Carolina Museum of the Marine to open June 8

Maj. Gen. Joe Shrader, president and chief executive officer of the Carolina Museum of the Marine, made the announcement Wednesday, saying construction on the building is nearly complete and work will now begin to install the exhibits.

“What began as a shared vision among Marines, veterans and community leaders has grown into something truly special,” Shrader said. “A museum built by the people and for the people, dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of Carolina Marines and Sailors.”

The Carolina Museum of the Marine was founded by Maj. Gen. Ray Smith, the commanding general for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from 1997 to 1999.

Smith and his wife worked for years with Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, who retired as the museum’s director of operations and artifacts in 2023, to collect artifacts for the museum.

Unlike many military museums that are command operated and federally funded, Shrader said the Carolina Museum of the Marine is an independent, 501c3 nonprofit.

“What that means is, this museum exists because of the community’s belief and support for veterans, families, volunteers, donors and partners who came together to make sure these stories have a permanent home here within this great tribute museum,” he said.

The museum is situated on 27 acres at the Lejeune Memorial Gardens, located on Montford Landing Road, directly across the street from the Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville.

Exhibits will begin in World War II, which is essentially when MCB Camp Lejeune came into existence, Shrader said. The exhibits will then move into galleries telling the stories of Marines and Sailors through time.

The first gallery is entitled “They Came from the Sea,” and includes a Landing Vehicle Tracked with a ramp that will be down so visitors can climb aboard and check it out.

The second gallery will focus on the community’s ties to the Marine Corps, entitled, “The Ties that Bind,” and the third gallery will be all about innovation. It will include a 1963 UH-1E Huey helicopter and an interactive aircraft exhibit.

In total, Shrader said 44 individual Marines and Sailors will have their stories told throughout the museum.

“When visitors walk through these galleries, they won’t just read about our history,” he said. “They’ll feel the stories of courage, innovation and commitment that began here in the Carolinas and carried across the globe.”

Other features of the museum include a full-scale catering kitchen for events, a small retail shop and the Carolina MAGTAFF Cafe, operated by The Milk Road.

The way the building was constructed also has significance. The building is curved to represent a wave, symbolizing the Marines that came from the sea, Shrader said.

Also, the stones on the walls begin with a rough texture but become smoother as visitors enter deeper into the museum, representing a recruit entering boot camp and later becoming a full-fledged Marine.

Outside, in the courtyard, sits an eternal flame that will burn 12 inches in height, as well as three Belleau Wood trees.

The Battle of Belleau Wood was a major battle that occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. During the war, U.S. Marines fought the Germans in Belleau Wood.

Decades later, a local Marine visited Belleau Wood and brought back a bucket of acorns. N.C. State University grew the acorns into saplings, and the Carolina Museum of the Marine received three of them.

The motto of the museum is, “Meet the Marine. Be Inspired,” and Shrader said he hopes visitors are inspired, from the youth to the older generations.

“For me to be able to come in here at almost the eleventh hour, right after groundbreaking, and be able to take it across the finish line, I spent four decades in the Marine Corps, and this has been so meaningful for me to be able to do this,” Shrader said.

“It’s almost like it puts a punctuation mark on my career, and it’s quite an honor and quite a privilege to be able to do this.”

The Lejeune Memorial Gardens is already a place of remembrance and reflection, but Shrader said it will now also be a place for learning, leadership and connection.

Construction on the museum was funded by grants from the N.C. General Assembly, with a $26 million grant being awarded in 2022. In 2023, the Marine Corps favorably endorsed the museum’s request for a lease at the Lejeune Memorial Gardens.

The project broke ground in May 2024.

“On June 8, we won’t just open a building,” Shrader said.

“We’re going to open a living tribute to those who served in an inspiring place for future generations.”