1980-2004

Funding museum a battle

During his Army career, Gen. James J. Lindsay commanded the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, the 18th Airborne Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command.

He said his "nastiest fight" came not on the battlefield, but in Congress. In 1991, he helped lobby for $4 million in federal funds for a proposed $12 million Airborne & Special Operations Museum.

The battle for funding was just one of many in the 18-year effort to build the museum.

Lindsay

Along the way there were spats between paratroopers and special operations forces. "The red berets didn't want to join up with the green berets," Lindsay said.

There were disagreements over funding and where to build the museum.

Through it all, one of Lindsay's allies was a beer distributor, F.A. "Fritz" Healy.

Ironically, Healy aided a cause that ended up putting some of his customers out of business and pushed others out of downtown.

In 1982, Lindsay and Healy, then chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, met to discuss a military museum. Healy proposed that all the commands at Fort Bragg get behind one world-class museum.

A foundation was formed to raise money. Healy and other businessmen contributed about $2 million.

On Nov. 1, 1996, those gathered to break ground for an Airborne & Special Operations Museum on Fort Bragg gave Lindsay a standing ovation for his work.

The same year, architect Robert Marvin presented his downtown revitalization plan. The plan was intended to be the capstone of the city's effort to change the downtown's sin-and-suds image. Marvin proposed $28 million in public spending on downtown improvements, including construction of a lake and park.

Downtown cleanup

Fayetteville's downtown cleanup efforts started in 1983 with the razing of the south side of the 500 block of Hay Street and construction of a medical office building. In 1995, the south side of the 400 block of Hay Street - including the infamous Rick's Lounge - was demolished for a new police station.

As the city tore down buildings, efforts to erect the museum on Fort Bragg stalled. Construction costs were higher than expected. Organizers were concerned that Fort Bragg officials would restrict access to the post.

City officials offered an alternative: Build the museum downtown. Their offer also came with some cash.

Several sites were considered before the museum group and the City Council settled on the north side of the 500 block of Hay Street, the last block of downtown bars.

On June 23, 1998, many of the same dignitaries who attended the 1996 museum groundbreaking on Fort Bragg gathered on the 500 block of Hay Street. A backhoe tore down the last bar marquee, the 82nd Airborne Division Band played, and a paratrooper descended with the American flag.

On Aug. 16, 2000 - National Airborne Day - the museum officially opened to thousands.

The day captured an atmosphere Gen. Jack Keane had predicted at the 1996 groundbreaking.

"As people walk into it - particularly as troopers walk into it - there will be echoes in the halls and the chambers of that special spirit, of that commitment to excellence."

504th Parachute Infantry Regiment troops await the unveiling of a stone to honor three fallen comrades at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum.