History & Mission Statement
Mission Statement
We endeavor to keep the living history of the American Servicemen who proudly served our country and continue to do so today. We proudly work to maintain and display historical uniforms and the equipment that have been used to keep our nation free. Our goal is to increase the public’s appreciation of the American Servicemen and women through educational programs, static and living history displays as well as historical re-enactments.
History
In February 2001 Brent Mullins, his wife Leisha, and fellow military enthusiast Emmett Fox formed the Museum of the American G.I., Inc. Vietnam Veteran, Steve Hickman joined the board in 2002. The following year the museum purchased 40 acres in south College Station for the sole purpose of developing a living history museum dedicated to preserving the uniforms, equipment, and memories of the American Serviceman and woman. The Museum of the American G.I. is debt free because over the years, the Board of Directors has diligently protected the financial structure of the museum through sacrifice.
On display at the museum is one of the finest collections in the US of restored, running WWII and later era military vehicles including WWII Sherman tanks, M18 Hellcats and Vietnam-era Patrol Boat. But what really makes this museum unique is its ability to exhibit the vehicles and weapons in action. The museum hosts an annual Living History Weekend for the public to experience the rumble of tanks and whine of engines, and observe everything from small arm’s fire up to the blasts of tank and artillery cannons with impressive pyrotechnics simulating authentic firing.
The Museum is also honored to be the home for the Texas Vietnam Heroes Exhibit. The award-winning exhibit features 3,417 personalized dog tags honoring Texans killed or missing in the Vietnam War. It was created by the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Committee through a gift from the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation.
In 2010-2011, the museum began a capital building campaign. By March 2012, the museum had raised enough funds to build the shell of the first permanent building. On November 28, 2014, the first floor of the museum building was open to the public. The second floor meeting room was completed in September 2019. We hope to have the display cabinets completed by December 2020.
