Today, Lincoln East Rotary Club learned about the National Guard Museum located in Seward, NE. Retired Lt. Col. Jerry Meyer said that the original was located near the Bob Devaney Sports Complex and when the State Fair left Lincoln in 2009 for Grand Island, the University of Nebraska purchased that property and therefore the building was a part of it. This building was the State Arsenal during the 1913/1915. This same building was the museum from 1979 through 2014. 
A building in Seward became available and the National Guard started to lease that building in 2014. The Armory in Seward has three levels which makes’ it ideal for the National Guard Museum. The City of Seward and the Nebraska National Guard has a partnership which makes it nice. Seward is known as Nebraska’s Fourth of July City and in 2019 there were 9,805 people who visited the museum.After the move in 2014, they started doing some construction and renovation of the building which was finished in 2015. The museum was dedicated at the Fourth of July celebration in 2015.
After the move in 2014, they started doing some construction and renovation of the building which was finished in 2015. The museum was dedicated at the Fourth of July celebration in 2015.
There are several Museum Rooms. Two of them are named after individuals who own banks in Seward. They are the John Cattle Exhibit Area and the Jones Bank Theater. Concordia University Lutheran College, I Am the Guard, “Cornrow to Hedgerow 4D” are few more of these Museum Rooms. One is the Berry Law Firm Library and Conference room and another is a Weapons Display Room named after John and Darlene Wood.
There are several permanent exhibits such as the Century of Flight – Curtiss Pusher, Airborne, William Jennings Bryan, Chaplains, Price of Freedom, Lost Battalion, 1854 Proclamation, Seward Citizen Soldiers and Nebraska’s Women Warriors. The Century of Flight was purchased through a donation given to the Museum for $75,000. The others are through other donations through companies and organizations.
On the grounds of the Museum the “Prairie Trails” was made by the Hughes Brothers in Seward and given to the Museum.
They do outreach with Medal of Honor, Re-enactors, Chautauqua, Concerts, School Presentations, POW/MIA Day, Andrew Jackson Higgins Day, and Christmas Festival. They do the Run to St. Lo Memorial 5K because during World War II 53 NENG soldiers were killed and on July 18, 1944 was Liberation Day. This run is the World War II Remembrance Run which includes Sentinels and God Star Families.
August 16 is National Airborne Day which celebrated each year at the Seward Municipal Airport. The 2-134th Infantry Airborne is involved in this celebration and it is the third largest ABN event in the U.S.
In 2019 was the 75th anniversary of the Liberation Tour. The next one will be July 14-24, 2022 and is being planned through Executive Travel and the NENG Society.
There is also an Amphitheater and Armory Park on one side of the Museum. Which is a big hit with the children that visit the museum.Jerry told us that there is several future exhibits that they would like to have at the museum. They are: Civil War – Fort Donelson, SGT Mad Bear – MOH, Commanders in Chief Exhibit, Andrew Jackson Higgins Exhibit, Erle Smiley – Renaissance Man, WWI Trench – permanent exhibit, They Also Served….NENG in WWII, Main Floor Exhibits, Modern Guard Room.
If you would more information on the National Guard Museum, need to set up a tour or presentation you can contact Gerald “Jerry” D. Meyer, NENG Historian at Email: gerald_meyer@yahoo.com or Phone: 712-269-1981.
