like free-standing pylons positioned like
sentries in the Soldiers’ Story Gallery.
Each pylon features an etched image of
a soldier’s face, along with biographical
information telling that soldier’s story.
Pylons are aligned in such a way that
they create a formation that stretches
from the museum’s exterior into the
building’s entryway, through the lobby,
and to the Army Concourse, which runs
the entire length of the museum.
The stand-alone pylons share the
accounts of men and women from
various historic periods, offering
visitors a personal perspective of each
soldier’s experience.
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES:
Sergeant Joan De Munbrun, one of the
first female volunteers in the Women's
Auxiliary Army Corps during World War
II, describes herself as “adventurous.”
De Munbrun was a grassroots volunteer
for the National Museum of the United
States Army. She passed away in 2014
at age 101.
Private First Class Kaoru Moto, assigned
to the all-Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion
in Italy, 1944, single-handedly silenced
two enemy machine gun positions,
later destroying a third despite being
seriously wounded. Moto died in 1992.
He was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor.
Sergeant Lorenzo Ortega served in
Korea and remembers the sound of
bullets flying over his head: “The worst
part is not knowing whether you’re going
to come home or not.” He recalls seeing
the American flag when he returned
stateside. “We’re home,” he said.
“We’re home.”
Sergeant Joseph Bowser tells how he
was injured when a mortar exploded
inside Camp Anaconda in Iraq, sending
shrapnel into his right leg, the lower part
of which had to be amputated. He later
36 ARMY 245: Call to Duty