Airborne and Special Operations Museum
celebrated its first birthday Thursday.
The event was called Airborne Heritage Day -- an annual day of remembrance for soldiers, veterans and their families. The museum's grounds buzzed with activity from the All American Freefall and Green Beret Sport Parachute to the unveiling of a special exhibit featuring Major General William Lee, a native of Dunn.
In its first year, the museum has entertained visitors from every state and more than three dozen countries.
So far, more than 265,000 visitors have walked through the museum's doors. That number is 15,000 more than expected.
"A large portion of these visitors are from out of town, they're bringing their money into Fayetteville and getting to see the museum and Airborne history as well," says Patrick Tremblay, the museum's marketing coordinator.
Seventy-three-year-old Fred Frimit, a World War II veteran who volunteers at the museum, says events like Airborne Heritage Day can teach young minds a lesson that they can't learn in a classroom.
"It put us back in the history books because there isn't too much in the history book anymore as to what happened in World War II and afterwards," he says.
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