World War I French tank – The “Five
of Hearts” was attached to the 344th
Tank Battalion in the brigade under
then Colonel George S. Patton, Jr. It
participated in the Meuse-Argonne Battle
in October 1918.
In 1939, at a special gathering, Arthur
Snyder, the sergeant who commanded
the Five of Hearts after his lieutenant
was wounded, addressed officers and
men of the First Battalion 66th Infantry,
including Patton.
“It is with mixed emotions that I appear
before you… and before my old tank, which
carried the symbol of the Five of Hearts,”
Snyder said. “I say mixed emotions
because my thoughts go back to exciting
days, to times of sorrow, to times of joy and
humor, to the honor of being here today,
and to the future when our tanks may
again participate in action.”
WHAT ELSE CAN
VISITORS ANTICIPATE?
Who better to set expectations than Tammy
E. Call, Director of the NMUSA.
“This is a home for our soldiers,” she
said. “This is a gathering place… to bring
their families, to bring their friends, and
to be able to showcase where they
served and what they did and be able
to tell that story.”
The opening chapter of America’s Army
began in 1775, the year before the
Declaration of Independence. Flowing
from that milestone are more than thirty
million personal, intimate, yet dynamic,
stories about men and women who stood
as the nation’s first line of defense. The
museum honors their contributions with
exhibits designed to stir memories of
their service as well as inform and inspire
Americans who enjoy the freedom
bought by the sacrifices they made.
Welcoming these visitors is a spacious,
well-lit lobby that represents a multi-
level, multi-faceted showcase for the
Army, Army Reserve, and Army
National Guard.
ARMY 245: Call to Duty 33