Marine Museum Exceeding $30M Officially Opens 25 Years After First Imagined

It started as a dream and a vision in 1999 to memorialize the spirit of Marines and Sailors serving in the Carolinas for future generations. On June 8, that dream officially becomes a reality.

Starting as an idea floated at the tail end of the 20th century by a trio of Marines—Maj. Gen. Ray Smith, Col. Bruce Gombar and Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle—the Carolina Museum of the Marine will officially open its doors to the public on June 8. The 25,000-square-foot building located in Jacksonville, N.C., broke ground on May 17, 2024, and cost more than $30 million to construct.

More than $30 million in construction funding came from the state, county, city and private sources. Private donors, foundations, businesses and local government provided operational funding.

Marine Maj. Gen. Joe Shrader (Ret.), chief executive officer at the Carolina Museum of the Marine, told Military.com that Smith, a former commanding general at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and the two others “had a vision to capture the legacy and service of the Marines and sailors that have served here in the eastern seaboard,” in North and South Carolina but specifically the Camp Lejeune area.

The site has become a point of pride for the city throughout the past approximately 25 years.

“We are exceedingly honored to reside amidst these heroes, and now, a broader audience will have the opportunity to experience the pride of Jacksonville, N.C., as a distinguished military host city,” JacksonvilleMayor Sammy Phillips told Military.com.“The establishment of this museum has been a collective community effort.”We invite all who cherish freedom, our nation, as well as our Marines and sailors, to visit the Carolina Museum of the Marine to learn about the dedicated Marines and sailors who serve daily within the Carolina Marine Air Ground Task Force.”

Years of Work on Two Phases

The past two decades and change have essentially involved many entities trying to get a two-pronged plan off the ground.

The first phase, dubbed a Reflection and Celebration Park, opened May 6, 2016, and included the Marine Corps’ iconic symbols of an eagle, globe and anchor as part of a statue (said to be the world’s largest, though Military.com could not confirm). A reflecting pool surrounds the statue while a brick-paved path called Patriots Walkway leads through the park, to the entrance to the museum.

The state, city of Jacksonville, Onslow County and numerous private foundations and individuals and local businesses funded the first phase. Reflection and Celebration Park is dubbed “the most Instagram-ed site in Onslow County,” acting as a backdrop for hundreds of reenlistment, promotion and retirement ceremonies.

Efforts continued with support across the board, according to Shrader, citing how lawmakers like North Carolina State Sens. Harry Brown and Michael Lazzara helped secure statewide grants to fulfill the project’s aspirations.

“It’s been a, I guess overused term, ‘labor of love’ for about 26 years, the vision kept alive for about 26 years,” Shrader said.

The 501(c)(3) organization behind the museum does not cover any operating expenses. Shrader said that once the museum opens, ticket sales will provide revenue streams. On the operating side, there will be an admission cost along with a retail store and cafe inside the museum. Catered events will also take place within the brand new walls.

Jacksonville is the right spot for the museum for multiple reasons, Shrader added, citing its location on federal property, Camp Lejeune proper, though outside the gate. He called it “an opportunity” that sits in proximity to the second Marine Expeditionary Force.

“It’s really connected to the story of what occurred on Oct. 23, 1983, which was the bombing of the Beirut, the Marine barracks in Beirut, where this community experienced a tremendous loss,” he said. “There is a deep connection between this community and its Marines.

“And when that bombing occurred, that unfortunate and horrific incident really served to bring this community even closer together with its Marines and sailors here. I think a large part of that was why they felt the need to capture that legacy and establish this tribute museum to those that have served here in the Carolinas. It just kind of makes sense on the doorstep here.”

Numerous Exhibits

The soon-to-be-open museum will include 22 exhibits, part of a particular rhyme and reason the project attempted to convey, according to Shrader.

One exhibit is called World Warriors and features the role of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in World War II, following the Marines’ progression amid an array of headline—ranging from the attack at Pearl Harbor, entry into the Korean War, Vietnam and Sept. 11, 2001.

“The museum is designed to tell the story beginning in the 1941 timeframe,” he said. “When you go into the museum, the initial gallery, the theme of that gallery is world warriors answering the call. It sets the stage, the backdrop of the creation of Camp Lejeune, where

the nation was faced with what it was going to have to undertake in World War II.”

That included the Marine Corps looking for a place to further develop its amphibious tactics and technology, leading to a handful of Marines finding New River. That, of course, ultimately developed into Air Station New River. That’s kind of where Camp Lejeune began.

Other exhibits include images, video and audio recordings where visitors can “meet the Marine” and find out more about the lives of individuals who served the nation. One touches on how an individual becomes a Marine in the first place, starting with basic training and being molded into the ethos and culture of the service.

Another exhibit celebrates the first women in the Marines and the challenges they faced, as well as their aviation contributions.

“What sets the Marines apart is how the Marines are organized to fight,” Shrader said. “Marines can not only come from the sea, they come from the air; they come from the land; and they have all the different components through the MAGTAB (Marine Air-Ground Tablet) through the Marine Air Ground Task Force.

The other point of separation is their fighting ethos, he added, mentioning discipline both in terms of individualism but also on the battlefield.

Now, after many years of “sheer grit and determination to never let the vision die,” what may have once been a fantasy is becoming real.

“I’ll have people who have been here for a long time, long-time contributors will come up to me and they’ll say, ‘You know, I never thought this was going to happen,'” Shrader said. “There’s just a groundswell of great anticipation, and I’m really looking forward to the museum opening. … It’s a long-awaited vision coming to fruition. A lot of excitement.”