44 NOVEMBER 2018 By Mallory Gleich W alking into the courtyard of the Arizona Military Museum, you can feel a sense of nostalgia even before stepping through the large wooden doors housing Arizona’s military history. The museum is located near the cross streets of McDowell Road and 52nd, at the Papago Military Base. Papago Park was used for military purposes starting over a hundred years ago in 1909. The adobe building itself is a part of Arizona’s military history. Constructed in 1936 as part of the Works Projects Administration, the building was the arsenal room for the National Guard until World War II, and later served as a maintenance building for the Papago POW Camp (see page 47). The structure now houses 7,000 square feet of wartime memorabilia, dating back to the Spanish Conquistadors. Opening the doors and heading down the small ramp, you’ll be stepping back in time. The walls are adorned with posters depicting tidbits from Arizona’s wartime history. Another room houses a Vietnam-era helicopter. The museum’s display cases house artifacts from different time periods and conflicts in which Arizona participated, including: Conquistadors, Spanish- Colonial and Mexican periods, U.S.-Mexican War, Civil War, Arizona Territory, and Indian Wars, Spanish- American War, On the Border, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the history of the USAAF, USAF, and the Air National Guard, War on Terror, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Women in the Military and Medal of Honor. The Vietnam War section of the museum holds a special significance. The director of the museum is Joe Abodeely, who was a combat infantry unit commander with the 1 st Air Cavalry Division during the Tet Offensive in 1968. He was instrumental in starting the museum and is dedicated to bringing public awareness and attention to those who fought in that war. The Military Museum is located within the Papago Park Military Reservation. It opened its doors in 1981 with the help of the Arizona National Guard. Before then, the museum was used as a maintenance shop in the prisoner of war camp at Papago Park during World War II. Approximately half a History close to home The museum has displays for every era of Arizona military history. PHOTOS: GABE C. TURNER The structure now houses 7,000 square feet of wartime memorabilia, dating back to the Spanish Conquistadors. History close to home History close to home

45 NOVEMBER 2018 million prisoners of war worked and lived in the United States from 1942 to 1946. Around 3,100 German prisoners were stowed at Papago Park at one point in time, and a small number of them attempted to escape the barbed wire walls that were their home. “The Great Papago Escape,” as it became known, is the story of 25 German Navy Officers who escaped from the Papago POW Camp (see page 46). In the end, almost all of them were caught, but the event still remains an extraordinary one in Arizona history. The memorabilia that lines the multiple rooms within the museum was donated by private parties, the National Guard and the Center for Military History. The museum is run by volunteers and is open on the weekends from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Guests are welcome to browse by themselves or set up a group tour. For more: goo.gl/prjkRn. Drive east on McDowell Road past 52nd St. and take the first left on Bushmaster. You will need a photo I.D. to enter the AZ Army National Guard base. Some displays feature local icons, like Geronimo and Barry Goldwater. The ZPU was a type of anti-aircraft machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and was used by the United States in multiple conflicts, including the Vietnam War. 101 & TA L K I N G S T I C K WAY | S C O T T S DA L E 4 8 0 . 8 5 0 .7 7 7 7 | TA L K I N G S T I C K R E S O R T.C O M Locally owned and caringly operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Talking Stick Resort invites you to play like never before. Amp up your visit with world-class gaming, award-winning dining and unrivaled luxuries. Come experience the electrifying energy of Scottsdale’s ultimate entertainment destination – and Play in Style ™ . • Award of Excellence , Travelocity • Best Casino , Phoenix New Times • Best Restaurant View at Dusk (Orange Sky), AZCentral JOB #: 18872-17_TSR_AmplifyYourPlay_5x6 · Client: Talking Stick Resort · Agency: RIESTER Trim: 5" x 6" · Bleed: N/A · Live: N/A · Color: CMYK · Pub: Arcadia News Insertion Date: 11/01/18 · Due Date: 10/12/18 · Contact: Bill Robbins · brobbins@riester.com AMPLIFY YOUR PLAY 18872-17_TSR_AmplifyYourPlay_5x6.indd 1 10/12/18 10:40 AM