I am a Girl Scout Leader in Port Matilda, PA and we partner with the Museum to support many of their wonderful events such as the Celebration of Service in May - along with the Boy Scout Troop 237 in Orbisonia, our girls lay wreaths at the foot of the makeshift graves during this service. Through this service, the girls have had the opportunity to meet and shake hands with the Governor of PA, military commanders and other key leaders in our government - a wonderful experience as well as respectfully honoring those that gave their lives to defend our great country. My girls have also been given the privelege of participating in the Vietnam Re-enactment in July at the Museum. They're villagers who man the water/soda road side stand on the way to the encampment on the trail alongside the museum. Through this experience they've had the honor of speaking to veterans who served in Vietnam days and learning what it was like for those that came back from this war to live with and carry the shame of serving and why - they've had the honor of thanking them by shaking their hands and thanking them for what they gave in sacrifice. They've also participated in flag day / flag retirement ceremonies hosted by the local Elks club and veterans which has been great to teach our girls about how to honor and celebrate the American Flag and it's history. What a great engaging way to teach this generation what it means to serve and honor our Country.
I chose to volunteer at the PA Military Museum as I believe they do an outstanding job of teaching all age groups about the history of the armed forces and particularly the causes, campaigns and results of World Wars I and II. The collection of materials provides a very smooth flow for museum visitors to enjoy and understand the exhibits and how they played a part in Pennsylvania and United States history.
In the summer months, the live reenactmnets, Boot Camp for Kids and exposure to retired and active miltary personnel give visitors a chance to observe and discuss a variety of topics with those on site. The visitor's gift shop has an outstanding selection of books for sale as well.
Review from Guidestar
Wonderful museum located six miles from the Penn Satte University. The current exhibits tell the story of the Commonwealth in conflict in the 20th century with the theme "Tactics and Logistics of Warfare." Nearly every artifact has a Pennsylvania provenance. Exhibit labels are very well written and concise. Very strong community presence with multiple public programming events each month from March thru November.
Review from Guidestar