Military & Veteran Resources
A museum that's one of only 20 in the country carrying an actual act-of-Congress national designation, and an Air National Guard base named for a Columbus-born Medal of Honor recipient who became America's top World War I flying ace.
National Veterans Memorial and Museum
Congress designated Columbus's National Veterans Memorial and Museum a national museum on June 21, 2018 -- only the 20th institution in the country to receive that status. Unlike most military museums, which center on battles and equipment, its exhibits focus on veterans' own personal stories, inside a 53,000-square-foot circular building designed by Allied Works Architecture with a visitor-accessible grass roof. It opened October 27, 2018, with a dedication address by former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base
Built during World War II as Lockbourne Army Airfield, the base was renamed in 1974 for Eddie Rickenbacker, a Columbus native, World War I fighter ace, and Medal of Honor recipient. It transferred to Air National Guard control in 1980 and today hosts the 121st Air Refueling Wing, flying KC-135R Stratotankers, as a joint civil-military facility that shares its runways with the cargo and passenger operations of Rickenbacker International Airport next door.