A sampling of some of the artifacts at Motts Military Museum. This display case shows artifacts from the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. (Credit: U.S. Army Reserves)

By Ken Drenten

Motts Military Museum in Groveport and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus are unique and amazing places that hold treasured memories of our armed forces members’ service to our country.

Exhibits at Motts Military Museum feature artifacts from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Medals, Prisoners of War and NASA. The museum has 5,100 square feet of space of exhibit areas containing a huge range of items from uniforms and letters to weapons and equipment. Displayed outside the museum are large pieces such as tanks, helicopters and other vehicles.

The museum is an extension of the personality of Warren E. Motts, a military veteran who founded the museum in 1987 in his family’s circa 1870 residence. The museum quickly outgrew that space, moving to its current location in 1999 and dedicating a new expansion to the facility in 2015.

Warren Motts, founder of Motts Military Museum. (Credit: AB Forces News Collection)

Motts’ purpose is to “educate the public on the importance of America’s military past through the documentation, collection, interpretation, and preservation of tangible artifacts and personal stories of the men and women who served and are serving in the United States Armed Forces.”

An Ohio National Guard veteran, Motts believes in his mission statement and cares about the people behind the historical facts and items. A personal example comes to mind.

My son and I visited the museum years ago when my son was in middle school and was researching a paper for his history class. He had chosen the topic of the World War II “D-Day” invasion of Normandy in 1944. Motts happened to be at the museum that Saturday, and I remember he listened with care to my son’s research interests.

Motts then personally led us to some artifacts related to D-Day and explained them in a way that made my son’s research come alive.

My son is now a 17-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserves as a First Class Petty Officer and aviation maintenance specialist, an expert on aircraft including F-18s and Boeing 737s. He also has a career as a civilian aircraft maintenance specialist.

I have no doubt that Warren Motts’ interest in a middle school history assignment helped spur my son to pursue a fulfilling and successful military career.

The National Veterans Memorial and Museum pays tribute to all military veterans. (Credit: National Veterans Memorial and Museum)

Another central Ohio site related to military service is a must-visit. The National Veterans Memorial and Museum, located in downtown Columbus, honors all veterans from all branches of the service, from all eras and from peacetime and wartime. The 53,000-square foot museum and 2.5-acre memorial grove was designated as the National Veterans Memorial and Museum by the U.S. Congress in June 2018.

The museum takes visitors on a narrative journey, telling individual stories and shared experiences of veterans throughout history. It pays tribute to the sacrifices of servicemen and women and their families. History is presented in a dynamic, participatory experience with photos, letters and personal effects, multi-media presentations and interactive exhibits.

The facility features both permanent and special exhibits. A new exhibit, “Ghost Army: The Combat Con Artists of World War II,” opens May 24. “Ghost Army” shows how a division made up of artists, engineers and soldiers created and deployed the first mobile, tactical deception unit in U.S. Army history. The unit was capable of simulating up to two divisions (30,000 men) using inflatable rubber tanks, trucks and planes, false radio messages, sound effects and more to mislead enemy forces.

Motts Military Museum is located at 5075 S. Hamilton Road, Groveport; call (614) 836-1500 for information and hours.

The National Veterans Memorial and Museum is located at 300 W. Broad St., Columbus; call (614) 362-2800.

Find out about other military and aviation-related museums in Ohio in Dusty Tires.

Ken Drenten is creator and manager of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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