Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation

11/06/2026

Two bullets couldn’t stop him from reaching his men.

On November 8, 1965, near Hill 65 in Vietnam, 173rd Airborne Brigade medic Lawrence Joel was wounded twice. With a bullet lodged in his thigh, he dragged himself across the battlefield and treated 13 more wounded Soldiers before his supplies ran out.

Then he got more supplies and kept going.

His actions earned him the Medal of Honor. His story lives here at the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum.

Tomorrow, we share more of his story and the Sky Soldiers’ fight during Operation HUMP.

11/03/2026

Before it became a Museum artifact, this jump coat belonged to a Soldier who took part in the U.S. Army’s first combat parachute assault.

For , take a closer look at the rigger-modified jump coat of Private First Class Martin Galuskin of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion.

In November 1942, Galuskin jumped near Oran, Algeria, during Operation TORCH. The coat’s modifications reflect the specialized equipment early paratroopers carried as they prepared to take airborne warfare into combat.

Galuskin served in five major World War II campaigns, including combat jumps into North Africa and Southern France. Today, his coat helps preserve the story of a Soldier who was part of airborne history from its earliest days.

Later this week, we’ll take a closer look at Operation TORCH in a new reel featuring artifacts from the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum’s collection. Stay tuned as we explore the mission, the men, and the objects that connect us to that first combat jump.

11/01/2026

👻 The ghosts weren’t real. The psychological warfare was.

Deep in the jungles of Vietnam, U.S. Soldiers used something far more unsettling than weapons to strike fear into enemy forces.

The sound of the dead.

On the night of February 10, 1970, Soldiers at Fire Support Base Chamberlain broadcast an eerie recording known as the “Wandering Soul” tape.

Through loudspeakers, haunting cries, ghostly moans, and the voice of a supposedly restless spirit echoed into the darkness.

The mission? Exploit the enemy’s fears and beliefs about death and the afterlife to create confusion and uncertainty.

It was psychological warfare, and it remains one of the eeriest examples of U.S. military PSYOP history.

🎃 This Halloween, uncover the true story behind the infamous “Ghost Tape” and listen to the chilling recording yourself.

But fair warning… it’s not for the faint of heart.

🔗 https://www.asomf.org/wanderingsoultape/

A Halloween History The “WanderingSoul” Tape Sound, Fear, and U.S. Psychological Operations in Vietnam 10 February 1970 · Vietnam A PSYOP Soldier with a bac ...

10/31/2026

Trying to call the museum today? Yes, our phones are temporarily down! Our team is working hard to remedy the issue.

For the next few days please send us a message if you have a question or email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

Our hours are from 10 AM - 4 PM. We are closed Monday.

10/30/2026

History came to life at Ferguson-Easley Elementary School!

We had a great time connecting with students and putting their knowledge to the test with trivia, brain teasers, and fun challenges inspired by Army history, paratroopers, and teamwork!

From creative answers to some impressive problem-solving, these students brought plenty of enthusiasm and curiosity to every challenge.

At the U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum, we love opportunities to bring history beyond the Museum’s walls and inspire the next generation through hands-on learning.

A big thank you to Ferguson-Easley Elementary School for inviting us! We had a blast!

10/30/2026

This aircraft was never going to leave the ground. Making the enemy believe it could was the mission.

For , we’re taking a closer look at the Ghost Army, the World War II Soldiers who used dummy equipment, recorded battlefield sounds, and false radio traffic to deceive German forces.

Artists, engineers, radio operators, and other specialists worked together to create the appearance of forces that weren’t there. A dummy aircraft like the one pictured was one piece of a much larger illusion designed to conceal real Allied movements and intentions.

With Halloween just around the corner, meet the Soldiers behind these battlefield “ghosts.”

🔗 Read their story: https://www.asomf.org/the-ghost-army/

10/28/2026

Wednesday Wisdom, Halloween edition 🎃

You know their faces. You might not know their service.

Before he was Uncle Fester on The Addams Family, Jackie Coogan was a U.S. Army glider pilot. On the night of March 5, 1944, he flew British Chindits into a jungle clearing 100 miles behind Japanese lines. His aircraft? A CG-4A Waco glider, the same type on exhibit at the ASOM.

And before Rod Serling took audiences into The Twilight Zone, he served with the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division. Wounded twice on Leyte, he went on to fight in the battle for Manila, earning the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Two television legends. Two stories of service worth knowing.

Read their full stories:https://www.asomf.org/spookyszn/

Wednesday Wisdom · Halloween EditionSpooky on screen.Soldiers for real.Before they gave TV audiences the creeps, these two legends faced something far scari ...

10/25/2026

October 25, 1983. Grenada. Operation URGENT FURY.

At 5:36 a.m., U.S. Army Rangers of the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment parachuted into Grenada, launching an operation that would become a defining moment in modern American military history.

Their mission: seize the airfield at Point Salines, open the way for reinforcements, and protect American citizens caught in the aftermath of a violent coup.

Grenadian and Cuban forces were waiting.

Within hours, Soldiers of the 82d Airborne Division were headed for the Caribbean. What followed was a fierce, fast-moving joint operation involving Army Rangers, the 82d Airborne Division, Special Operations forces, Marines, and allied troops from the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States.

By October 28, U.S. and allied forces had secured Grenada.

But victory came at a cost.

Nineteen American service members lost their lives during Operation URGENT FURY. Among them were three Paratroopers of the 82d Airborne Division:

CPT Michael F. Ritz | 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment

SSG Gary L. Epps | 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment

SGT Sean P. Luketina | 82d Signal Battalion

The photograph captures a solemn tribute on the island of Grenada in 1983. Beneath an American flag, ri**es stand planted in the ground, each topped with a Soldier’s helmet. A battlefield memorial honoring fallen Soldiers of the 82d Airborne Division, far from home, where their brothers-in-arms paused to remember those who would not return.

Forty-three years later, the image remains a powerful reminder of the price of freedom and the courage of those willing to defend it.

We remember their service. We honor their sacrifice. We will never forget.

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