By Maryland Military Department
The Maryland Military Department will honor the Maryland National Guard’s long tradition of service to the state and nation with a historic World War II mural unveiling and a Maryland 400 dedication ceremony during the reopening of the Maryland Museum of Military History, located at the Fifth Regiment Armory, on Sept. 2, 2025.
Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, adjutant general for Maryland, will host the Maryland 400 Memorialization ceremony, a dedication of the former Officers’ Regimental Lounge to be named after the Maryland 400. Nearly 250 years ago, a group of Maryland Army National Guard soldiers called the Maryland 400 sacrificed themselves at the Battle of Brooklyn to save Gen. George Washington’s army and the cause of independence during the Revolutionary War. The 175th Infantry Regiment, which traces its lineage directly to the Maryland 400, once called the room its regimental lounge, therefore making the dedication a fitting tribute.
The WWII mural called Arsenal of Democracy painted by soldiers Clarence S. McWilliams and Frank Schwartzlander was rescued from demolition with the help of the civilian volunteers of the Maryland Defense Force, MMD museum staff, Fort Meade Garrison personnel and generous donors, so the 35-by-40-foot painting could be professionally restored and displayed. Kirk McWilliams from Pittsburgh, whose father painted the mural in 1943 depicting American Soldiers, workers and families united in the war effort in the form of a “V” for victory, will be at the unveiling with his family.
“The mural is more than just art,” said Barbara Taylor, director of the Maryland Museum of Military History. “It is a vital piece of our state history that illustrates the spirit and sacrifices of Americans made to support the war effort.”
The event also marks the reopening of the Maryland Museum of Military History’s renovated Civil War, World War II and Global War on Terror rooms. The Civil War Room features the original bass drum of Walter Russell, who enlisted at age 16 and kept cadence at the Battle of Antietam in 1862. His drum, pierced by shrapnel during the fighting in America’s bloodiest single day of battle, was donated by Chris Bloom from Oregon. The WWII gallery tells the story of Marylanders who fought with the 29th Infantry Division and the expanded Global War on Terror exhibits highlights the Maryland National Guard’s most recent service overseas deployments and domestic missions at home. Retired Capt. Joseph Shaffer from West Virginia, who donated a large personal collection for a new Iraq War exhibit, will be in attendance for the ceremony along with Mr. Bloom.
The Maryland Center for Military History maintains the state’s military heritage, in particular National Guard members, from 1634 to their present-day operations through museum exhibits, educational programs and public outreach.
The Maryland Museum of Military History preserves and displays artifacts from the Maryland National Guard’s storied past inside the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore. Exhibits highlight the Guard’s dual mission, showcasing service from the colonial era through the Revolutionary War, Civil War and the World Wars as well as recent mobilizations at home and abroad.