My writeup of the National Infantry Museum for its Thea Award

1. T h e 1 7 t h A n n u a l T h e a A w a r d s p r e s e n t e d b y A E C O M 15
National Infantry Museum
and Soldier Center
by Joseph Kleiman
In the COLD WAR gallery, a man in his
60s with graying hair in a ponytail points
his cane at a Huey helicopter suspended
from the ceiling, proudly telling the stranger
next to him “I flew in one of those.” On
the ramp in front of the Bradley Fighting
Vehicle,a soldier in the 3rd Infantry Division,
preparing for deployment to Iraq tells his
son “Daddy’s going to go to the desert and
ride in one of those.”The boy, not yet ten,
responds, “I want to go too. I want to do
what you do.”
I witnessed these real-life reactions and
many more like them during my visits
through the galleries.The National Infantry
Museum and Soldier Center exists to honor
soldiers such as these – past, present, and
future.
The journey through time begins at the
entrance, where the massive 1960 “Follow
Me” soldier guards the building, rifle and
bayonet at the ready, beckoning his fellow
soldiers to the final 100 yards of battle.
Inside, they await the visitor.The “Drum,” a
futuristic black sentinel, acts as the gateway
to the Last 100 Yards, a ramp exactly 100
yards long that passes through eight key
battles in Infantry history – from Yorktown
to Iraq.
Actual vehicles are showcased and the
historic figures lining the ramp were molded
from the bodies and faces of present day
Fort Benning soldiers.The generations are
meeting. They also meet theatrically, in a
WWI diorama: A soldier peers around the
corner of a ruined building,pistol drawn.He
is not just looking for the enemy, but he is
looking to the future. His gaze goes beyond
the Second World War, beyond the Korean
andVietnam Conflicts, and beyond the Gulf
Wars to a large wall with the continuing
image of soldiers marching into the future.
At the top of the ramp is the Fort Benning
gallery, which explains every facet of Fort
Benning, including Infantry basic training, the
Officer Candidate School, the Rangers, and
the Airborne schools. This gallery is home
to the only installation open to the public of
a rifle range simulator used to train recruits
and special forces.
In the back of the Benning gallery, two large
windows overlook the museum’s WWII
Village, a collection of WWII buildings
saved from demolition, including a chapel,
barracks, mess, and the sleeping quarters
and headquarters of former Fort Benning
commander Gen. George S. Patton.
From between these buildings, new recruits
march to the adjacent parade field, also
visible from the windows, where graduation
ceremonies are held weekly. The parade
field on which new soldiers graduate is
consecrated with the soil of eight wars,
going back to the Battle ofYorktown.Again,
the past and the present are bridged.
Entering the Grand Hall, visitors find six
other galleries to explore, each covering a
different period of history.
• ENTERING THE NATIONAL STAGE:
The highlight of the gallery is a walk-through
trench from the First World War, with
lighting, sound, and video effects conveying
to the visitor a sense of what it must be like
to actually experience.
• A WORLD POWER: Covering the
Second World War, a video projected on a
semi-spherical screen, creating the effect of
a kinetic globe, sets the scene. Once inside
the main portion of the gallery, exhibits are
split, with the Pacific theater on one side
and the European theater on the other.
• THE COLD WAR: In the middle of this
gallery lies “In Country,” an experiential
journey through the jungles of Vietnam.
Like the WWI trench, it is an immersive
experience designed to emulate the most
frightening of conditions but in the safest of
environments..
For more than 15 years, Joe Kleiman (largeformattd@yahoo.com) has been involved in the giant screen and attractions industries.
During that time, he acted as head technician on the IMAX Ridefilm installation at Moody Gardens and as part of the teams respon-
sible for introducing IMAX 3D to Northern California and West Georgia. Most recently, he served as Director of Attractions for the
National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center during its first year of operation. Kleiman currently consults for giant screen filmmak-
ers and distributors on multiplatform distribution and writes professionally about the industry for a number of publications and very
unprofessionally about it on his blog (kinotechnologies.wordpress.com). He has started learning Mandarin Chinese.
The galleries are not just displays of artifacts: They are history lessons and personal experiences.
Photos courtesy of National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center

2. 16 T h e 1 7 t h A n n u a l T h e a A w a r d s p r e s e n t e d b y A E C O M
•THE SOLE SUPERPOWER: The majority of this gallery
is dedicated to the desert wars, including modern warfare
technology, such as night vision. A special display salutes those
who have fought as members of the National Guard.
The galleries are not just displays of both Infantry artifacts and
artifacts captured from foreign forces.They are history lessons
and personal experiences. Throughout the galleries individual
stories are related through graphics, audio and video.We begin
to see the soldier not just as an idea, but as a person.
Between the galleries, linking the generations, sits the Hall of
Valor, a glass-enclosed chamber lined with the visages of each
Infantryman to have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor,
the highest accolade that can be awarded for valor in action
against an enemy force. Finally, the Family Support Gallery
honors another group that makes the most difficult of sacrifices
during a deployment – the parents, spouse, and children of the
Infantryman.
The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center tells the
story of America through the eyes of the men who have fought
for their country’s freedom for the past 236 years. It succeeds
by connecting the soldiers of the past with those of the present
and the future.
17th Annual Thea Awards
Award for Outstanding Achievement
The National Infantry Museum
Columbus, Georgia USA
(Museum)
Owner
National Infantry Foundation
With grateful acknowledgement to Bradley-Turner Foundation
MG (Ret) Jerry A.White, President
Ben F.Williams, Jr., Executive Director
Col (Ret) Greg Camp, Exec.Vice President
Board of Directors
LTG (Ret) Carmen Cavezza, Director
Mike Gaymon, Director
Carole Rutland, Director
Sam Friedman, Director
Jack Pezold, Director
Frank Lumpkin III, Director
Tim Farmer, Director
Jerry Newman, Director
Jean Puckett, Director
Former Directors: Judge John Allen, Billy Blanchard, Rob Doll
National Infantry Foundation Advisory Board
GEN Edwin H. Burba, Jr., Chairman
GEN Barry R. McCaffrey,Vice-Chairman
National Infantry Foundation Staff
Cyndy Cerbin, Director of Communications
Dick Hagan, Operations Manager
Vickie Benton, Director of Events
MattYoung, Director of Education
Lora Warren, Director ofVolunteer Services
Mark Balsinger, IMAX Director
Dennis Register,Attractions Director
Mike McCabe, Dir. of InformationTechnology
Jane Bayer,Assoc Director of Development
Lauren Pastwik, Director of Sales
Laura Jefferson,Accounting Manager
Mike Bullard, Facilities Director
Lisa Ezzell, Office Manager
Sonya Bell,Administrative Services Manager
U.S. Army – Fort Benning Command and Staff
MG Robert B. Brown, Commanding General, US Army Maneuver Center of Excellence
MG Mike Ferriter, Former Commanding General
MG Michael Barbero, Former Commanding General
BG Bryan Owens, Commandant, US Army Infantry School
COLTerry Sellers, MCoE Chief of Staff
COL Charles Durr, Former MCoE Chief of Staff
COL (Ret) Bob Brown, Deputy Director Operations andTraining (G3)
CSM Chris Hardy, MCoE Command Sergeant Major
CSM Steven McClaflin, US Army Infantry School Command Sergeant Major
Stephen Allie, Maneuver Center of Excellence Museum Division Chief
Mike Criscillis, MCoE Deputy Museum Division Chief
Frank Hanner, Curator
Ed Annable, Chief Registrar
Jeff Reed,Arms Curator
Al Reid, Exhibits Specialist
Joseph Johnson, Exhibits Specialist
Jacob Cox, ExhibitsTechnician
U.S. Army Center of Military History
Dr. Jeffrey Clark, CMH Director
Dr. Charles Cureton, Director,Army Museums
J.Terry Dougherty,Acting Chief, Museums Division
The Ultimate Technology Solution
www.edwardstechnologies.com
National Infantry Museum & Soldier Center
along with
Christopher Chadbourne & Associates
We are honored to have been part of this
winning team!
Recipient of the 2011
THEA Award for
Outstanding Achievement
Congratulations!

3. T h e 1 7 t h A n n u a l T h e a A w a r d s p r e s e n t e d b y A E C O M 17
Newton Aaron and Associates
Project ManagementTeam
Newt Aaron, President
Phyllis Aaron, Exhibits Manager
Ryan Clements, Project Manager
Lord Cultural Resources
Master Planners
Barry Lord, Co-President
Batson-Cook
Builder/General Contractor
Raymond Moody, President / CEO
Randy Hall, SeniorV.P./General Manager (Atlanta Office)
Joe Appleton, SeniorV.P./General Manager (West Point office)
Paul Meadows, Project Executive
Eddie Sanders, Project Manager
Chuck Williams, Project Superintendent
BrandonYates, Project Scheduler
Rebecca Gaston, Marketing Coordinator
Tammy Childs, Assistant Project Manager
Chaitra Ziebarth, Project Administrative Assistant
Patrick Spinks, Project Engineer
Graphic and Video Production
Basset and Becker Advertising
Bill Becker, Co-Owner
Jack Basset, Co-Owner
Alison Hagler, Designer/Art Director
George Adkins, Designer
Sean Schoff,Web Developer
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Cyde McQuien, Partner
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KIS Creative
WendyTimmons, Partner
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Pope JohnsonVideo
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Dewayne Johnson, Partner
Phil Scoggins Productions
Phil Scoggins, Producer
Robbie Ross, Editor
Alan Matthews,Videographer
Architecture
Verner Johnson, Inc.
Brad Nederhoff, Principal-in-Charge
Verner Johnson, Founder
Glenn Remick, Project Architect, IMAXTheater
Anne Sullivan, Designer
Mike McHugh, Designer
Scott Mandeville, Designer
Jakob Jorgensen, IMAX designer
HBA, Inc. - Associated Architect
Bob Kidd, Principal
Ken Hughes,Architect
Kevin Loraas,Architect
Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc. - Structural Engineer
Blair Hanuschak, Principal
Brent Bandy, Principal
Newcomb & Boyd - Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, Security,Tel & Data
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Ed Murphy, Mechanical Engineer
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Davis Pullin Associates, LLC - Electrical Engineer
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LAM Partners - Lighting Consultant
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Jaffe Holden Acoustics, Inc. - Acoustics Consultant
Jerome Smith, Engineer
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Spiker Baldwin Associates, Inc. – Spec.Writer
Betty Spiker, Spec.Writer
French and Associates – Landscape Architect
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Jessica Webb, Landscape Architect
Exhibit Design
Christopher Chadbourne & Associates
Christopher Chadbourne, Creative Director
David Whitemyer, Production Manager
Brent Johnson, Lead Exhibit Designer
Jeffrey Stammen, Lead Graphic Designer
ValerieTaylor, Exhibit Developer
Ian Swope, Exhibit Designer
Rebecca Looney, Exhibit Developer
Claudia DuPont, Exhibit Designer
Christine Lefebvre, Graphic Designer
Lauren Rocco, Researcher
Bridget Sandison, Researcher
Elizabeth Skelton, Graphic Designer
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Theresa Brown, Exhibit Designer
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Exhibit Design Team
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Media Production
Creative Director/Director- Donna Lawrence
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Image Research- Lesley McShane
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Field Producer/Production Manager- Kay Milam
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Field Audio- Geoff Maxwell
Original Music Arrangement- Rachel Grimes
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Scenic Design- In-Depth Inc.
Pyramid Studios - Interactive Media
Dixie Hornstein, Producer
Bruce Hornstein,
Colonel Raymond K. Bluhm, Jr. USA Retired, Military Historian
Jessica Kantor, Computer Graphics
EricVetterick, Programmer
David Hall,Writer
Vince Hawkins,Writer
Matt Seelinger,Writer
Alfred Walker,The Park Group,Audio Production
Available Light - Exhibit Lighting
Steven Rosen, Principal-in-Charge
Matt Zelkowitz, Lighting Designer/Project Manager
Donald Christensen,Associate Designer
Ted Mather, Show Programming
Joel Plante,Assistant
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Rick Chamberlain, Managing Director
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Angela Connery, Office Manager

4. 1 8 T h e 1 7 t h A n n u a l T h e a A w a r d s p r e s e n t e d b y A E C O M
PPI Consulting - A/V Hardware
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Jiwoong Cheh, Head Sculptor
Radostin Mladenov, Sculptor
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Suanne Martin, Sculptor
Damian Masanz, Sculptor
Igor Zorkin, Sculptor
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Limor Gasko, Painter
Elisabeth Belominsky, Costumer
Steven Horak,Wig Maker
James O’Keeffe, Sculptor
Henry Cooke, Costume Reproduction
Colonel J. Rod Paschall - Writer/Historian
Museums/Tom Gille - Cost Estimation
Tom Gille, Sole Proprietor
Hal Buell - Image Researcher
Fabrication
Design Craftsmen, LLC –
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David Goodman, Project Director
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Karen Featherston, Project Manager
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Jason Kustra, Engineering Supervisor
Robert Cousineau, Production Supervisor
Leslie Fitzell, Graphic Supervisor
Martin Roznowski, Scenic Supervisor
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Electro-Mechanical – Don McMullen, Dana Osmun, Nathan Goretski
DCI Major Subcontractors
Military History Consultant - Col. Ray Bluhm
Scenic - In-Depth, Inc.
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Dale Russell-Graphic Supervisor.
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Artifact mounts- Sanders Museum Services
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Greg Mendez. - Senior mountmaker - lead mountmaker, installer
Tara Sanders Lowe - project coordinator
Carol Sanders - project coordinator on site
George Sanders - mountmaker steel mounts
Shane Reynolds - mountmaker armature mounts
Dion Hellyer - mountmaker, textiles
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Amanda Hamlin - mountmaker - textiles
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Brian Edwards: President/CEO
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ArnoldTang - Programmer
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Roger Goodman – Programmer
Acoustical Consultant:Akustiks
C. RussellTodd, Principal
On-site Architectural Metalwork - Diverse Mechanical, Inc.
Specialty Glass and Glazing - Oldcastle Glass
Luminore application - Precision Concepts
Graphic production - Meteor, LLC & Vista
Graphic mural installation - Grady Hinman
Lighting - Barbizon,Atlanta
Fiber Optic Lighting - Luxam International
Painting - Specialty Finishes
Electrical - Wayne J. Griffin
Karen Carr Studio
Karen Carr, Illustrator and President
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Specialty Suppliers-
Lighting Services International, Lighting
Integrity and Modern Metalcraft, Metalwork
Fulcrum Composites, Ceiling Panels
United Rentals, Columbus, Georgia
Luminore, Specialty Finish
Stewart Filmscreen, Projection Screen Supplier