With a contest that came down to the wire, it’s no exaggeration to say that every single vote cast in the recently completed USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards made a difference. To thank the community for its enthusiastic support in naming the National Infantry Museum the Best Free Museum in America a Victory is SWEET party was held on Friday, September 9.

Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, Maneuver Center of Excellence Chief of Infantry BG Pete Jones and National Infantry Museum Foundation Chairman Carmen Cavezza made brief remarks. Patriotic music, performances by Spencer high school drummers and free cake for everyone made the celebration a huge success. Cakes were donated by Midtown Cakes, Walmart and Publix.

“When we watched the museum move into first place just hours before voting ended, we knew our supporters had mobilized themselves for a final surge,” National Infantry Museum Foundation President Greg Camp said. “They refused to settle for second place. And now we want to say ‘thank you,’ because this distinction will go a long way toward building national recognition of this museum and the Soldiers it honors.”

National recognition has grown steadily since the $110 million museum opened in 2009. The museum won a prestigious global award from the Themed Entertainment Industry in 2011. In 2014, USA Today’s travel writers included the National Infantry Museum in a list of Top Ten Military Museums. The museum is #1 among Columbus attractions on TripAdvisor, with more than 90 percent of the 1,400 reviewers giving it a full five-star rating.

“People are often surprised to find a museum of this caliber in Columbus, Georgia,” Cavezza said. “But Fort Benning has long been known as the Home of the Infantry, and so it made perfect sense for this world-class tribute to be erected right here, where Infantrymen and their families can get immersed in the legacy every day.”

The 190,000-square-foot National Infantry Museum contains a collection of nearly 30,000 priceless artifacts documenting the Infantry story, which dates to 1775. Its signature attraction, the Last 100 Yards, features life-size vignettes of eight of the most important battles in Infantry history. Galleries tell the stories of the training of a Soldier, the Medals of Honor awarded to Infantrymen, and the sacrifices loved ones make in support of the military. Era galleries trace the most important periods of Infantry history, engaging visitors of all ages with high-tech, immersive displays. The museum’s campus includes an authentic World War II Company Street with seven restored buildings that were constructed on Fort Benning during the build-up to World War II. There is a Memorial Walk of Honor paying tribute to Infantry units and organizations and a Vietnam Memorial Plaza, featuring a ¾-scale replica Vietnam Wall. Plans are underway for a 2017 dedication of a large-scale memorial to those who gave their lives in the Global War on Terrorism.

Every week, trainees transition into America’s newest Soldiers during formal graduation ceremonies on the adjacent Inouye Field. These public ceremonies are not only moments of pride for the families of the graduates, they are living and moving testimonials that enhance the general public’s appreciation of the United States Armed Forces.