Soldiering through Louisiana: Touring the region’s military museums

**Visitors can see a B-52 bomber up close at the Barksdale museum.**

by Wesley Harris

One way to tour the great state of Louisiana is to plan stops around a theme. You can visit a selection of state parks, art galleries, or antebellum homes. Several planned tour routes are available online, including at explorelouisiana.com, a site maintained by the state’s Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

The traveler in north Louisiana might consider a tour of museums commemorating the state’s contributions to the nation’s military efforts. Four fine museums north of Alexandria form the basis for an excellent themed excursion.

The Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum is an often overlooked museum located at Camp Beauregard in Pineville. It preserves the story of the Louisiana Maneuvers—war games conducted to prepare hundreds of thousands of troops and their commanders for World War II.

Housed in a replica of a WWII military barracks, the museum pays tribute to the soldiers and civilians involved in the maneuvers with exhibits displaying uniforms, equipment and maneuvers-era armament, with contrasting presentations of horse cavalry next to tanks. Experimentation in new forms of mechanized warfare took place in the exercise. The maneuvers performed here in Louisiana helped America and its allies win the war.

Also included are displays of uniforms and equipment dating from the Louisiana colonial days up to the conflicts in the Middle East.

Named after Confederate General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, the camp was established during World War I, training many soldiers to fight in France during the war. The camp closed after World War I, but National Guard units trained there until it was reactivated as a federal facility in 1940. Today it is used by the Louisiana National Guard as a logistical base and training base for engineer and aviation units.

The Barksdale Global Power Museum is not only a memorial to American success in battle, but a recognition of the many years spent training to deter war. The outside exhibits include some of the American military’s most famous aircraft, including B-17 and B-24 bombers of World War II along with the P-51 Mustang. Also displayed are the several versions of the plane Barksdale is best known for, the B-52 Stratofortress as well as the highest and fastest flying jet aircraft ever, the SR-71 Blackbird.

Inside, visitors find exhibit galleries relating the story of the Barksdale Air Force Base from its dedication as Barksdale Field in 1933 to the present. The namesake of the base is Lieutenant Eugene Hoy Barksdale, a Mississippi native and U. S. Army Air Corps pilot who lost his life August 11, 1926, while flight testing an observation airplane near Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio.

The base served as an air training base during World War II, and shortly after the war became the home of Headquarters Army Air Forces Training Command. New pilots continued to earn their wings as the field was renamed Barksdale Air Force Base in 1947. In 1949 the base transitioned to a new mission to support Strategic Air Command operations. The activation of 2nd Air Force Headquarters in 1949 marked the start of a significant role for Barksdale in the development of massive, long-range striking power. In 1957, Barksdale received its B-52s, the aircraft most associated with the base.

Since Barksdale is a functioning military base with some sensitive areas, security precautions are necessary. Visitors must request a Barksdale Museum Access Pass 30 days prior to their visit. See instructions at barksdaleglobalpowermuseum.com.

The North Louisiana Military Museum in Ruston chronicles American conflicts from the Civil War to the present day with an emphasis on local personalities. Housed in a nondescript two-story building surrounded by huge pieces of military hardware from helicopters and jets to tracked vehicles and cannons may cause visitors to wonder what awaits inside. The impressive collection of militaria that illustrates the close ties between the community and America’s armed conflicts surprises visitors.

What makes the North Louisiana Military Museum unique is how it tells the story of the response of common men and women when American freedom is threatened. The museum connects real people and every American conflict since the Civil War. It’s not just a collection of guns, uniforms, and other relics, but a history of a community’s willingness to serve.

Many exhibits include a name and a photograph to accompany a uniform full of medals or a weapon. The stories of heroism come alive for many locals when they recognize a soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine as the same man or woman they see at church or the grocery store.

One local hero honored with a large exhibit is Navy Commander Guy Bordelon. Bordelon received the Navy Cross—the nation’s second highest medal for valor—for his record as a naval combat ace in Korea.

Commander Bordelon is just one of many faces this museum recognizes. The enemy is given a face, too. There are manikins in Japanese and North Vietnamese uniforms. Nazi weapons and medals from World War II are displayed.

The Chennault Aviation & Military Museum’s story began in 1986 with a reunion of those who trained at Selman Field during World War II and their descendants. Attendees vowed to work to establish a repository of Selman Field artifacts and memorabilia. A museum was opened in 2000 in one of the last remaining World War II-era buildings used by the Air Corps’ largest school for flight navigators.

The museum has grown to encompass more of the rich aviation and military history of Northeast Louisiana. The museum honors all U. S. veterans, and features exhibits on all wars from World War I through Iraq and Afghanistan.

Featured prominently is the story of General Claire Chennault who grew up locally and commanded the famed “Flying Tigers” in China during World War II. Chennault is still a hero to the Chinese and the museum has developed connections with China leading to many international visitors to the facility.

Check the websites or Facebook pages of the museums for details in planning your visit.

Louisiana Maneuvers and Military Museum

Camp Beauregard, 409 F Street, Pineville

Open Tues-Fri: 9:00-5:00

Phone the museum for tours outside those hours (318) 641-5733

North Louisiana Military Museum

201 Memorial Drive, Ruston

Open Wed 12:00-4:00 pm, Thu-Sat 10:00-4:00 pm

For appointments or group tours call (318) 251-5099

Barksdale Global Power Museum

Barksdale AFB, 88 Shreveport Road, Bossier City

Open Mon-Fri 9:30-3:00