Ground Breaking Ceremony

On May 22, 2015, the Museum of the Marine broke ground to begin creating a park within the Lejeune Memorial Gardens on the site of the future MOTM that will be suitable for public gatherings, private ceremonies and individual reflection. The park will feature a bronze Eagle, Globe and Anchor statue in running water, Interrogator/Translator Memorial, five illuminated flagpoles, with a manicured lawn and surrounding landscaping. In addition, there will be a permanent footbridge leading to the museum site, installation of infrastructure and construction of additional parking.

The below article was taken from the Jacksonville Daily News the day prior to the event:

Staff Sgt. Wai Tam, ceremony site manager for Camp Lejeune; Richard Koeckert, financial manager for Museum of the Marine; retired Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, the director of operations for Museum of the Marine; and retired 1st. Sgt. Mark Dayoc, operations for Camp Lejeune go over some planning details Monday afternoon at the site of the Museum of the Marine at Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville.

Photo by John Althouse/The Daily News

By Bianca M. Strzalkowski - Bianca.Strzalkowski@JDNews.com

Onslow County’s long-awaited military museum plans to break ground this week.

The Museum of the Marine, a 40,000-square-foot facility, has been in the planning phase for 14 years. A ceremony Friday will mark the official groundbreaking at its planned location on a six-acre lot within Lejeune Memorial Gardens.

The roughly $25 million project will focus on the history of Carolina Marines — from both North Carolina and South Carolina. Museum Executive Director Dave Brown, a retired lieutenant colonel, said almost $100,000 has been raised for the building. He added that his “three-man team” continues to rally potential donors, who will be more enticed to contribute after the site is cleared.

“In five months from now, we’ll be in really great shape,” Brown said.

Retired Sgt. Maj. Joe Houle, one of the museum’s organizers, said the military legacy of the two states needs to be documented and shared with current and future generations.

“The history of the men and women of the Carolinas since 1941 to the present, that’s a story that needs to be told,” Houle said.

Houle said the museum will also have an economic impact on the county by bringing tourists to the area, something the county’s tourism director agrees with.