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Alexandria port daily excursions to El Alamein by Coach

zenabahmed — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:23:40 +0000

Tour Itinerary
Our El Alamein tour will start with pick up service from your ship terminal in Alexandria port, where our REP will meet you with aboard reflecting your name, and driven for 1 hour and half by private vehicle to El Alamein. Two important battles of World War II were fought in the area. Winston Churchill wrote: before El Alamein, we had no victory and after it we had no defeats. By arrival in El Alamein you will start visit remains of battles of World War II at the Military Museum established in 1965 to enjoy the selection of weapons, documents and displays illustrating the course of the El Alamein battles of World War II. In the courtyard of Military Museum is collection of armored vehicles, tanks and other heavy armament. In El Alamein you will also visit the Military cemeteries left from battles of World War II with their memorials – British huge stone cross, German basalt obelisk and Italian high tower as reminder in honor of those who fall in El Alamein battle. Lunch will be served during your El Alamein tour, then way back to your ship terminal in Alexandria port.

Tour Includes
-Pick up services by our travel REP from your ship terminal in Alexandria port
-All transfers by private air-conditioned vehicles in Alexandria port and El Alamein
-All sightseeing in El Alamein as per the itinerary
-Entrance fees to the sights as per itinerary
-English speaking Egyptologist tour guide in El Alamein
-Lunch during the tour at local restaurant in El Alamein
-Drop off services from your ship terminal in Alexandria port

What To Bring
- Passport valid for 6 months
- Comfortable shoes
- Cotton clothes in summer
- Warm clothes in winter
- Sun block
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Photo/Video Camera

Email: zenab@egypttravelhotdeals.com

Alexandria port daily excursions to El Alamein by Coach

Website:
www.egypttravelhotdeals.com

Day trip to El Alamein by private Vehicle from Alexandria port Egypt

zenabahmed — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:19:07 +0000

Tour Excludes
-Optional tours
-Personal expenses

General Information

Accessible Shore Excursions from Alexandria Port:
We offer travel experiences for travelers with many types of physical disability. We are specialized in disabled travel in Egypt and Jordan. We offer private and customized accessible tours in Egypt for individuals, families and groups. Just send us your request details. Selected tours and shore excursions from the Europe cruises, Mediterranean cruises, and African cruises.

Extra charge for Wheelchair travelers, we provide:
1. Personal care from our staff throughout the trip
2. Accessible modern air-conditioned vehicles provided
3. Selected hotels & Nile cruises with accessible room/cabin facilities
4. Wheelchair if required

Booking & Confirmation:
Booking of your trip will be complete and confirmed by your tour designer as soon as we receive the 25% down payment. Booking Confirmation will be sent to you by email in a maximum 1 hour after payment.

Major Cruise Lines docking at Alexandria Port for shore excursions

Costa Cruise Lines – Crystal Cruises – Disney Cruise Line – First European Cruises – Mediterranean Shipping – Norwegian Cruise Line – Orient Cruise Lines – Princess Cruises – Radisson Seven Seas Cruises – Royal Caribbean International – Royal Olympic Cruises – Seabourn Cruise Line – Silversea Cruises – Windstar Cruises – Celebrity Equinox Cruise

Tour Guide
All our tour guides in El Alamein are knowledgeable Egyptologist with at least 5 years experience. Also they have academic qualifications to make your tour such a success.

Vehicles
All our vehicles in El Alamein and Alexandria port are modern air-conditioned with professional clever drivers
Accessible tours is available on request for wheelchair users against extra charges.
Albaraa Travel Offers
1) Personal care for wheelchair users
2) Accessible vehicle for wheel chair users.

Email: zenab@egypttravelhotdeals.com

Day trip to El Alamein by private Vehicle from Alexandria port Egypt

Website:
www.egypttravelhotdeals.com

Sightseeing tour to El Alamein from Alexandria port

zenabahmed — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:09:10 +0000

Discount for groups:
We offer a private tours for groups starting from 10 persons and more with discounted rates

Payment plan:
- 25% down payment required to secure the booking and can be done online by Credit card, Visa and Master or bank transfer
- 75% balance will required in pick up from your ship in Alexandria port and can be paid by credit cards or cash

Email: zenab@egypttravelhotdeals.com

Sightseeing tour to El Alamein from Alexandria port

Website:
www.egypttravelhotdeals.com

El Alamein tour from Alexandria port Egypt by private vehicle

zenabahmed — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:47:46 +0000

Tour Excludes
-Optional tours
-Personal expenses

General Information

Pick up details from Alexandria Port:
- Our REP will be waiting for you at your ship terminal at Alexandria Port with a board reflecting your name
- Pick up time depends upon your ship arrival time at Alexandria Port
- Alexandria port – Cairo 2 hours and a half driving

Discount for groups:
We offer a private tours for groups starting from 10 persons and more with discounted rates

Tour Guide
All our tour guides in El Alamein are knowledgeable Egyptologist with at least 5 years experience. Also they have academic qualifications to make your tour such a success.

Email: zenab@egypttravelhotdeals.com

El Alamein tour from Alexandria port Egypt by private vehicle

Website:
www.egypttravelhotdeals.com

Pave Low Know

Museum of Aviation — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:47:11 +0000

For someone who loves aviation and military history, I basically have a dream job. I get to immerse myself in a world that I have been immersing myself in for years, only now I get paid to do it. You really can’t beat that. Working in a field that you love is truly a blessing. It is also a learning experience. When you take on something such as aviation or military history as a personal hobby, you are free to be as broad or as specific as you choose. Being involved in that same field on a professional level is another experience all together, albeit a positive one in my case.

With that in mind, if given the choice of an airframe to research and write about, the MH-53 would more than likely not have been my initial choice. My first love as a child was the F-15 Eagle. If asked now, I still prefer the Eagle, only in the E Strike model. The B-1B is also a favorite of mine. Simply put, I like jets and the noises they make. There is nothing wrong with helicopters. They are however, the anti-thesis of airplanes. There are two sayings that always come to my mind: “Helicopters don’t fly, they just beat the air into submission” and “A helicopter is a system of 10,000 moving parts all trying to move in opposite directions at the same time.” Now, I do have a running theory that the uglier an aircraft gets; the more bumps, bulges, protrusions and gizmos an aircraft has hanging off of or attached to it the more interesting its stories, history and purpose will be. This also seems to relate to age and use. The longer an airframe is in service the more bumps are added. Let’s be honest, what looks more interesting: a sleek and shiny, brand new out of the box F-15C or a pods hanging off every single nook, painted “ominous storm cloud gray”, ready to get down and dirty F-15E. The answer for me is obvious.

If this theory holds true, and I think it does, then the MH-53 Pave Low has to be one of the most interesting aircraft out there. I would shy from calling it ugly, simply because the functionality of all those bumps and bulges is nothing short of incredible. However, to call it beautiful in anything other than a respectful or ironic way would also be quite the stretch. Regardless of what you think of the looks, the MH-53 is a remarkable helicopter. The Pave Low at the Museum of Aviation is a MH-53M Pave Low IV, tail number 70-1626. The airframe itself has a unique history, being involved in Air Force Special Operations from the Mayaguez Incident up until Operation Iraqi Freedom. However impressive you find this history, the real story behind 626 is of the people who flew, crewed and maintained it.

Sadly the first thing that comes to mind for many people now when they hear “Pave Low” is either the movie Transformers or the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. One thing we want to do here as we develop an exhibit around 626 is tell the personal stories that bring her history to life and separate her from those fictional representations. The collections team and I have been researching for the exhibit based around 626 for about two months now and we have already heard some great stories from former crew members. As research on this project progresses I look forward to sharing more about our plans for the exhibit, and some of the stories that we collect. If you know of anyone who spent time with 626, Air Force Special Operations or has any connections to the Pave Low community, we would love to hear from you or them. Until next time, here are some photos of 626 at various stages of her years of service.

626 as a CH-53C in Germany, 1980. This was before her conversion to a Pave Low. Photo by Manfred Faber.

626 as she now rests, 15 feet in the air in the Century of Flight Hangar at the Museum of Aviation.

What to do in Bloemfontein in the rain Part 1

avatar — Thu, 20 May 2010 02:04:21 +0000

Bloemfontein means ‘fountain of flowers’. Its saving grace is the fact that it’s a university town with great historical buildings and the largest fire service museum in the country. It is the judicial capital of the country and is home to the Supreme Court of Appeal. As it has a small city centre, everything is within walking distance of each other.

Steam-powered fire engine

1. A trip to Bloemfontein is not complete without a visit to the largest fire brigade museum in SA. If you’re a lover of those red fire-engines then this is a must. The kids will love exploring too. Viewing is by appointment only. Check out http://www.mangaungfire.co.za/museum.htm for details.

2. Anglo-Boer War Museum – Age old conflicts come to life in this volatile museum. +27 (0)51 447-0079. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08h30 to 16h30. Saturday from 10h00 to 17h00. Sunday from 14h00 to 17h00.

3. Windmill Casino & Entertainment Centre will service your gambling and bowling needs. http://bit.ly/9ux2kX. From 5c to R25, they’ve got your game.

4. Oliewenhuis Art Museum houses a permanent collection of exclusively South African artists. It has a solid foundation of early South African artists, and includes works by Thomas Baines, Jan Ernst Volschenk, Pieter Wenning, Jacob Hendrik Pierneef and Willem Coetzer. http://bit.ly/drLlta . Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 08h00 to 17h00; Saturday from 10h00 to 17h00; Sunday and Public Holidays from 13h00 to 17h00.

5. Boyden Observatory houses the third largest optical telescope in South Africa. Experience the dark African skies through star watching and telescope viewing. Telephone: +27 (0)51 401-2561 or +27 (0)51 401-2924. Opening hours: By prior arrangement only. http://bit.ly/dv1b9s

6. Choet Visser Rugby Museum is the biggest private museum of its kind in the world. It has over 200 jerseys and rugby related blazers as well as 450 ties. Original, signed cartoons and pictures of teams and players are displayed on the walls. For rugby fans a visit to this museum will blow your minds. Telephone: +27 (0)82 492-1600. Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, by appointment only.

7. Bloemfontein National Museum has a large collection of fossils and archaeological material, including the famous Florisbad Skull and one of the largest known dinosaurs. http://www.nasmus.co.za

8. For more pictures of Bloemfontein, check out: http://www.assabfn.co.za/bloem/index.htm

GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY MUSEUM

2gadabout — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:54:05 +0000

The Battle of Gettysburg almost went to the Confederates, it was that close and hard fought. It turned the tide for the Union at great cost in American lives on both sides.
There was so much carnage on the fields and roads and waysides after this 3 day battle, the people of Gettysburg were overwhelmed by the horrific task of hastily burying bodies, untangling the near dead from the dead where they had fallen, and treating the wounded. It took years for the town to recover. Their memories never did. And because 51,000 men lost their lives at Gettysburg, this war museum is well appointed with the relics of horrific warfare.
“The harvest of bullets was left for the citizens to glean…picking up these missiles of death and selling them to dealers two of who alone sent to Baltimore fifty tons of lead.”

As you drive about, one could easily decide the whole town is a monument to this battle. Rolling hills, farmland and fields changed forever because of the events played out upon them. That someone should simply return the land back to wheat, or grazing, to simple fields, or anything but hallowing this ground is unthinkable. As a nation we erect monuments that no one forget the sacrifice these men and boys made.

The cross fencing is maintained as it was. Farmland and fields around the battlefield have been purchased with lease agreements to maintain the look of the times. Cannon aim over rock fences, at the very position where men marched to their deaths. And small monuments placed about the battlefield identify the regiments that gave their lives for all.

Then there is the nearby Gettysburg National Cemetery where men are buried by the numbers, and sometimes by name, position and regiment. A major monument stands above a semi-circle of stones, dividing the dead by state from which they came.

The two year old National Military Park Museum reminds you what went on here and we attempt to understand how countries continue to chose war to settle conflicts. During this Civil War, people from both sides were pleading to end the carnage, and to go on as before if necessary, split the union if necessary, anything to stop the horror.
A Southern General made the statement, “It is good that war is horrible or we might become too fond of it.” .

The museum houses a 377 foot painting weighing 3 tons, in a special building to hold this painting in a circle. Its called a cyclorama. It was painted by Paul Phillipoteaux, who was there at Pickets charge. The museum is well done and sets the battle in the greater theatre of the whole war which enlarges your understanding of how and where the war was fought battle by battle.
While I learned much about the Civil War I’d forgotten this museum brings to life the people who lived it, their faces and their voices.
The mule driven wagons carrying the wounded away stretched for 60 miles.
“The sounds of wretched voices from that train will stay with me forever”
“Please, can’t you stop for one minute, just one minute!”
“I beg you to put an end to me. Shoot me now.”
“Please just lay me by the side of the road to die. I don’t want to live any longer.”
“I just want to die.”

At times the battle front was a mile wide.
“Men fire into each other’s faces not five feet apart. There are bayonet-thrusts, sabre-thrusts, pistol shots…oaths, yells, curses, shoutings; men going down on their hands and knees, spinning like tops, gulping up blood, falling; legless; armless; headless. There are ghastly heaps of bodies.”

“In an assault on Confederate trenches in Cold Harbor, VA., roughly 4000 soldiers were killed or wounded in less than an hour.”
This was a very emotional and moving place to visit. Every person who votes for war should be required to visit a war museum like this one, or the Pacific War Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas. (My small voice in the void.)
To do this well, you need at least three days. There is much to see and discover in the historic town as well. The National Park was gifted with the nearby President Eisenhower Farm which I will cover later.

Military Museum with a Difference

aphconference — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:49:07 +0000

Lt. Gen. EC Ashton Garrison Museum, 724 Vanalman Ave., (250) 363-8346

Open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 9 a.m. – noon

Admission by donation

www.ashtonarmymuseum.ca

Napoleon Bonaparte said, “An army marches on its stomach,” and the Ashton Garrison Museum is out to prove it. Military personnel, whether fighting, peacekeeping or doing disaster relief work, need food, clothes, equipment, spare parts, transportation and a list of other services to do their jobs.

This is not a military museum that glorifies war, although there is the usual collection of rifles and other weapons as tools of the trade, and the odd old battlefield scene. Its point, made through dioramas, photos, uniforms, personal items, vehicles, logbooks and models dating to the 19^th century, is that while the troops on the front lines get the headlines, it’s the people the museum calls the tinkers, tailors and candlestick makers who keep them there. It’s the support services who are bringing earthquake disaster relief to Haiti, for example.

Displays also pay tribute to women in uniform. This is the main museum of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, the often overlooked nurses, cooks, drivers, mechanics, record keepers and code breakers of World War II.

The museum, part of a current reserve unit armoury housing the 11 (Victoria) Service Battalion and the 11 Field Ambulance, also features a corridor display on Canada’s decades of United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping operations, from familiar hot spots like Bosnia to obscure ones like West Timor. A 60-foot-long floor-to-ceiling display notes every UN and NATO mission to date.

Other interesting stuff: a floor lamp made from a World War I rifle and army helmet, and the largest operational fleet of restored antique military vehicles in Western Canada.

Admission is free, but since the museum gets no public funding, it asks for donations. It’s well off the beaten path in the Victoria suburb of Saanich, about six km or four miles north of downtown, so transportation is needed. The #31 city bus will drop you off on Glanford Ave., near the corner of Vanalman and a couple of blocks east of the museum. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, but the museum will open for groups by special request.

APH member David Bray

Sacramento Sight Seeing Via Limo

family1506 — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:03:56 +0000

Sacramento, the capital city of California is often mistaken for a sleepy little town, but it has a lot to offer visitors. Nestled in a peaceful valley of beautiful rivers and leafy canopies, Sacramento is a cosmopolitan junction of interesting sights, restaurants and burgeoning nightlife. With year round pleasant weather and virtual cornucopia of art, Sacramento has become a tourist paradise. With its plethora of luxurious villas, the beautiful capital city of California attracts the rich and affluent. It has an extensive range of historic and educational sites that can entertain people from all walks of life.

Sacramento has a number of museums, historical parks and monuments, thereby making it one of the most attractive holiday spots. Some of them are as follows:

Old Sacramento State Historic Park: The Old Sacramento State Historic Park is a part of the Old Sacramento Historic District. Its history dates back to the years of the California Gold Rush. This park is located downtown and it is quite easy to reach there through freeways. You can easily take Interstate 5 to the J Street exit and follow the signs to reach to the place. It offers visitors with a number of covered parking lots, at reasonable rates.

Old Sacramento: Old Sacramento, popular for the gold rush offers a number of museums, restaurants, entertainment venues and a number of interesting shops. It is a National Registered Landmark and a 28-acre State Historic Park situated in the downtown Sacramento.

California State Military Museum: It is located at 1119 Second Street in the Old Sacramento State Historical Park. It is just a few minutes away from the State Capital, the California State Railroad Museum and a number of museums, parks and other tourist attractions. Governor Pete Wilson opened this museum to the public in 1991 and it is the official military museum and historical research center of the State of California. Governor Arnold Schwarznegger finally amended the Government Code on 13 July 2004, thereby making the museum the official military museum of the state.

Apart from these attractions, Sacramento wine touring also fascinates people. It serves as a great way to get to know about the different kinds of wines. Taking a wine tour in a limo would be one of the best combinations of luxury and style. On visiting the exquisite vineyards and wineries, you can experience the wine tasting sessions, in the company of some of the best wine experts in the world. Besides the world famous Napa Valley wines, you can also visit the local Foothill Winery that produces some of the classy vintages.

To add to your enjoyment in Sacramento, limo services are available in abundance. These services are suitable for almost every occasion, ranging from weddings to birthday parties and wine tours. The services offer great comfort and luxury to customers at reasonable prices. You can make your choice for the type of limo and amount of time you would like to spend at one sight. The complete package would not cost you much and generally depends on the model of limousine chosen, distance traveled in the rental limo and the day of the week.

The dilemma of Military Museums

James Daly — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:25:36 +0000

I regularly keep an eye on quite a few jobsites, especially ones concerning Museums. I guess you cou

The things I've seen in Paris: Day 2

ganymedes1985 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:58:14 +0000

The 2nd day was to be the most exhausting of our visit, since it involved a heavy tour around the ci

Military Museums - at a crossroads?

James Daly — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:23:03 +0000

Airborne Assault at Duxford Think of a military museum, and most people’s images will be of ro

Die große Stadt und das Militär

christophinsingapore — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:20:38 +0000

Dass es in Singapur regnet ist nicht sonderlich selten. Dass es das aber über mehrere Stunden am Tag tut schon. Ich sollte erwähnen, dass das hier ganz anderer Regen ist als in Deutschland. Deutscher Regen ist im Vergleich zu Singapurer Reger gerade mal Nieselregen.

Da heute einer dieser seltenen Regentage war (zumindest am Vormittag), musste eine indoor Aktivität her. Da kam es mir gerade recht, dass ich gestern eine Werbung für das “Military Museum” gesehen habe. Gleich daneben ist das Discovery Center – der Tag sollte also recht interessant werden.

Warum braucht Singapur eigentlich ein Militär? Die Frage ist berechtigt, da Singapur keinen unmittelbaren Bedrohungen – mal abgesehen von Piraten – ausgesetzt ist. Deswegen hat das Militär auch eine Wandlung durchlebt. Nach der Unabhängigkeit von Malaysia waren die Aufgaben wohl eher noch auf Verteidigung ausgerichtet. Heute ist die vorrangige Aufgabe eher Terrorismusbekämpfung und Stärkung der UN Truppen in Auslandseinsätzen. Jeder männliche Singapurer und Einwohner mit unbeschränkter Aufenthaltsgenehmigung muss für 24 Monate Militärdienst leisten. In der Regel werden die Rekruten nach dem Schulabschluss eingezogen. Ein alternativer Zivildienst kann nicht beantragt werden. Ebenso wenig ist es wohl selten möglich, aus gesundheitlichen Gründen nicht zum Dienst zu müssen.

Die Ausstellung war recht kurz und sehr politisch gehalten. Das Highlight war ein 4D Film, der einen Einsatz der Armee simulierte. Da ich nicht in der Lage bin, mir eine vierte Dimension vorzustellen war ich gespannt, was mich denn erwartet. Mit 4D war gemeint, dass in dem Raum vier Leinwände (an jeder Wand eine) aufgestellt waren, auf denen je ein Teil vom Film lief. An passenden Stellen “feuerten” die im Raum stehende Haubitze und der Panzer. Außerdem wurde mit Rauch und Windeffekten eine Hubschrauberlandung simuliert. Das war ziemlich gut gemacht und war wirklich sehr eindrucksvoll .

Insgesamt ist das Museum für Ausländer wohl weniger interessant, selbst wenn sie sich für Militär interessieren. Ich habe es eher als Werbeplattform für die Armee aufgefasst.

Back to Wetaskiwin !

Ian R. Sandy — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:54:35 +0000

My Dad came for a short visit this past week, and as a result aircraft were on the agenda ! He trained at Napier & Sons in the UK, and then after emigrating to Canada was involved for a short while in aero jet engine design at Orenda, working on the afterburner design of the Iroquois engine being readied for the Avro Arrow. While the few completed Avro Arrow’s were cut up for scrap, there are still two Iroquois engines in existence - one in Hamilton, and one in Ottawa.

As this year was the 100th anniversary of flight in Canada there were several good exhibits available to visit in Alberta – including the full size Avro Arrow replica in Wetaskiwin, which we visited just over a year ago with my father-in-law Warren, shortly before he passed away. I previously wrote about that here. The Avro Arrow replica is on display is at the Reynolds Alberta Museum and Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame in Wetaskiwin till September 23rd and (I think) it is well worth seeing – you really cannot appreciate just how big an aircraft the Arrow was till you stand in front of it – the model looks quite good although they obviously had a problem dealing with the weight of the wings and so to avoid them ‘sagging’ there are some supports under each wingtip, which I edited out of the photos I took to mark the event. I suppose that’s cheating, but the photos look much better as a result so I really don’t feel too bad !

One of the other places I took him to, was the Lancaster bomber exhibit in Nanton just south of Calgary. This is a real ‘must’ see as it is one of the very few Lancaster’s still in existence that you can actually go inside of, plus currently two of the four engines actually work – they run them several times per year with the next ‘showing’ being September 26th.

There is quite a story that goes with how this plane came to be in the middle of Alberta – if you get a chance, check it out as the museum, the exhibits and the aircraft on display are well worth a look.

We finished off the week with a day at the Military Museum , which used to be called the Museum of Regiments and which was just recently reopened after a major refurbishment – it now combines museums representing all the Canadian forces. Again, lots to see and of course, several aircraft were on display in the naval gallery.

All in all it was a busy week – checking out aircraft during the day, and then relaxing with a glass of wine while sitting on the back deck watching the activity in Fish Creek Park in the evenings. Its a tough life, but someone has to do it !

Pacific War Museum Opens on Guam

worldmilitaryhistory — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:32:17 +0000

: Glacial Guam

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and a pair of F-15 Eagles soar over Guam, which has become a glacial landscape through artist enhancement. Buy the Glacial Guam poster, art print, postcards or greeting cards exclusively at The PatriArt Gallery.

The Pacific War Museum in Anigua (Guam) opened July 20.

The museum, the idea of John Gerber, an Ordot resident and former Marine sergeant, received assistance from local businesses and island residents to officially open its doors to the public and educate visitors about the rich history of the island.

“I want to help our youth understand why we celebrate Liberation Day,” Gerber said. “It’s not just about the parade, the food, and fireworks. It’s about the history that allowed us to have a parade. The U.S. Marines coming to Guam and paying the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. The meaning of Liberation Day will not be forgotten, not on my watch.”

The event honored the supporters who helped make the museum possible.

Among the honored guests were Guam’s Congressional Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo, acting Gov. Mike Cruz, and Rear Adm. Bill French, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Marianas.

The guest speaker, Lt. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, spoke of the heroic actions of the Chamorro people and the Marines of the 3rd Marine Division during the liberation of Guam.

He also expressed his respect and gratitude for Gerber’s efforts in pursuing the opening of a museum.

“John Gerber’s commitment and tireless efforts to preserve an important piece of our nation’s history is inspiring.”

The museum consists of two wings, one wing dedicated to U.S. Armed Forces who fought and died on Guam during the liberation of Guam, and the other wing is dedicated to Japanese forces.

Attached to the museum’s main building is a large, covered carport that shelters 15 military vehicles and three motorcycles.

The Marine Forces Pacific Band, one of 12 field bands throughout the Corps, stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii performed the Star Spangled Banner during the opening ceremony events.

“We must never forget the Marines who helped liberate our island,” said Zilmer.

E. Rosario (NNS)

In Beijing?: Military Museum a Must-see

B Gourley — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:14:49 +0000

It is easy enough to forget that one is in an authoritarian Communist country when visiting Beijing. They have gone to great lengths to avoid that which Communists around the world have most excelled- constructing buildings that display both a complete lack of creativity and not the slightest hint of visual appeal. On the contrary, the Chinese are putting up some very cutting-edge architecture such as the trouser-leg building, the bird’s nest stadium, and they have even been known to bolt visually interesting facades onto buildings constructed in an era during which they were practicing a more traditional form of Communism. Also, there are few places in the world where market economics thrive more apparently. When I first visited Hungary in the early 1990′s, I was surprised to go into shops and be totally ignored by the sales staff – in some cases while vigorously trying to get their attention. They were simply lagging behind in getting a hang of capitalism. In China, on the other hand, no one would complain that one is being ignored by the sales staff. On the contrary, one is more likely to feel smothered by them. One sales girl of about 1/5th my size actually tried to physically restrain me from leaving by grabbing my wrist.

Oh, there are the hints of the the nature of the regime. When one is in Tienanmen Square, there are lists of rules played squakingly over loudspeakers in the manner reminiscent of a concentration camp. However, this is the rare exception. In many cases the Chinese have gone to great lengths to put rules in an positive form. You won’t see “Don’t Walk on the Grass”, but rather signs that say things like “Please Protect the Greenery.” I was told second-hand that someone saw a van pull up and whisk away a local wearing a Tibetan Independence T-shirt while I was visiting, but I cannot corroborate that was true. In general, what I saw was reflective of a market economy in a country that mixed prosperity and poverty in a way not unlike other developing nations that are transitioning upward.

I suggest a visit to the Military Museum for two reasons. First, it houses a sizable and impressive collection of weapons, sculptures, and displays, and it covers a lot of history (mostly 20thcentury, but not exclusively so.) It also seems to be a secret of sorts. It is not a secret in terms of being hard to find. It is located right above a Line 1 subway station that bears its name. That is, where most stations have a name showing in both Chinese characters and the romanized alphabet spelling of the Chinese word, this stop is labeled “Military Museum” in English. However, we had two Beijing guidebooks from large and well-known travel book publishers, and neither had coverage of the museum. This seemed odd because military history is not exactly a rare interest among tourists, and, once inside, it became apparent that this was an extensive museum. My wife and I were two of five non-Chinese tourists that we saw at the Museum, and there were probably a couple hundred visitors throughout the museum at the time.

I think the reason for the lack of visitation by non-Chinese is related to the second reason I recommend a visit here. That is, it gives one a reminder that one is in a Communist country and insight into the nature of what a Communist regime is, and what it does. It is not for those who take umbrage in the face of propaganda, and it is not nearly as friendly as other tourist destinations. There are many statements, such as reference to the Korean War as something like the “Proud War to Overthrow US Aggression in Korea”, that would probably be offensive to many. However, if you are one who can find amusement in an Orwellian framing of events, this museum is for you. Sign-after-sign gives the impression that Mao’s forces were able to crush the Kuomintang, who were armed with the latest and best American arms, while relying on pitchforks, spears, and halberds - because , of course, they always employed superior strategy and had the support of all of the people.

To be fair it doesn’t take an authoritarian regime to put out propaganda, all manner of nationalist forces do this. (In some ways, China reminds me more of a heavily nationalist country than a Communist one. I am told that China has a lesser proportion of its economy owned by the government than some Western democracies, and so the definition of a communist country as one in which the government controls the means of production may not be entirely reflective of China.) While I visited Tokyo on this same trip, I did not get a chance to go to Yasukuni Shrine, which has a museum apparently as full of propaganda as this Chinese Military Museum. Obviously, the two museums mentioned have polar opposite perspectives. The Yasukuni Museum portraying Japan as the victim, rather than perpetrator, of aggression during the Second World War.

However, I am still curious why this is not a destination for the tourists? It is not the case, by any means, that the propaganda is all over the top. In fact, it is, in some cases, subtle. It is also not the case that the museum is altogether hostile to the US and other Western countries. (It should be mentioned that that there are some well-deserved anti-Western statements such as those relating to the Opium War.)

There are a few distinct displays of positive relations. For example, among the small arms exhibitions there are cases that pay respect to American gunsmiths such as Samuel Colt.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then there are quite a number of examples of such flattery in the museum. As I was walking around on the first floor, which holds tanks, missiles, artillery pieces, and other sizable weapons, I came upon what I thought for a moment was an American Humvee. I briefly wondered where they would have gotten one. They have a large number of US World War II era weapons that were either left during that war or shipped to the Kuomintang during the Chinese Civil War, and even a few Viet Nam-era US weapons that presumably made their way from the Communist Vietnamese. However, I was soon disabused of the notion that it was a US Humvee by the placard that said that it was, in fact, a Chinese made “Mengshi” FAV. I have since read that a company in China is actually licensed to make them, and buys a number of the parts from US firms. They also had the spitting image of a Claymore Mine. I have no idea if it was legally licensed or not (but I suspect not.)

There is also a Hall of Friendship that houses a wide range of gifts given to the Defense Minister and other Ministry personnel over the years from various countries. The largest block of these seem to be from Warsaw Pact era countries during the Cold War. However, there are a wide range of countries represented including the US.

Last but not least, in the gift shop you could actually buy “US Ranger” T-shirts and other American military logoed goods (not authentically logoed, mind you, but rather the type of over-the-top imagery that is sold in “Soldier of Fortune” magazine), but the fact that it is sold in a Museum run by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is interesting to say the least. As an aside, we came across the PLA surplus store while we were there, and they also sold such US military related wears.

I highly recommend a trip to Beijing. You may need an oxygen supply occasionally, but the food is good, the people friendly, the goods inexpensive, and the history amazing. For anyone interested in history, and particularly military history, the museum has a lot to offer as well- just suspend your disbelief at the audacity of the propaganda at the door.

Those interested in the museum can see more on my other blog .

Weekend redux!!!

hochoybeijing — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:27:37 +0000

Week 4 in Beijing! It’s hard to imagine that we’ve already been here for a month! Although my waistline is already beginning to show the evidence of one too many Beijing meals- I’ve been eating so much here I’m beginning to resemble one of the dumplings I had for lunch earlier. More adventures from last weekend!

With fellow SMUdent intern BRENDA, we were all set to conquer Xidan (again), to comb every last corner for the best bargains!

First on the agenda though- fuelling up!

Possibly my FAVOURITE THING to eat in Beijing: Barbequed sotong with the most AMAZING chilli! Every time we head to Xidan I have to have at least 2 servings of it.

Can’t get enough!!

Pondering purchases

We saw the most adorable dog at the Xidan Shopping Mall, which is kind of like Far East with all the cheapie stores. All the good stuff is on the upper levels!

Isn’t he cuuuuteee! He looks like a panda bear. Panda dog!

In the end though, shopping proved fruitful for Pauline, and I went home empty handed (though not without an extra serving of squid before we hopped off to our next destination). We had to scoot off after a quick meal to the People’s Concert Hall because we had tickets from our company to a fundraising event for the Sichuan earthquake. It was very heart-wrenching-the tales of loss, survival and strength, and even normally stoic Pauline wept all her eyeliner off.

Normally what Pauline and I do on weekends is we spend one day doing “local” things and one day doing “tourist” things. We decided to check out the museum by Tiananmen Square but to our horror we found out that it was CLOSED for renovations and would be for another 2 years. Mao’s Mausoleum was likewise closed for the day- it’s only opened from 8am-12pm to visitors and for good reason I think… I’m not sure if I could hold my lunch down after seeing his pickled body. We decided to save that for another day and took a train down to the “surprising good” (as stated in Rough Guide- although they did also mention “bad art” more than once in the same passage) Military Museum.

Now that communists study marketing (like me!) you rarely get the old school Stalin style sort of propaganda that was on display at the museum. It was interesting for awhile, but Pauline and I, having limited interest for articles of war (have you seen the shoes they wear? Manolos they are not) were unable to appreciate it.

Phallic Symbols abound

We did come across a couple of things we got excited about:

Vintage Singer Sewing Machine(me)

Old School Camera!(Pauline)

Well, at least it was free.

There was also a shooting gallery at the back, which we missed. If you’re planning a trip to Beijing please don’t let our lacklustre review of the Military Museum deter you! Especially if you like army weaponish stuff. There are also lots of photos and paintings of a younger Mao, and you can see how his hairline recedes through the years.

Afterwards we went off to another one of Beijing’s many malls and guess who we ran into at Xin Guang Tian Di! SINGAPORE BOLEH!

Dinner was the SHIOKEST EVER Ma La Xiang Guo (you pick the food out yong tau foo style and they fry it with ma la and huge dried red chillies) with Brenda, Audrey and Brenda’s colleague Justin.

I can feel my mouth watering just looking at the pictures. Many more updates this week!

Peas out, A town

Lauren

Soviet Military Museum

bkropf — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:28:02 +0000

Waking up in my scratchy blanket in Sofia was not a pleasant surprise, but we did have water this time to shower in. Owen Wilson (look alike) and I took off for the military museum while Tyler went to a monastery a couple hours away.

We got lost on the way to the museum. We walked forever through parks and other paths getting more and more confused. Lucky for us the parks had crazy communist statues and monuments that were really fun to look at. The monuments are all so different than most art I view and they are so inspirational in many ways. Aesthetics are not really a huge part of the statues, the art seems to focus much more on comradeship. We eventually gave up trying to find the museum and got a cab to take us there.

[Before I go on I want to give a little history. Bulgaria volunteered to join the Soviet Union in the 1970's. Also, Bulgaria joined the Nazi's in WW2. The nice fact is that they were one of the few countries which refused to send any Jews to concentration camps.]

The museum was really awesome. Unlike most museums in the west (which focus on American and western weapons) this museum was exclusively Soviet. We spent a lot of time climbing on tanks and viewing SCUD missile systems and MIG aircraft. My favorite piece of equipment was an anti-aircraft gun that was fully functional (except for shooting). We were able to sit on it and twist two handles to move the barrel from side to side and up and down. It was fun seeing who could track with the passing cars the best.

After the museum we went antique shopping for some Soviet pins. I bought 3 really cool ones and I am pretty sure they are authentic.

After shopping, we stopped by the Happy Grill. Tyler and I have been saying if we started a Red Robin or Applebee’s here it would do amazing. Well that is what the Happy Grill did and it was doing well. It actually had a better menu and lower prices then RR and Applebee’s. Owen Wilson and I really enjoyed it.

Going back to the hostel I stopped by the Palace of Culture to get some culture as Leon suggested. Not really worth it Leon!

When I was back at the hostel I decided to go back to the post office to try to get my phone, again. I assumed after delivering mail for hundreds of years the Bulgarian mail system would be automated. I was wrong, or at least the packages aren’t automated. The woman behind the counter pulls out a HUGE book and starts flipping through it until she finds my package entry. Then she hands me the package. No charge. I was so surprised, both hostels said they weren’t going to pay and I didn’t pay so I wonder what happened. I asked if they wanted money and she said no, so I left as happy as could be to have my phone! What a blessing!

One thing Tyler and I have been noticing about many of the women in the old Yugoslavian countries (Bulgaria doesn’t fall into this category) is that they have huge hands. Some of the older ladies could crush watermelons with their hands without breaking a sweat.

Another thing I have been noticing is that Americans talk really really slowly! Basically every other language I have heard is spoken really fast. Even the British and Irish speak so much quicker than us.

Belgrade tried to kill me

popsiclestand — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:56:36 +0000

Belgrade should’ve been totally rock’n'roll. Late nights, drinking, and then getting shit done during the day. Instead, I’m limping along like an aging hair band.

It started off well. I stumbled down the alley and up the crumbling stairs to my hostel to find a party in full force. Rock! The Peace Corps kids I rode the bus with were hungry, so we went in search of food. That basic need fulfilled we headed to an Irish pub with a No Doubt cover band. It was packed. It was fun, but after two beers (not even the big .5 L ones), I was tired. I walked back to the hostel around 1am. The party was still going on but had quieted down from the rager it had been. I climbed into my bunkbed, shoved earplugs in my ears, and fell fast asleep on the lumpy matress. Everyone else was up until 5am.

This is pretty much how’s it been since I’ve been here. The next night my friend Adam’s friend Visnja and I made plans to go out around 10pm. I’d been sightseeing all day and decided to take a nap around 6:45pm. I figured I’d be up by 9pm at the latest. Around 10:15 one of the hostel workers is shaking me awake to tell me I had visitors. Awkward. I apologized threw on my shoes, ran a comb through my hair, and was off.

We went to the Idiot Bar. What a great name for a bar! I mean if you don’t show up that way, then hopefully by the time you leave you live up to the name. It was brick, underground, and some old-school garage rock was playing on the stereo. I was having a good time. I had two Jelen Pivo. [Note to Adam: Visnja would not let me drink the Beogradskovo]. When I was pondering a third Visnja said she was tired and we should go. I arrive home and on the short car ride I realize I’m exhausted. This is pretty abnormal. Usually, I’m up for a late night no problem. But I’m exhausted so I head to my lumpy bed.

I wake up the next morning with a stuffy nose and still tired. Fuck. A head cold. But after an hour or so I’m feeling a lot better. Maybe it was just the smoke. Dear god, let it just be the smoke! Serbia apparently has the second highest smoking rate in the world. Everyone smokes everywhere. My weak American lungs can’t handle it! The stuffy nose that sometimes happens after a night at a somky bar in the states. I shake off any thought that I might be sick and head out for the day.

I head to the Military Museum. The Serbians are proud of their military heritage starting back in the 8th century or so and continuing to today. It was mostly in Serbian, so I’m not sure I got the full impact. After touring a thousand or so years of Serbian weapons and uniforms I came to more recent events.

There’s part of an F-117 that the Serbs shot down and some American military equipment they captured. They’re also a sign in Serbian but it’s pretty clear that NATO forces heavily outweighed Serb forces and so the Serbs are pretty proud of whatever they accomplished. Also, a lot of people here are not so fond of Bill Clinton because of that. I was expecting more W hating, but when a guy bombs you’re country I guess it makes sense.

The other place I went to see that day was the Tesla museum. Tesla’s on the 50 dinar bill, worth a little less than a dollar. I read a book about him when I was 11 or so. I don’t really understand everything he did, but he’s responsible for a lot of things, and according to a Supreme Court ruling for inventing radio. I guess that makes him pretty important in my life! Anyway, I was the only English speaker on the tour, so I felt bad for everyone else waiting while the tour guide explained everything again to me in English. It was fun. There were lots of demonstrations, including a Tesla coil.

He was pretty important in electricity and magnetism. Basically, he did all the fundamental stuff for alternating current and motors that will run on it too. He also has 9 of the 13 patents used on the power plant at Niagra Falls. Also, he built the first remote control thing–a little boat. Yeah, he was cool!

So I came back to the hostel after that drank a little homemade rakija. It’s basically a plum brandy. You’re supposed to sip it. But damn it burns to much to do that! My runny nose is back and I’m already tired. I decide I must have caught a bug, so I decide to take it easy and hang out at the hostel because although it’s a little smokey in the main area, it’s much less smokey than most places .

Mladen, the hostel guy, is so nice. He gives me movie options.

I end up watching this awesome documentary Shutka. It’s a about a gypsy town in Macedonia. where everyone’s a champion. Goose fighting, vampire killing, old man love-making (just use oil!), tape collecting, disco dancing, they’re all champions. If you ever get a chance, watch this movie. It’s great. I can’t do it justice. Shutka’s a town of characters, and you’ll love everyone of them.

After that we watch Jim Jarmusch’s Night on Earth. It’s great but ends on a most depressing note. I head to bed to around 11pm. I’m determined to kick this virus’ ass and a good nights sleep is the only way. I sleep like a rock but wake up tired.

I grab some burek for breakfast. Then head to the apoteka (pharmacy) for some drugs. I explain my nose is stuffy at night but runs during the day to the pharmacist. She understands enough English. And hands me something called Kaffetin Kola. I’m told to take one four times a day. I’m a bit skeptical of Kaffetin Kola but I look at the ingredient and one looks like pseudophedrine, so I figure I’m good to go. I pick up some Vitamin C. Montage forward 6 hours…a visit to the Serbian Ethnographic museum, filled with 18th century serbian festival costumes and an old home distillerym, the Museum of Applied Materials, furniture, jewelry, and architecture–oh my! (I was looking for things to do indoors that were close by and inside, don’t judge) Yeah, montage forward 6 hours I’m feeling a lot better and I’ve got to go get ready for my train to Budapest. It leaves at 10pm.

Bye!

Istanbul's Military Museum

mangoofdoom — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:49:07 +0000

Istanbul’s Military Museum is located on the Beyoğlu side of the city, in a large square building that was once a military academy. When Mustafa Kemal was preparing to join the army, this is the school he attended. The academy has since been turned into a museum of weaponry and warfare. In memory of the school’s most illustrious pupil, a schoolroom where Ataturk studied has been preserved, and it now contains a large bust of Atatürk looking out over the students’ table. The museum is now also the main site of the army’s Mehter band. The Mehter band was used during battle to strike fear into opponents’ hearts. Originally Janissaries, the performers today still don the trademark mustache. Gathering around a huge cannon in front of the building, the standard bearers march, swinging their arms, while the musicians play horns, pipes, and drums and the singers belt out the triumphant words. The music is loud and powerful, and it is certainly worth the trip just to hear the band play their war songs.

Exhibitions

The main exhibit in the museum is a collection of weapons, showing the history of swords, bows and arrows, maces, axes, guns, etc., as well as shields and armor. Although the bulk of the objects are Turkish or Ottoman, there are also many weapons from other cultures, so the museum provides a good representation of the development and evolution of weaponry. One room is dedicated to bows; Turkish bows (as the exhibit proudly states) are generally considered to be some of the best in the world.

Another interesting area holds daggers of interesting shapes and sizes. Many also have elaborate sheaths, jeweled or curved into shapes impossible for a dagger.

Further on in the museum is a large hall for Mehter band performances. Mingled with the benches in this room are old cannons, torpedoes, and even machine guns.

The most impressive exhibit is a representation of the Ottoman siege of Constantinople. On the wall is a large mural of the beleaguered city, done in such excellent perspective that the scenery set up in front seemed to blend perfectly into one vast view of the conquest.

Just in front of the visitor, Ottoman soldiers in trenches look out at the fighting; cannons and projectiles lay stocked nearby to attack the wall of Constantinople. Further away, Ottoman and Byzantine soldiers clash, and many lie injured or dead. My favorite detail in this whole picture is a soldier who fell off his horse, but whose foot is still stuck in the stirrup.

The horse is painted and the soldier is a mannequin, but the two blend together so that it is hard to notice. While visitors survey this important moment in Ottoman history, battle sounds are played in the room, as well as the music of the Mehter band. These further the experience of this exhibit, and make it a worthwhile room in which to stay a while.

The only exhibit which compared stylistically to this was that of an assassination in 1913 of an important Turkish general, Mahmut Şevket Paşa. In the middle of the room was the car in which he was riding at the time of the attack; the car’s left window is splintered by bullet holes.

Mannequins play a part in this display as well, but only showing the positions of those nearby (presumably just before they were hit). Nearby, a glass case displays the shirts worn by the victims (bullet holes clearly marked), the guns used, and even the bullets fired. Although the assassins themselves are depicted and named in this case, I could not find information either here or on my own which explained their motives for this act.

Further down the hall, exhibits go into detail about Turkey’s various campaigns and wars. One such room which is particularly remarkable is the room dealing with terrorists. The main “terrorists” are the Kurdish separatists; however, the Kurds are never mentioned by name. In fact, all the internal opponents Turkey has faced are referred to broadly as “terrorists,” and neither the identities of the groups nor their motives are mentioned. The exhibit itself is made up almost entirely of items taken from “the terrorists,” including items ranging from mines and guns to typewriters and fax machines. The rest of the exhibit shows brutal pictures of bloodied Turkish “martyrs,” including women and children.

One of the most interesting rooms in the museum is that concerning the Armenians. Popular international opinion on this issue is with the Armenians, who claim that between 1915 and 1923, 1.5 million Armenians were either killed outright or died due to conditions imposed on them by the Turks during their forced deportation. The Turks attest that during WWI, the Armenians were aiding the Russian army and murdering innocent Muslims, so the population was deported to safety in Syria; however, some Armenians did die along the way because of cold and sickness. This room at the museum contains evidence (through pictures, reports, and even bloodied clothing) of the atrocities committed by the Armenians against the Turks. A large statement on the wall, in both Turkish and English, goes through the history of the “Armenian issue,” as it is called. This sign recounts numerous treasonous and violent acts committed by the Armenians, and attests that the Armenian accusation of genocide at Turkey’s hands is motivated by Armenia’s desire to weaken Turkey politically and to take Turkish land for their own country. There is no explanation in the room of what evidence the Armenians use to support their claim of genocide; the museum consistently refers to this argument as “so-called genocide.”

Reflections

Often, museums in the United States strive to appear unbiased, so that the information provided will be taken at face value and more readily accepted as true. This museum, like other Turkish museums, has no such compunctions. The Turkish people are presented as a united line reaching from Ottoman times to the present, and suffering no inner strife. All of the enemies presented in these exhibits are non-Turks; this even applies to the Armenians and the Kurds, who are both ethnic groups living inside Turkey, making these people legally Turks. However, this connection is discarded in order to present a nationalist ideal of order and solidarity. For example, in the room concerning terrorism, the exhibit focused on Turkish victories (by showing entirely things Turkish forces had taken) and belittled the status and even organization of the opposing group by not even naming them. Turkish victims are consistently referred to as “martyrs,” no matter which enemy is to blame. Such blatant, unashamed bias is something that is not seen often in museums; the closest similarity I could place is with museums about the Holocaust. Now, obviously, a Turkish military museum and a Holocaust museum are very different, but they have some interesting similarities. First of all, both the Turks and the Jews have such strong faith in their own conviction that they are not afraid of being inflammatory towards their enemies. The difference here is the amount of justification that each group has for this conviction; the international community acknowledges that the Jews were subjected to genocide during the Holocaust, whereas the Turks are actually being accused of genocide of the Armenians by many countries. However , the Turks hold firm to their version of history, which is clear in a place such as this. Furthermore, although Istanbul is a very popular city among tourists, the Military Museum is not one of the larger attractions. Therefore this museum has fewer international guests, and the main audience is probably native Turks. Another similarity to a Holocaust museum, it appears, is that the audience is very intentional. By this I mean that the average person going to either of these museums probably knows what to expect and already agrees with the message. In this way the Turkish government can present exactly the facts that it wishes to, and not encounter any troubles because of it.

Having considered all of this, the Military Museum is still a spectacular place to visit. It is well worth the trip, and is definitely a place worth dedicating a substantial chunk of time to explore.