BGuthrie Photos: VA -- Petersburg -- Fort Lee -- U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum

VA -- Petersburg -- Fort Lee -- U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. QMASTR_091227_002.JPG: Western Arsenal of The Quartermaster's Department United States Army 1872. President, U.S. Grant Secretary of War, W.W. Belknap General of the Army, W.T. Sherman Quartermaster General, M.C. Meigs.
2. QMASTR_091227_022.JPG: Map showing the routes of Custer's columns as they approached the Little Bighorn. Custer's decision to divide his command, although later critizied [sic], was a technique he had used before with success. he [sic] no doubt intended to surround the Indians and defeat them with a two-pronged attack.
3. QMASTR_091227_039.JPG: Battle of the Little Bighorn The Water Carrier Incident: On 25 June 1876, the 7th Cavalry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, engaged the combined Sioux and Cheyenne forces along the banks of the Little Bighorn River in Eastern Montana. The 7th was part of a combined Army campaign to bring the Sioux to the reservations. Approaching the Indian village, Custer divided his command into three battalions; one under Captain Frederick Benteen took three companies and the Regimental pack trains and maneuvered to the south; one under Major Marcus Reno launched a frontal attack against the village from the south. The remaining five companies went with Custer to attack the village from the north. Every man in Custer's command died. Reno's attack was repulsed and he, along with Benteen, were besieged for two days on the bluffs above the Little Bighorn by an estimated 3,000 warriors. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer: The Civil War's "boy general," Custer accepted second in command of the 7th Cavalry following the War and with it achieved fame as an Indian fighter. Generally admired by the men, but distrusted by some of the officers, Custer's decision to attack the Sioux and Cheyenne camped along the Little Bighorn River has long been debated. Custer faced perhaps as many as 3,000 warriors; he and about 280 of his troopers died to the last man in the afternoon of 25 June 1876.
4. QMASTR_091227_068.JPG: Supporting Victory Supply Depot at City Point, Virginia March 24, 1865 An obscure river village located at the confluence of the James and Appomattox Rivers, City Point, Virginia, changed overnight from backwater bluff-town to one of the busiest ports in the land. The reason: the coming of Ulysses S. Grant and the Federal Army. Grant chose City Point because of the rivers and the accessibility to the vast resources of the industrialized North. Unlike cross-country railroads or supply trains that were susceptible to enemy cavalry, once the rivers were secured by Union gunboats -- such as the powerful, double-turreted Onondaga in the James below -- they provided an endless flood of food, weapons and ammunition, and a safe, gentle passage home for the sick and wounded. The figures were astounding: fifteen hundred tons of supplies a day off-loaded from transports that steamed continually to the half-mile long wharf below the bluff; twenty-five locomotives pulled 275 boxcars filled to capacity on a regular schedule to the front siege-lines around Petersburg eight miles away. There were nine million soldier's meals, twelve thousand tons of fodder, and one hundred thousand rations of bread available on any day at City Point. Mastermind of all this was Brigadier Rufus Ingalls, Chief Quartermaster on Grant's staff. When Lincoln visited City Point in March of 1865, he appreciated Grant's decision to make his headquarters in a log cabin and leave the large mansion house as headquarters for the Quartermaster Corps. Grant knew exactly what keeps armies in the field -- Quartermasters. Along with Grant, Lincoln, and Ingalls on the bluff at City Point are shown Colonel Richard N. Batchelder of the Quartermaster Corps and Brigadier General Henry W. Benham of the Engineers. Below, on the James, is Lincoln's transportation vessel, the famous River Queen.
5. QMASTR_091227_131.JPG: Duty to the Fallen: The Army's Mortuary Mission Recovery: Until 1861, there was no system for recovering fallen soldiers beyond the efforts of the soldier's comrades, but during the Civil War, the Quartermaster Department was assigned the mission of recovering the dead, identifying them, and providing proper burial. In World War I, Quartermaster Graces Registration (GR) Units were organized to perform these tasks and they continued to do so through World War II, Korea, and Vietnam as well as in peacetime. In 1991, the term "Mortuary Affairs" replaced "Graves Registration." Today, Quartermaster Mortuary Affairs Specialists work in all theaters of operations. They also serve the Teams that recover remains from previous wars. Identification: Identification of remains is the key step in the Mortuary Affairs process. Identification is achieved by comparing pre and post death medical and dental records, examining personal effects, and DNA analysis. During the Civil War, 42% of the dead were never identified. By the Korean War, this was reduced to 3%. With today's technology, it is likely that identification of remains will be 100%, even for those recovered years after a conflict. Careful attention is paid to the gathering and accounting of personal effects. During World War II, personal effects were gathered and inventoried by Graves Registration personnel. Items belonging to soldiers confirmed as dead were forwarded to the family while effects of those pending confirmation were held for sixty days. Items that could aid identification were held at cemeteries. Great care was given when transporting personal effects. Armed guards were provided during shipment and civilian workers were carefully screened. During the Civil War, soldiers were often worried that if they were killed, their comrades and family would not be able to identify their remains. The Army did not require soldiers to wear identification tags so some soldiers purchased them from sutlers or fashioned them out of wood or paper, especially before a big battle. In 1899, Army Chaplain, Charles Pierce, advocated the use of identity discs. In 1917, the Army began requiring ID discs be worn and by 1941, the more familiar "Dog Tags" began being used. This style of ID tag remains in use today. Duty to the Fallen: Americans expect that if their son or daughter died while on duty, the Army will positively identify the remains, notify the next of kin, and bury the soldier with proper honor and dignity. It is also expected that should the soldier die overseas in combat, the Army will recover those remains even if it takes years after hostilities have ended... but this has not always been the case. Not until the Civil War did the Army begin to recover and bury fallen soldiers on a large scale. In 1862, Congress authorized the purchase of land for use as cemeteries and in 1867, the Quartermaster General was given specific instructions on how to implement a grace marking program. Caring for the dead remains a Quartermaster mission. This duty to the fallen is owed on behalf of the Army and the Nation to the soldier, their comrades, and their family. It is a duty performed sadly but willingly.
6. QMASTR_091227_135.JPG: Military Funerals: The custom of draping a soldier's casket with a flag began during the Napoleonic Wars. The dead, carried from the field of battle on a caisson, were covered with flags. When the US flag covers the casket, it is placed to the union blue field is at the head and over the left shoulder. It is not placed in the grace and is not allowed to touch the ground. The flag on this casket originally draped the remains of a soldier from the War of 1812 recovered in the vicinity of Ft. Erie, Canada, in 1988. The remains were among 26 recovered from the site and that were repatriated to the US and buried with honors in the Bath National Cemetery, Bath, New York. The stained glass windows on either side of the casket once hung in Liberty Chapel, Fort Lee, placed there in 1941 by members of the 6th Quartermaster Training Regiment. Soldiers of the Regiment raised funds for the windows with the hope that soldiers following them would also raise funds so that the chapel would have a complete set. The outbreak of World War II brought the project to a halt. This catafalque [under the casket] was hastily built by members of the Transportation Division, Military District of Washington, to transport the remains of President Eisenhower to Abilene, Kansas, in 1969. The official State catafalque, originally built for President Abraham Lincoln, was considered too weak to make the trip. The catafalque and its accessories were placed in a special funeral car for the trip to Kansas.
7. QMASTR_091227_151.JPG: This plaster model for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was rendered by James H. Jones of the Quartermaster Corps Heraldry Branch in 1925. It was used as a submission to Congress during the deliberations to erect a suitable monument to the World War I unknown soldier buried at Arlington in 1921. The Tomb was built in 1932 and later modified when the unknowns from World War II and Korea were added.
8. QMASTR_091227_172.JPG: Dog Tags: During the Civil War, soldiers were often worried that if they were killed, their comrades and family would not be able to identify their remains. The Army did not require soldiers to wear identification tags so some soldiers purchased them from sutlers or fashioned them out of wood or paper, especially before a big battle. In 1899, Army Chaplain, Charles Pierce, advocated the use of identity discs. In 1917, the Army began requiring ID discs be worn and by 1941, the more familiar "Dog Tags" began being used. This style of ID tag remains in use today.
9. QMASTR_091227_178.JPG: Gorgas Mortuary: The Army's Gorgas Hospital, located near the Miraflores locks on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal, was established in 1907 and known as the Ancon Army Hospital. In 1928, the name was changed to Gorgas Army Hospital in honor of Major General William Crawford Gorgas, a former Surgeon General of the Army and the individual created with successfully combating yellow fever in Panama. The Gorgas Army Hospital, which also contained a mortuary, was closed in 1999 when the Panama Canal was relinquished to Panamanian control.
10. QMASTR_091227_217.JPG: Since World War I, when trucks, tanks, and aircraft were first used in combat, Quartermasters have supplied the Army with fuel. A steady supply of fuel is critical to winning a war or battle and the need to obtain fuel, or to protect fuel supplies, has often determined how and where wars and battles are fought. Quartermasters are the "Fuelers of the Force," performing the mission of supplying the Army with fuels necessary to win on the battlefield.
11. QMASTR_091227_221.JPG: Patton's Jeep: One of the customized jeeps used by General George S. Patton during World War II. General Patton's style of command included being visible to his soldiers. Among the vehicles he used in Europe were customized jeeps. Their most notable feature were airhorns made from trombones and, later, extended wheel wells to provide better protection from the European mud. Other customized features included a reinforced windshield and comfortable seating for the General and his aide. This is one of Patton's jeeps, used toward the end of the War and during the months immediately following. After the War, the jeep was sent to the Richmond Quartermaster Depot and later transferred to the Quartermaster Museum. "My men can eat their belts but my tanks got to have gas!" -- General George S. Patton During the 3rd Army's rapid drive across France in the Fall of 1944, Patton's thirst for gasoline was legendary. His tanks and other vehicles required over 500,000 gallons of fuel a day, and he was continually frustrated by being refused the gas needed to continue his advance into Germany. The Quartermasters' challenge was to keep the other six field Armies totalling 90 combat divisions fueled from limited port facilities. General Eisenhower decided to slow Patton's advance until better port facilities could be secured and supply lines better established, and ordered a more northern, British-led advance into Germany be given priority. This decision remains controversial to this day. The 214th Quartermaster Gasoline Supply Company was one of 120 similar Quartermaster petroleum units organized during World War II. In November 1943, while in England, the unit was redesignated the 3937th Gasoline Supply Company and in September 1944 landed in France. The unit was immediately involved in filling gas cans for shipment on the Red Ball Express and after establishing pipelines, was moved forward to Belgium. There the unit operated a petroleum depot and became the target of German V-1 rocket attacks. Two operations were improvised to supply Patton's Divisions. .... well known was the "Red Ball Express." Stretching over 700 miles, the Red Ball became the longest one-way traffic artery in the world. Operating from August to November 1944, the Red Ball consisted of well [???] over 5,400 trucks and over 200,000 Quartermaster and other support personnel. At its conclusion, the Red Ball had transported over 10,000 tons of supplies. The other improvised supply operation involved airlifting gasoline to forward air bases using B-24 bombers. From 29 August to 17 September, B-24 bombers in the 2nd Bomber Division, 8th Air Force, supplied over 430 tons of fuel to Patton's 3rd Army. Though it was proven the B-24s could deliver gasoline, planes were limited by where they could land, making it an impractical method.
12. QMASTR_091227_249.JPG: In 1950, the Quartermaster Corps was officially given the Army's aerial delivery and parachute packing missions, missions that originated during World War II. In every war or action since then that has required airborne assaults or aerial delivery of supplies, Quartermaster Riggers have packed the parachutes and rigged the supplies. Riggers live and work by the motto, "I Will Be Sure Always!" It is a motto and a creed that is taken seriously and applied faithfully.
13. QMASTR_091227_257.JPG: Five Gallon Jerricans: During World War II, the US Army adopted a design for 5 gallon gasoline cans based on that used by the Germans. It became known as the "Jerrican." Intended to be used as a reserve container for use on vehicles, the jerrican soon became the primary, and most efficient, means by which gasoline was transported during the War. The can could be carried by one person and easily stacked. Jerricans remain in use to this day.
14. QMASTR_091227_273.JPG: Live Animal Container, 1965: During the Vietnam War, supplying live animals to remote villages became an aerial delivery requirement. A variety of techniques were tried. The wooden cage / crate proved the most effective, causing the fewest fatalities among the animals being dropped.
15. QMASTR_091227_317.JPG: During World War I, the Quartermaster Corps operated laundry and bath operations (also called bath and delousing units) but it was not until June 1918 that the first mobile laundries were shipped to Europe. Until their arrival, laundering was left to the soldier or to local village laundresses, just as all armies had done before them. Quartermaster delousing units, once established, helped to reduce the occurrence of lice to only 3% of the Army. Bathing, laundering, and clothing exchange, along with DDT, kept the American soldier essentially louse free during World War II. A survey of 1800 units in December 1944 showed that about 0.5% showed some evidence of lice but that the total individual cases was less than 100. Over 100 Quartermaster mobile laundry and bath companies supported the Army in all theaters of the war. Graybacks and Cooties: Until World War II, lice were the biggest enemy of soldiers in the field. Lice, called "graybacks" during the Civil War and "cooties" by the Doughboys of World War I, are parasites that feed off of animals and humans, and carry diseases. Throughout history, when armies gathered, they got sick, usually because of the spread of disease by lice. It is now known that frequent bathing prevents lice, halting the spread of disease. Keeping soldiers clean and free from diseases has been a concern in the American Army since 1775 but it was not until the relationship between sanitation and disease was widely understood that major efforts were made to provide for bath and laundry services in the field. By World War I, his mission was given to the Quartermaster Corps, which continues to provide field bath and laundry service to soldiers.
16. QMASTR_091227_343.JPG: Spanish American War: The Spanish American War was the first time that Quartermasters supported the Army overseas, in Cuba and the Philippines.
17. QMASTR_091227_393.JPG: POW uniform shirt, ca. 1944. The black wool shirt with "PW" stenciled in white on the front is a typical POW uniform worn by German POWs.
18. QMASTR_091227_410.JPG: Army Escort Wagon, Model 1917: The four mule/horse Army Escort Wagon dates from the mid-1890s when it replaced Army four- and six-mule transport wagons. Used through the 1930s, the Escort Wagon changed little in those 40 years. The Wagon saw service throughout the West where it was used to transport supplies to remote areas. Along with motor vehicles, it was used in Mexico in 1916 during the Punitive Expedition. With the complete mechanization of the Army in 1942, Wagons went out of use.
19. QMASTR_091227_420.JPG: General Eisenhower's Van: When General Eisenhower arrived in England in January 1944 as the newly-appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, the Headquarters was located at Southwick House near Portsmouth, England. Lodgings had been arranged for him in the House but Eisenhower preferred living in the field. Four Army Air Corps Instrument Repair Vans were outfitted as a field headquarters and placed near Southwick House. Eisenhower referred to them as "Circus Wagons" and one of those vans, exhibited here, was outfitted as his personal living quarters containing a bed, closets, shower, and latrine. It was in this van on the morning of 6 June 1944, that General Eisenhower received the first reports of the Normandy landings. Following the Normandy invasion, Eisenhower's Field Headquarters, along with his mobile living quarters, were moved to the Continent. He continued to use the living quarters until the end of the War.
20. QMASTR_091227_449.JPG: "Indiana" Truck, 2-1/2 ton, 1918: During World War I, the Quartermaster Corps purchased trucks from a variety of manufacturers. Five hundred of these were bought from the Indiana Truck Corporation of Marion, Indiana. Designed to haul men and supplies, the Indiana Trucks, called along with others "Liberty Trucks," saw service in France and the United States. Over 40,000 trucks of all types were shipped to France during the War. This particular specimen is the only operational Indiana Truck known to remain.
21. QMASTR_091227_468.JPG: Apple Jack -- 1910-1938 Troop "E" 3rd US Cavalry -- A Real Soldier Horse The tombstone in front of you marked the grave of Apple Jack, a member of Troop E, 3rd US Cavalry. At the age of 26, Apple Jack was retired from service and left to live his days at the QM Remount Depot at Front Royal, Virginia. He was described as "[An] exceptional jumper, both in regular and trick jumping... well schooled, a grand field service horse... Now at liberty with the 2-year olds in pasture, where his quiet intelligent stability furnishes an excellent example for the youngsters to follow." Apple Jack was buried at the horse cemetery at Front Royal in 1938. The Quartermaster Remount Mission: The procurement and training of animals for military use has been a function of the Quartermaster Corps since its inception in 1775. Animals were used for transporting supplies and men. From 1775 until the early 20th century, horses and mules were purchased from civilian sources, sometimes with mixed results. In 1908, Congress authorized the Remount Service to procure, condition, provide initial training, and issue horses. The first remount depot was at Fort Reno, Oklahoma while the Front Royal, Virginia, Depot was opened in 1914. World War I was the last major conflict in which the United States Army used horses and mules in large numbers. Around 571,000 horses [and] mules were processed through the Remount system, of which more than 68,000 perished.
22. QMASTR_091227_474.JPG: Grant's Saddle: The saddle used by General Ulysses S. Grant during the American Civil war was the Model 1847 Dragoon or "Grimsley" Saddle. Adopted by the Army in 1848, the saddle proved rugged and relatively comfortable for the rider but was hard on the mount during long campaigns. Although later replaced by the McClellan saddle, the Grimsley was used throughout the Civil War, particularly by officers. Grant's saddle has a quilted seat, a feature often found on officer's saddles. Colonel, I take pleasure in presenting you the "Grimsley Saddle" which I have used in all the battles from Fort Henry, Tenn. in Feb. 1862 to the battles about Petersburg, Va. ending in the surrender of Lee's Army at Appomattox C.H. Va. on the 9th of Aprl, 1865. I present this saddle not for any intrinsic value it possesses but as a mark of friendship and esteem after continued service with you through the Great Rebellion, our services commencing together at Cairo, Ill., in the Fall of 1861 and continuing to this present day. I hope our friendship, if not our continued services together, will continue as heretofore. Yours Truly, US Grant
23. QMASTR_091227_494.JPG: Quartermasters: The Army's Builders: Enlisted Barracks: Beginning with the American Revolution, Quartermasters supplied tents for the Army in the field. More permanent shelter, particularly in the winter, were built by the soldiers themselves with materials supplied by the Quartermaster. By the early 1800s, the Quartermaster Department became responsible for "temporary" quarters that included Army posts on the frontier while the Corps of Engineers was responsible for the permanent installations, mainly seacoast fortifications. By the 1870s, standardized plans were developed for barracks construction. By 1884, the Quartermaster Department assumed responsibility for all permanent Army construction and by the 1890s, barracks and Post construction achieved a high degree of standardization. Beginning in 1775, Quartermasters were responsible for providing both temporary and permanent shelter for the Army. Quartermasters designed and supervised the construction of most of the major Posts in the West, many of which are still in use today. Quartermasters provided housing for the large numbers of soldiers mobilized for World War I and prepared the plans necessary to house the Army just prior to World War II. In 1941, the construction mission was formally and permanently passed to the Corps of Engineers. World War I: During World War I, over 818 million dollars, or more than twice the cost of the Panama Canal, was spent on construction. Over 540 building projects were supervised by Construction Quartermasters including the cantonments built to house and train the rapidly expanding Army. Each cantonment contained over 40,000 inhabitants and cost 10 million dollars each to build. Over 200,000 construction workers were hired for the jobs and over 600 million board feet of lumber were used in the construction. The rapid mobilization during World War I required that barracks be constructed quickly. Standardized plans developed by the Quartermaster Corps Construction Division enabled engineers and carpenters anywhere in the United States to quickly assemble quarters for soldiers. The same method of standardizing plans and using common materials would be later used during World War II. World War II: Throughout the 1930s, the Quartermaster Corps Construction Division continued to have responsibility for building the Army's facilities. By 1939, the Army had expanded from 174,000 to 375,000 soldiers and in September 1940, jumped to 1,400,000. A rapid construction effort was required. The Quartermaster Construction Division had prepared a set of plans based generally on World War I designs but with improved heating, lighting, and plumbing. The "Series 700" buildings, used to build camps and cantonments for World War II, were prepared by Quartermaster Construction Engineers. Although intended to be temporary, many survive to this day. In December 1941, the mission of construction was formally passed to the Corps of Engineers. Quartermasters were no longer the Army's builders.
24. QMASTR_091227_522.JPG: Shoulder Patches: The Army's first official should patch was worn by members of the 81st Division during World War I when its Commanding General, impressed by the French and British practice of wearing distinguished shoulder sleeve insignia, decided that the Division needed its own patch. The insignia eventually selected was designed by Sgt Dan Silverman, a self-taught artist from Asheville, NC, who incorporated the Division's nickname "Wildcat" into the patch. When the soldiers of the 81st started wearing the patch, other units complained but General John Pershing, AEF Commander, allowed the 81st the keep its insignia and suggested the other Divisions adopt their own. The 81st Division shoulder patch became official on 19 October 1918. Dan Silverman, a native of Asheville, NC, designed the first shoulder sleeve insignia [and] as well contributed drawings and sketches to 81st Division publications. After the War, Silverman moved up to Richmond, VA where he made his career as a businessman and Entrepreneur, becoming a respected member of the community.
25. QMASTR_091227_555.JPG: Pack Mules, Pack Saddles, and Mule Packers: At one time, mules were the primary means of transporting supplies for the Army. Better suited for long campaigns than were horses, mules could carry 250 pounds of supplies on 30 mile per day marches, and survive well on field forage. Mules supported the Army from the early frontier expansion of the 1800s up through the Korean War. The mission of mule handling and packing fell to Quartermasters. Quartermasters at one time also included saddle makers, horseshoes (farriers), and blacksmiths. Mule packing was a highly developed skill. Early pack saddles required that the loads be carefully distributed and properly secured. The "diamond hitch" knot, used to tie down loads, was difficult to master. .... During World War II, approximately 14,000 mules were used. Mules could negotiate jungle or mountainous terrain that no horse or vehicle could traverse. Pack mules were used by US forces in Tunisia during the winter of 1942-43 and were employed extensively in the rugged mountains of Sicily and Italy. Animal pack outfits were also used in the China-Burma-India Theater. After the War in 1948, the Remount Purchasing and Breeding Headquarters Offices were closed and transferred to the Department of Agriculture. The program was abolished the following year and all animals sold at public auction. Two animal pack units, the 4th Field Artillery Battalion and the 35th QM Pack Co., remained on active duty after World War II and through the 1950s. On 15 February 1957, these two pack units were inactivated at Fort Carson, Colorado. The animals were sold or transferred to other Government agencies. In ceremonies befitting and honoring the long service of this patient but sometimes cantankerous Army animal, the mules were publicly mustered out of the Army, to be replaced by the helicopter. War Dogs: During World War II, the American Kennel Association and a group called "Dogs for Defense" mobilized dog owners across the country to donate quality animals to the Army. Beginning in March 1942, the Quartermaster Corps ran the Army's "K-9 Corps." At first more than thirty breeds were accepted but the list was later narrowed down to German Shepherds, Belgian Sheep Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Farm Collies, and Giant Schnauzers. Over 19,000 dogs were procured between 1942 and 1945 and as requirements increased, reception and training responsibility was transferred to the Quartermaster Remount Branch. The first War Dog Reception and Training Center was established at Front Royal, Virginia in August 1942. Total training time for a dog was between 8-12 weeks and included "basic training" where dogs were trained to carry out certain fundamental commands and to grow accustomed to muzzles, gas masks, riding in military vehicles, and gunfire. After completion of basic training, each dog went through specialized training. Of the 10,425 dogs trained, around 9,300 were for sentry duty but as the US went on the offensive in early 1944, the emphasis shifted to supplying dogs for combat. In March 1944, Quartermaster War Dog Platoons were authorized, eventually numbering fifteen. On combat patrols, scout dogs could often detect the presence of the enemy at distances up to 1,000 yards. The use of dogs with patrols greatly lessened the danger of ambush and tended to boost the morale of the soldiers. A number of dogs trained by the Quartermaster Corps established outstanding records in combat overseas. At least one dog was awarded combat medals by an overseas command. These were later revoked since it was contrary to Army policy to present these decorations to animals, but in January 1944, the War Department relaxed these restrictions and allowed publication of commendations in individual unit General Orders. Later approval was granted for issuance by the Quartermaster General of Citation Certificates to donors of war dogs that had been unusually helpful during the war. At the end of World War II, the Quartermaster Corps returned dogs to their civilian owners who wanted them back and by early 1947 the return of all borrowed dogs was completed. After the War, sentry dogs and the silent scout dogs continued to be of great value and by the end of 1946, the Quartermaster Corps "Dog Training Branch" at the US European Command (EUCOM) Quartermaster School in Germany was established. In July 1948, dog training within the United States was transferred to the Army Field Forces and in 1951 to the Military Police Corps. By then, the only war dogs the Quartermaster Corps trained were in Germany, used for sentry duty. In the Korean War, the Army used about 1,500 dogs and during the Vietnam War, about 4,000 dogs were employed. Of these, 281 were killed in action.
26. QMASTR_091227_559.JPG: The First 50-Star Flag: In 1959, Alaska, and later Hawaii, were admitted to the Union. The Quartermaster Corps' Heraldic Branch, under the direction of Col. James S. Cook, Jr. was assigned the responsibility of designing the new flags. Over 1900 design suggestions for the 49 and 50-star flags were submitted. The final design was intended to reflect the generally accepted designs that had been used in the flag's history. On 4 July, 1959, the new 49-star flag was unveiled and on 4 July 1960, a 50-star flag was presented to President Eisenhower. The flag exhibited here was the flag presented to President Eisenhower, thus making it "Flag Number One."
27. QMASTR_091227_562.JPG: Saving the Flag by Thomas Nast After his political cartoonist career ended, Thomas Nast painted a number of commissioned works including "Saving the Flag," a patriotic-themed painting inspired from the Civil War. Based upon a drawing he'd done in 1863, this painting was probably done in the 1890s when Nast did most of his works in oil. By 1926, the painting was located in the reception lobby of the War Department and was later transferred to the Quartermaster Corps. Thomas Nast, a German-born artist, worked for Harpers Weekly as an artist/correspondent during the Civil war, providing drawings to illustrate scenes from the front. After the War, he stayed with Harpers where he became the "father of political cartooning." He achieved rapid fame for his scathing attacks on the political corruption in New York City and his caricatures of "Boss Tweed." Tweed's later conviction was attributed largely to the influence of Nast's cartoons. Nast is credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus. While working for Harpers from 1863-1865, his drawings of Santa Claus proved to be so popular that they remain the image of "the man" to this day.
28. QMASTR_091227_612.JPG: Coffee Roasting Machine, circa 1920. "I was poisoned by incessant feeding on hardtack... and the inordinate drinking of black coffee -- quarts of it each day." -- Charles Adams, veteran of the Civil War "Of all the articles of diet afforded the soldier, none is more important or popular than his coffee." -- Manual for Cook, 1862
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Description of Subject Matter: Quartermaster Museum's History
The museum’s beginnings can be traced back to 1953 when the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia organized a collection of reproduction period uniforms for use in the school’s courses of instruction on uniform fitting and sizing. In 1954 two World War II vintage buildings were opened to house the uniforms. This popular classroom exhibit was often referred to as the “museum”.
The museum was officially established in February 1957, with these uniforms and donations of quartermaster related items forming the core of the collection.
The 20,000 square foot main museum building was completed in June 1963. Construction was funded by private contributions and loans to the Quartermaster Memorial Corporation (now the Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc.). Upon completion the building was donated to the U.S. Government.
Fund raising efforts by the Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc., have continued over the years. In October 1993, the museum added a 1,200 square foot 100 seat multipurpose auditorium dedicated to Major General Robert M. Littlejohn. In June 1998 a 4,200 square foot research and learning center was completed and dedicated to Major General Joseph E. Pieklik, the driving force behind fund raising for this expansion effort. This addition houses the museum curator, library, archival storage, conservation laboratory and collection study area. With these additions, the Museum now totals over 25000 square feet.
The Quartermaster Museum is certified by the Chief, U.S. Army Center of Military History and is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
Wikipedia Description: U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United States Army Quartermaster Museum, located at Fort Lee, Virginia, is an AAM accredited museum in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The museum's aim is to preserve and exhibit the history of the Quartermaster Corps, which was formed in 1775 and to date it has collected more than 24,000 items. The Museum also serves the Quartermaster Center and School as a classroom for the teaching of history, educating more than 16,000 soldiers, non-commissioned officers, warrant officers, and officers a year.

Museum history

The museum's beginnings can be traced back to 1953 when the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia organized a collection of reproduction period uniforms for use in the school's courses of instruction on uniform fitting and sizing. In 1954 two World War II vintage buildings were opened to house the uniforms. This popular classroom exhibit was often referred to as the "museum".

The museum was officially established in February 1957, with these uniforms and donations of quartermaster related items forming the core of the collection. Several artifacts came from the major former Quartermaster Depots at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Jeffersonville, Indiana; and the Quartermaster Remount Depot at Front Royal, Virginia.

The 20,000 square foot main museum building was completed in June 1963. Construction was funded by private contributions and loans to the Quartermaster Memorial Corporation (now the Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc.). Upon completion the building was donated to the U.S. Government.

The museum building was dedicated in 1976 to honor of Brigadier General John A. Spencer, Jr. General Spencer was instrumental in the establishment of the museum.

Fund raising efforts by the Army Quartermaster Foundation, Inc., have resulted in several expansions of the original museum building.

In October 1993, the museum added a 100-seat multipurpose auditorium dedicated t ...More...
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2009 photos: Overnight trips this year: Niagara Falls, NY, New York City, Civil War Trust conferences in Gettysburg, PA and Springfield, IL, and my 4th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Los Angeles, Yosemite, Death Valley, Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree, etc). Ego strokes: I had a picture of a Lincoln-Obama cupcake sculpture published in Civil War Times and WUSA-9, the local CBS affiliate, ran a quick piece on me. A picture that I took at the annual Abraham Lincoln Symposium appeared in the National Archives' "Prologue" magazine. I became a volunteer with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Equipment this year: I mostly used the Fuji S100fs. I've also got a Nikon D90 and a newer Fuji -- the S200EHX -- both of which are nice but I still prefer the flexibility of the Fuji. Number of photos taken this year: 417,000.
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