Oklahoma National Guard Museum

The Oklahoma National Guard Museum in Oklahoma City preserves the history of the Oklahoma National Guard division known as the Thunderbirds. The division fought in some of the most demanding campaigns of World War II, including Sicily, Italy, southern France and Germany, and later served in the Korean War. The museum's collections include uniforms, weapons, vehicles, photographs, captured material and personal items associated with soldiers who served in the division. Outdoor displays of tanks, artillery and aircraft give the site a scale that appeals even to visitors who are not military-history specialists. One of the most important parts of the story is the division's liberation of Dachau concentration camp in 1945, a subject addressed through firsthand accounts and artifacts. The museum also explores Native American representation within the unit and the complicated history of the Thunderbird insignia. With both indoor galleries and an extensive outdoor military park, the museum offers a broad look at Oklahoma's twentieth-century military service and the experiences of individual soldiers within much larger wars.