Airborne & Special Operations Museum

 The first mission of the US paratroopers was an invasion of North Africa in November 1942. Unfortunately, inexperience, poor training and confused orders resulted in a tragic friendly fire incident. Gunners on shore and aboard troop ship shot the transport planes and the paratroops as the floated down. Throughout the years of the war paratroopers were involved in many missions but they were plagued by shifting winds and bad weather. The troops often landed  widely separated and far from their intended targets. Much more successful were supply missions to Allied troops and insurgent groups in France and northern Europe. During 1944 the airborne units completed 1,000 personnel drop-and-recovery missions and delivered more than 20,000 containers and 111,000 packages.

         The museum exhibits are very well done. Most focus on WWII because, even though current airborne forces keep up their skills with training jumps, they are not deployed often. Missions are smaller and often deep in enemy territory.

      

   The museum is accessible.

   RVs will fit in the lot if pulled through the spaces or parked lengthwise across the spaces.  Museum  35.05691, -78.88497