From the Spanish American War of 1898, this display holds a Royale Spanish Officer tunic of the 7th Colonial Volunteer Regiment. At bottom, Royale Spanish Officer's Dress Cap with a light tan band around the cap and a centered Spanish cockade of three concentric half rings--red on the outer ring, yellow in the middle, and red on the inner ring.

Elsewhere in the area were Moro swords and shields from the Phillipines.

Among the usual rifle and grenade suspects in the WWI Gallery was a display on helmets the US Army considered using at its entry into the war.

At top: A British-American "Dish-pan." The US didn't consider using a steel helmet until 1917, and then bought 400,000 for immediate delivery from the Brits.

Left: American Experimental Helmet No. 8. Ford, the motor company, produced 1300 of them in 1918. The helmet could take a bullet from 800 yards and its wearer still be intact.

Center left: American Experimental Helmet No. 4: Several thousand "Liberty Bell" helmets were produced, but troops complained they were too heavy and that they looked like a "Chinese Fishing Hat."

Center right: American Experimental Helmet No. 6: This included a tilting dome reminiscent of a medieval jousting helmet. It was never placed in production. This particular model was produced by D. Tachaux of France, a country which knew a thing or two about medieval armor.

Right: Experimental Helmet Model 1917: The "Belgian Helmet" designed by M. Jean Dunand was considered too fragile.

More Fort Benning

Introduction
Outside: Tank and APC Park
Outside: Vehicle and Artillery Park
The Early Years: Jamestown to Mexican American War
The American Civil War: Yanks and Rebs
Spanish-American War to World War I
World War II to Vietnam
Special: US World War II 2.36-inch bazooka kit

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