Henry County veterans taking military museum on the road

Jim Joyce, curator for the Heritage Park Veterans Museum in McDonough, plans to take the destination's new mobile facility on the road to nursing homes, hospices and schools.

Jim Joyce, curator for the Heritage Park Veterans Museum in McDonough, plans to take the destination's new mobile facility on the road to nursing homes, hospices and schools.

A Henry County veterans museum is going mobile to visit schools, senior centers, hospices and nursing homes.

The Henry County Heritage Park Veterans Museum, which displays memorabilia from every war from World War I to the present, now has a trailer that it can load with artifacts to take the nation’s military heritage on the road.

"This is a way for us to give back to the community that supports us, and this community truly supports its veterans," Jim Joyce, museum curator and facilities coordinator for Henry County Parks and Recreation, said in a release.

“It means that the museum is not just located in one place, but that we can bring history to those who might not be able to visit, like people in nursing homes or hospices, in addition to schools and other organizations,” he said.

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The trailer was paid for with donations from visitors to the museum and funds from McDonough Tourism. Exact figures were not released.

The museum opened at Heritage Park in 2010 and is staffed by veteran volunteers. Almost all the displays have been donated by veterans or their families.

The facility, which is adjacent to the Henry County Veterans Wall of Honor at 101 Lake Dow Road in McDonough, includes vehicles, uniforms and artifacts from various wars. Also included is a display of two Henry County Medal of Honor recipients and a Henry County Fallen Hero.

The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free.