Honoring America's Military

Organized roughly chronologically, the Motts Military Museum museum takes you through the history of each American war, with display cases packed with everything from bullets to medical instruments.

In 1970, Vietnam helicopter gunner Ed Arthur came to the studio of photographer Warren E. Motts to get his picture taken. As Motts took photos of the young man, the two began discussing Arthur’s experiences in the war. Motts became so interested in Arthur’s stories that he invited him back to tell some more—only this time, Motts tape-recorded them.

“He told me, ‘No one ever wanted to know what I did in Vietnam. Why do you want to know?’” recalls Motts, 61, who worked as a professional photographer until retiring in 1997. “Telling his stories really helped to keep him above water, to keep him from going crazy.”

After several of these sessions, Arthur began donating to Motts some of his war-related belongings, such as his combat fatigue clothes. Since 1962, when he bought from a friend for $1 a Civil War-era sword that had been hanging in a chicken house, Motts had been collecting war memorabilia. As he talked with Arthur, however, he began to see that collecting memorabilia from veterans—and the stories that went with him—could well become his calling.

Motts’ collection soon grew to include hundreds of items—swords, uniforms, guns, and more—and in 1989, he opened Motts Military Museum in the basement of his house in Groveport, Ohio (pop. 3,865). Eventually, primarily through the generous donations of veterans, the museum outgrew that basement. In 1999, with even more help and donations from veterans, Motts moved the museum to a new building on 4 acres; now it displays about 15,000 items representing all American wars, from the Indian Wars to Operation Enduring Freedom.

Walking into the museum is like walking into Motts’ imagination. Organized roughly chronologically, his museum takes you through the history of each American war, with display cases packed with everything from bullets to medical instruments; little cards tucked in with the items describe their history and who donated them. For many of these donations, Motts has audio recordings of the veterans telling their stories, as well.

In addition to the exhibits divided chronologically, the museum has displays organized thematically—such as one devoted to photographs of the Holocaust, and another featuring items related to POW/MIAs—including a photograph of Melvin Gerhold, who was shot down and captured by the German army in World War II. Gerhold, 81, now volunteers at the museum.

“I want to be part of the dream,” says Gerhold modestly, explaining why he devotes his time and energy to the museum.

Some of the museum’s war artifacts have such fascinating stories that they literally stop visitors in their tracks. One is the helmet worn by Vietnam veteran Ken Speck; when a bullet came at him, the helmet deflected it and sent it away from his head and down into his chest cavity. He survived—and you see both the helmet and the bullet on display.

On the grounds behind the museum, visitors can see some particularly impressive military hardware, including a Huey attack helicopter, an A7 fighter jet from Vietnam, a landing craft, anti-aircraft guns, and even a Austrian army tank lent to the museum by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Motts sees the purpose of the museum and its vast collection of memorabilia and stories as primarily educational—as a way of teaching children about the people who fought in the wars that the children have only read about in history books.

“What makes this museum different from most is that it’s full of items that belonged to people,” says Motts, who himself served from 1959 to 1968 as a photographer for the 37th Infantry Division in the Ohio National Guard. “When I bring school kids through here, I explain to them that it’s people who make us free. Sometimes they don’t realize that.”

Vivian Wagner is a freelance writer in New Concord, Ohio.

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