FORT SILL, Okla. (June 19, 2014) -- Fort Sill celebrated the 239th Army birthday in grand style with the Minutemen to Missiles military history timeline event June 14 here.
Several hundred visitors walked through the historic displays and viewed demonstrations on the various weapons used by America's military forces over the past two centuries.
"We are really excited about this opportunity to celebrate the Army birthday with the public and talk about 239 years of Army heritage. This is the first time we have gone to this level," said Frank Siltman, Fort Sill Museums and Military History director. "Last year we had the first Army timeline event, and we wanted to go even further this year."
Along with the historic weapons provided by the Field Artillery and the Air Defense Artillery museums, the 428th Field Artillery and the 30th Air Defense Artillery brigades provided a Patriot missile launcher, a Paladin 155mm self-propelled gun, a Multiple Launch Rocket System and an Avenger air-defense weapon system to represent modern-day operations, Siltman said.
"We presented this unique event so the public could come through and see the Army history," the director said.
One of the most popular events was the small-arms weapons demonstration.
"I've been portraying a Soldier from the Revolutionary War and almost all of the artifacts belong to me, even the period uniform. You don't find a lot of people in Oklahoma who have historic artifacts prior to the Civil War," said Gordon Blaker, Army Field Artillery Museum director. "We are showing how far weapons have developed with regard to accuracy and rate of fire in the past 239 years."
Jonathan Siltman and his younger brother Aaron demonstrated what life was like for Soldiers who fought in the mid-19th century.
"The Civil War changed warfare forever. Prior to that time, armies fought in what was called the Napoleonic tactics of battle, where Soldiers lined up shoulder to shoulder and fired their weapons in volleys. The muskets they shot had smooth-bore barrels, and were not accurate out past 150 yards," said Jonathan Siltman. "But by the time the Civil War came around the long guns were rifled, using projectiles that were shaped more like a modern bullet. The main U.S. Army weapon during the Civil War was the 1861 Springfield rifle, which was accurate out past 500 yards."
Another popular event was the firing of artillery pieces.
The first one to be fired was a Model 1841 6-pound field gun commonly used in the Civil War. Gun chief Harry Shappell, a retired chief warrant officer, explained to the spectators the steps necessary for his four-man crew to fire the muzzle-loading cannon.
A crowd favorite was the ceremonial Fort Sill Field Artillery Half-Section, directed by Chief Gerald Stuck.
He told the crowd that a half-section was a field cannon team towed behind six horses, along with their ammo caisson. Stuck directed his men, all active-duty Soldiers dressed in authentic World War I uniforms, as they loaded their Model 1879 French 75mm field gun, which American forces used during World War I.
By the time the firing demonstration reached the Pack 75mm howitzer of the World War II era, the spectators noticed several things had changed.
First, the Pack 75 is much smaller than the Civil War-era gun, or even the French 75 mm field gun from World War I. The Pack 75 could be broken down and dropped out of the back of an airplane or transported across mountains on mules, hence the name Pack howitzer.
Second, it was a breech-loading gun that could rapidly be fired with only a two-man crew, as Zane Mohler, museum exhibit specialist, and Staff Sgt. Matthew Spurlock, 31st ADA Brigade, demonstrated.
Visitors to the historical event were able to get up close with a Patriot missile system. A crew from B Battery, 3rd Battalion, 6th ADA Brigade explained how the system works to Pvt. Domingo Valenzuela IV and his family.
"It takes a two-person crew to operate it. We have to set it up and be ready to fire in 20 minutes," said Staff Sgt. Jamel Holt, a Patriot instructor.
Valenzuela, a trainee in C Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery Brigade, just graduated from Basic Combat Training June 6.
Staff Sgt. Paige Shelton, B Battery, 3-6 ADA answered the many questions Valenzuela had about the difference between the MLRS rocket launcher and the Patriot system.
"The MLRS system is used at ground targets in an offensive mission, whereas the Patriot is an air defense weapon used against enemy aircraft and missiles. They have a six-man crew and can reload in nine minutes, whereas the Patriot has a two-man crew and takes an hour to reload," said Shelton.
Reviewing the display area and considering the day's activities, Frank Siltman surmised that most visitors seemed to enjoy the exhibits offered and expressed their appreciation for the event.
"We just hope to see it grow in the future and get folks out here annually as we tell the Army story,"
he said. "Fort Sill museums serve as 'windows into the Army for the American public,' and we're here to give them that glimpse."
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