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The African American Military History Museum, also known as ''East Sixth Street USO Building'', located in
Retrieved 2012-09-26
Prior to becoming the African American Military History Museum, the former USO building housed the N.R. Burger Center which served as a museum and community space to commemorate the allegiance of African-American soldiers through displays of historical documents, artifacts, and photographs.
Renovation of the USO Building as the African American Military History Museum was completed in 2009.African American Military History Museum
Retrieved 2012-09-26 The original USO auditorium was subdivided into venues for historical military exhibits, to include the following: Revolutionary War, Buffalo Soldiers, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Global War on Terrorism, and Hattiesburg Hall of Honor. Between 2009 and 2012, approximately 13,000 visitors had toured the museum.
Retrieved 2013-02-14 Museum personnel estimated that the structure would be closed for at least one year for restoration and announced that museum artifacts had been relocated to another facility for storage. Following a year of reconstruction, the museum officially reopened on February 6, 2014. Estimates of damage from the tornado were $450,000 to the building and $600,000 to the museum contents.
Retrieved 2014-02-10
African American Military History Museum
Retrieved 2012-09-25 * {{National Register of Historic Places Museums in Forrest County, Mississippi History of Mississippi Military and war museums in Mississippi African-American museums in Mississippi Museums established in 1942 2009 establishments in Mississippi Buildings and structures in Hattiesburg, Mississippi United Service Organizations buildings Mississippi Landmarks World War II on the National Register of Historic Places African-American military monuments and memorials 1942 establishments in Mississippi Camp Shelby
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...
, opened to the public on May 23, 2009. The museum building was originally constructed in 1942 as a USO Club for African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
s who were stationed at Camp Shelby
Camp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate is located at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state-owned training site in the nation. During wartime, the camp's mission is to se ...
. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2004 and was designated a Mississippi Landmark
The following is a list of Mississippi Landmarks officially nominated by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and approved by each county's chancery clerk. The Mississippi Landmark designation is the highest form of recognition bestow ...
in 2010.
Description
The East Sixth Street USO building was unique in that it was constructed specifically to house an African American USO, shortly after theUnited States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
entered World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and had support of both Blacks
Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in ...
and Whites
White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view.
Description of populations as " ...
in Hattiesburg. The structure is a T-shaped wood-frame building. The interior contained an auditorium, stage
Stage or stages may refer to:
Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper
* Sta ...
, lobby, men's and women's restrooms, dressing rooms, meeting rooms, and a central brick chimney. The auditorium measured . The stage in the auditorium was raised above the floor and measured with dressing rooms on either side.
History
USO club
Between 1942 and 1946, the East Sixth Street USO Club served as a home away from home for African American soldiers who were stationed at Camp Shelby. The facility was a place where soldiers could come for recreation, relaxation, and socialization. Examples of services provided at the USO included a library,darkroom
A darkroom is used to process photographic film, to make prints and to carry out other associated tasks. It is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of the light-sensitive photographic materials, including film and ph ...
, lounge
Lounge may refer to:
Architecture
* Lounge, the living room of a dwelling
* Lounge, a public waiting area in a hotel's lobby
* Lounge, a style of commercial alcohol- bar
* Airport lounge, or train lounge (e.g., AMTRAK's Acela Lounge), a premium ...
, counseling, music, mail service, religious literature, and sewing service.Guide to the East Sixth Street U.S.O. Club Souvenir BookletRetrieved 2012-09-26
Museum
Prior to becoming the African American Military History Museum, the former USO building housed the N.R. Burger Center which served as a museum and community space to commemorate the allegiance of African-American soldiers through displays of historical documents, artifacts, and photographs.
Renovation of the USO Building as the African American Military History Museum was completed in 2009.African American Military History MuseumRetrieved 2012-09-26 The original USO auditorium was subdivided into venues for historical military exhibits, to include the following: Revolutionary War, Buffalo Soldiers, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Global War on Terrorism, and Hattiesburg Hall of Honor. Between 2009 and 2012, approximately 13,000 visitors had toured the museum.
Tornado damage
On February 10, 2013, anEF-4
Elongation factor 4 (EF-4) is an elongation factor that is thought to back- translocate on the ribosome during the translation of RNA to proteins. It is found near-universally in bacteria and in eukaryotic endosymbiotic organelles including t ...
tornado passed through Hattiesburg. During the storm, the roof of the Museum was severely damaged, causing exhibits and artifacts to be soaked by rain.Historic USO building damaged by tornadoRetrieved 2013-02-14 Museum personnel estimated that the structure would be closed for at least one year for restoration and announced that museum artifacts had been relocated to another facility for storage. Following a year of reconstruction, the museum officially reopened on February 6, 2014. Estimates of damage from the tornado were $450,000 to the building and $600,000 to the museum contents.
Retrieved 2014-02-10
See also
*Mississippi Armed Forces Museum
The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum is located at Camp Shelby
Camp Shelby is a military post whose North Gate is located at the southern boundary of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on United States Highway 49. It is the largest state-owned training ...
References
External links
*Official WebsitAfrican American Military History Museum
Retrieved 2012-09-25 * {{National Register of Historic Places Museums in Forrest County, Mississippi History of Mississippi Military and war museums in Mississippi African-American museums in Mississippi Museums established in 1942 2009 establishments in Mississippi Buildings and structures in Hattiesburg, Mississippi United Service Organizations buildings Mississippi Landmarks World War II on the National Register of Historic Places African-American military monuments and memorials 1942 establishments in Mississippi Camp Shelby