>>> THE 286,000 MILITANT VETERANS AND AMILIES HAVE A NEW MUSEUM MEMORIALIZING THEIR SERVICE.

THE MINNESOTA MILITANT AND VETERANS MUSEUM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES BUT IS NOW IN IN A NEW BRAND-NEW BUILDING SET TO OPEN SEPTEMBER 12TH.

KAOMI LEE GOT SNEAK PEEK.

>>> IN HUGO, LIVES AN 89-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER.

HER NAME IS KAY BAUER, AND SHE HAS HAD AN INCREDIBLE PAST.

>>> SEPTEMBER 28, 1958, IS WHEN I JOINED.

>>> THEN A 21-YEAR-OLD ST.

PAUL NATIVE, HAD NO IDEA SHE WOULD SPEND THE NEXT 35 YEARS OF HER LIFE IN THE NAVY.

OR BE SENT TO WAR.

>>> ONE OF THE STUDENT NURSES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA HAD SAID THAT THEY OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS, AND I KNEW NEEDED A SCHOLARSHIP TO FINISH OUT MY TIME AT St.

KATE'S UNIVERSITY.

>>> KAY FIRST SERVED AT A VA HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK.

ASSISTANTS IN GENTLEMAN PAP AND GUAM FOLLOWED AND THEN MENTOR ASKED HER TO GO TO VIETNAM.

>>> THEY CAME TO DROP US OFF AT THE AIRPORT.

LOOK AT THE AIRPORT.

AND JUST US.

THERE'S NOBODY THERE.

>>> SHE WAS ONE OF TWO NURSES, PART OF A SMALL, ELITE MEDICAL TEAM, BASED IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM DURING THE WAR.

THEY WERE EMBEDDED IN A REMOTE VILLAGE WITH VIETNAMESE ARMY SOLDIERS AND LOCALS FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR.

>>> WE WORKED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

NURSES DON'T STAY IN THE HOSPITAL.

DON'T STAY ON BASE.

>>> OLD PHOTOS AND LETTERS SPARK VIVID MEMORIES OF FRIENDS AND A CULTURE.

WORKING IN AN O.R., SOME MEMORIES ARE TOO PAINFUL.

SHE ESPECIALLY REMEMBERS THE CHILDREN SHE MET.

>>> LOOK AT HIM.

THEY'RE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE REMEMBERED ANY OF THIS.

BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET THEM.

>>> SOON, THERE WILL BE A 40,000-SQUARE-FOOT MUSEUM SO MINNESOTANS NEVER FORGET PEOPLE LIKE KAY.

>>> HI, ARE YOU RANDALL?

>>> I AM.

>>> RANDALL IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW MINNESOTA MILITARY AND VETERANS MUSEUM, LOCATED NEXT TO CAMP RIPLEY AND CEMETERY.

HE SAYS THE 40-MILLION MUSEUM WILL BE THE FINEST AND HE HOPES MINNESOTA'S VETERANS WILL SEE THEMSELVES AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ELEVATED.

>>> THE KIND OF SACRIFICE AND SERVICE THEY RENDERED OVER THE YEARS.

THEY HAVE HELD IN THEIR HEART AND THEIR HEAD FOR SO MANY YEARS.

I HOPE THAT WHEN THEY COME, THEY'LL SEE THAT REFLECTED HERE.

>>> STORIES ABOUT TEAMWORK, GRIT AND OVERCOMING OBSTACLES WILL BE ON DISPLAY.

OVER THE YEARS, THE MUSEUM HAS COLLECTED COUNTLESS ITEMS DONATED BY VETERANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS.

HE SAYS THEY'LL NOW BE PRESERVED IN ARCHIVES, VISIBLE THROUGH GLASS.

>>> HOW MANY PIECES OF -- >>> YEAH, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ARTIFACTS ARE ALREADY IN OUR CARE.

OUR MUSEUM HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS.

>>> BUT NOT LIKE THIS.

EACH GALLERY SPACE WILL BE DEDICATED TO A IFRNTER YA FROM WORLD WAR I TO THE MIDDLE EST.

>>> A STEWART TANK FROM WORLD WAR II WOULD HAVE BEEN A TANK INDICATIVE FROM WHAT THE ABOUT HOW WIDE IN BRAINERD, MINNESOTA WOULD HAVE BEEN RELYING UPON FOR THEIR PROTECTION.

>>> OVERHEAD IS A WORLD WAR II TRAINER/GLIDER AND A HELICOPTER FROM THE 1970 "MASH" MOVIE SET FROM THE KOREAN WAR.

IT IS ONE OF MINNESOTA'S MOST CELEBRATED MILITANT MEMBERS, JOHN WILLIAM VESSE.

HE SERVED IN WORLD WAR II, VIETNAM, AND IS THE NATION'S TENTH CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF TAFF FOR PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN.

HE DIED A DECADE AGO AT AGE 94.

>>> WE'RE IN THE ARTIFACTS AND ARCHIVES SECTION OF THE MUSEUM.

>>> OKAY.

>>> AND RIGHT HERE WE HAVE THE COLLECTION OF ENERAL JOHN VESSE, ARTIFACTS FROM HIS ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER.

>>> CURATOR DOUG THOMPSON SHOWS ME SOME OF THE GENERAL'S THINGS.

>>> WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM UNIFORMS, GIFTS FROM HEADS OF STATE, PAPERWORK, PHOTOGRAPHS.

>>> EVEN HIS POST MILITANT VFW HAT.

IT'S ALL HOUSED IN THE CRAMPED QUARTERS OF THE CURRENT MUSEUM ARCHIVES AT CAMP RPLEY.

KAY BAUER PLANS TO VISIT THE MUSEUM WHEN IT OPENS.

SHE'LL BE JOINED BY OTHER FEMALE VIETNAM VETERANS IN MINNESOTA.

SHE SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO SERVED IN VIETNAM.

TO BE WELCOMED HOME.

>>> COULD YOU SAY THAT THE MUSEUM IS ALSO HEALING WOUNDS?

>>>