Summer on the Trails 2023

Life gets more hectic on the Trails of History during the summer, our busiest season for visitation. Summer camps are planned at about half a dozen sites, mostly in July and August. Numerous special events are scheduled, many taking advantage of warm weather for outdoor activities and larger crowds. Be sure to check the PHMC online events calendar and Trails of History social media platforms and websites for details.

Specialist Sandra Sanchez Cardenas of Oley with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 28th Infantry Division in Ramadi, Iraq, circa 2005-06.
Courtesy of Capt. Alfred A. Smith, 2/28BCT Public Affairs Officer

Women’s History Celebrated

One of this summer’s most anticipated events is the Pennsylvania Military Museum’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948. Over the course of two weekends in August, the museum will present A Legacy of Service: Beyond 75 Years of Women in the Military.

On June 12, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed legislation enabling women to serve as permanent and regular members of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps and the newly formed Air Force. During World War II, Congress had temporarily given members of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) full-service status, but that was set to expire in 1948. Women had served for years in various branches as medical personnel, teachers and trainers, administrative support, and other auxiliary roles. Although the law opened new possibilities for women in military service, it did place limits on the numbers of women who could enlist and the number who could be promoted into the officer corps (these limits were later removed). Coupled with Truman’s Executive Order 9981 (signed July 26, 1948), which declared his intention “that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion or national origin,” the Women’s Integration Act represents a significant postwar expansion of the U.S. Armed Forces.

On International Women’s Day 2023, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin noted the 75th anniversary as well as the 10th anniversary of the opening of all combat roles to women, saying: “From America’s first days, women have made profound sacrifices for our republic. They have made innovative contributions to our national security, blazed trails for future generations, and inspired us with their dedication, skill, and patriotism. Since the Revolutionary War, more than three million women have stepped up to serve their country in uniform, even before the military fully recognized their service.”

Passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 followed two years of legislative debate, as reflected in this marked-up draft on display at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC.
www.visitthecapitol.gov

The programs planned at the Pennsylvania Military Museum (PMM) this August will explore the history of women’s military service both before and after the Women’s Integration Act. Anniversary events will kick off the weekend of August 5–6 and continue the following weekend on August 12. Museum staff are working with other agencies, especially the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, to plan a reception, panel discussions, exhibits and other programs to spotlight the role of Pennsylvania women in military service.

On Saturday, August 5, Brig. Gen. Maureen Weigl, deputy adjutant general for veterans affairs, will deliver the keynote address. Appointed to her post in 2021, Weigl supervises the administration of state veterans’ programs, reintegration and outreach, and veteran initiatives for more than 700,000 veterans and their dependents. She retired from the U.S. Army in 2016 after 25 years of service. PMM’s site administrator Tyler Gum reports, “Our plan is to have General Weigl meet and greet with guests, along with telling her service story, including research and advocacy in the field of traumatic brain injuries during operations in Iraq.”

Gum also told me that staff from the Women’s Memorial at Arlington Cemetery will be on hand to register active duty and retired women for the memorial. Museum staff are in the process of lining up panelists with experience spanning multiple decades to present a range of perspectives. Panelists, speakers and guests will be announced as they are confirmed. For updates, please follow the Legacy of Service event on PMM’s Facebook page.

Remembering the Civilian Conservation Corps

The year 2023 marks the 90th anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on March 21, 1933, as one of the wide-ranging programs of the New Deal.

Before it was discontinued in 1942, CCC enrolled 3 million men (ages 17–28) who were employed in public works projects throughout the United States. Pennsylvania had a large number of CCC camps, second only to California, that built much of the state park and forest infrastructure we enjoy today.

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, whose core exhibit includes a large section on CCC in Pennsylvania, will host a program on June 17 to mark the anniversary. Curator Josh Fox has also created a temporary exhibit highlighting recent acquisitions of CCC-related collections.

A Souvenir of Your Visit

In February 2020 members of the Guidebook Committee at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania began weekly meetings to plan a new souvenir photo book project. Although disruptive in many ways, the pandemic-related closure that took place soon after provided committee members and other museum staff increased time to devote to the project. Site administrator Patrick Morrison told me that staff reviewed hundreds of photos of rolling stock, locomotives and exhibits, most of them taken by staff member Craig A. Benner. They wrote and edited captions and recommended additional photo needs, which Benner filled.

The result is The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Pictures, a 100-page, 6-by-6 hardcover book with 88 color and black-and-white images of the museum’s collection of historic railroad equipment spanning from the mid-19th century through the late 20th century. Produced by Schiffer Publishing, the book is available for $9.99 from the Friends of the Railroad Museum, either through preorder or on-site purchase in the Whistle Stop Shop during your visit.

Morrison noted: “I’m so proud of this team for what they accomplished, making the best possible use of our time during our COVID-19 closure to make this photo book a reality. The goal was to give our guests a very reasonably priced souvenir of their experience here at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It was hoped that if a visitor forgot their camera, a book like this would provide them with a worthy substitute for their own photos of our trains and our museum. We believe we have achieved our goals here.”

Amy Killpatrick Fox is a museum educator in PHMC’s Bureau of Historic Sites & Museums. She writes a weekly blog also called Trailheads at patrailheads.blogspot.com.