Today is Armed Forces Day and an appropriate time to announce a major proposed project to honor and preserve the heritage and history of the military in our state.

The North Dakota Military Museum is still in the proposed and planning stages but we believe it would be an important asset to this state.

The proposed up-to-60,000-square-foot facility, a joint effort of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the North Dakota National Guard, would be an addition to the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum on the Capitol grounds in Bismarck.

There are many good reasons for North Dakota to have a premier military museum. After all, this is a military state. North Dakota has 50,000-plus veterans, 3,000-plus Army National Guard and 1,000-plus Air National Guard, 7,000-plus active-duty Air Force, and 200-plus Reserve including Army, Navy and Marine, and 12,000-plus military family members. There’s also ROTC programs.

Not only would this facility tell the story about the current military members but our state’s many years of military history. We think it would be a facility to preserve this history and share it with citizens and visitors, and strengthen the ties between cultures and communities.

Right now, a feasibility study is being conducted to determine the interest in such a facility and the support for raising private funds.

We look forward to the results of that study and, if it looks favorable, forward movement with the project.