Blog

As we welcome Black History Month, it’s important to note that the American military was one of the first places in which civil rights reforms occurred in the United States in the 20^th century. Read more about Executive Order 9981 and how it abolished discrimination “on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin” in the United States Armed Forces.

On June 12, 1948, President Harry Truman signed into law the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act. The law enabled women to serve as permanent, regular members of the armed forces in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and the-then recently formed Air Force. This year, we mark the 75^th anniversary of this legislation. Read more for a preliminary introduction to the history of women in the United States military.

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir was an early campaign in the Korean War (1950-1953) fought between two opponents - North Korea and the People’s Republic of China; and South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other participating United Nations countries.

Meet the PMML Staff! Brandon Driver is part of our Library team and helps members and patrons from all around get hard to find resources through Inter Library Loans. 

The Museum & Library wishes a very special happy birthday to all current and retired members of the United States Marine Corps!

Meet the PMML Staff! John LaPine is our skilled conservator who brings a variety of historic works on paper back to life to be enjoyed and learned from by all. 

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are highlighting some of the Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients from past conflicts.

One of the amazing achievements of the Cold War was to accelerate space exploration. In our most recent post, take a look at the history of the Space Race and learn how we are continuing that legacy today. 

Happy 75th Birthday, US Air Force! 

Meet the PMML Staff! James Brundage is our Museum Curator. Find out how he became interested in military history and what drives his to share unique perspectives on historical events with the items in our collection. 

The current exhibit, Life Behind the Wire: Prisoners of War examines the treatment of prisoners of war during World War II and the Vietnam War as well as their physical and spiritual struggles. Learn about the experiences of Don Casey, Malcolm Esktrand, Carver McGriff, and John Borling in our latest blog. 

The Battle of Lorraine was fought by the armies of France and the German Empire in and around the city of Lorraine during WWI. It is included as part of the campaign series known as The Battle of the Frontiers.

Meet the PMML staff! Learn about Leah Cohen, our Oral History and Reference Manager. 

Have you ever wondered why there are so many things are named after Ulysses S. Grant in Illinois? Who was he? And what is his connection to Illinois?

Meet our amazing staff! Liz is the Development Administrative Coordinator and she's likely helped you with program registrations or membership renewal. Learn more about Liz!

Every year in June, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride month, the community, and its achievements. Learn about the beginnings of this movement from the Stonewall Riots to today. 

Who is Uncle Sam? And how did he come to represent the United States?

On this Memorial Day, we honor and commemorate the service and sacrifice of our soldiers.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In our blog, we honor the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to US Military efforts.