By Marcy Shortuse • Photos by Marcy Shortuse & Caroline Clabaugh
As an American, there are few things as
moving in this world as the stark recognition
of the hundreds of thousands of
people who have died for your freedom. A walk
through the Military Heritage Museum in Punta
Gorda may easily turn into a several-hour stay, as
you are presented with information, time and
time again, that shows just how important our
United States soldiers have been in our lives.
Not many people know about this museum,
which was once located in Fishermen’s Village. It
is now located just across the parking area from
the iconic shopping mall, and what was once
one small corner of that property is now a twostory
museum that is a work in progress.
The first floor is dedicated to the preservation
of the history of all wars, and the collection of
memorabilia, uniforms and other accoutrement
is startling in its scope. Earlier this year there was
a special tribute to the Seminole Wars that
encompassed the entire hallway of the “Special
Exhibits Hall.” The museum worked with
Florida’s Seminole tribes to make the exhibit as
complete as it could be, to give people a better
understanding of this little-discussed conflict that
took place from 1816 to 1858.
Galleries are broken down into different
sections: The 18th - 19th century gallery that
includes some of the earliest milestones in our
military history, including information and
Some of the military relics at the museum include the “Memphis Belle” and this replica of a POW cage from Vietnam.