; this drive is on a slight hill. (I did not see van accessible parking, but on the other hand, I was not looking for it because I was using a collaspible wheelchair and riding in my son's jeep.)
Fort Sam Houston
San Antonio, Texas
One Team, One Fight, One Future
The Quadrangle Home of the Fifth United States Army
A walkway surrounds the impressive artillery that sits to the East of the quadrangle.
Across the street from the parking lot, a sidewalk leads to the fort that was founded in 1845.
The main entrance to the fort is located on the south side of the quadrangle by going through an archway known as the Sally Port. Three plaques were found in this archway: President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, a replica of a stone that is located below the clock on the watch tower, and a list of the commanders during 1858-1947 for the San Antonio Arsenal. This military site covers 3,300 acres and is home to the Brooke Army Medical Center, which is one of the largest military medical centers in the world. An open doorway on the eastside of the Sally Port led me to a front desk and a young soldier that guarded the closed offices upstairs.
A soldier's duty is not always an exciting experience, and so it was with SPC Anthony Baker behind the desk at the entrance of the offices inside of the quadrangle. This quiet fort is a gateway to a world of history, but a little too consoling for a soldier ready for action. Meeting this quiet young man while visiting Fort Sam Houston on Easter Sunday 2000, was an education in itself. When leaving, the thought of the elaborate General Sam Houston statue located north of Houston, Texas, on Interstate 45 quickly came to mind, but the scene left behind was that of the quadrangle.
The Tower in the center of the Quadrangle at Fort Sam Houston
The Flag of the State of Texas is the ONLY State Flag in the USA allowed to be raised at the same height of the United States Flag of America
Military graphics on this web page courtesy of Chuck Stewart
GeckoCountry
