OK Military History Center inspires

The Oklahoma Military History Center's 2,700 items on display are more than relics from a bygone era.

Instead, they're artifacts telling the stories of thousands of military service members who were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The museum is the second-most-visited attraction in Broken Arrow, says Brigadier Gen. (Ret.) Thomas Mancino, President of the Military History Center Board, according to Travelocity.

"All of these artifacts tell a story. All those stories relate to a service man who served his country and the State of Oklahoma, many of whom gave their lives," Mancino said.

He says the connection between the stories and today's reality is important.

"And you're only going to get that when you visit a place that you can actually see artifacts and stories of those original service men and women," said Mancino.

Many of the items are donated to the museum posthumously. Col. Robert Powell, Jr., is the founder of the Military History Center, and his collection includes more than 200 items that he donated to the center.

"We try to exhibit uniforms and items that have an Oklahoma connection," Mancino said. "Many of our items here are from Broken Arrow people, but most of them have an Oklahoma connection."

The center also has the most extensive military history library in northeastern Oklahoma.

"We have over 6,000 volumes, and depending on the success of our bond issue, by the time that comes, we'll have 10,000 volumes in our museum library," he said.

In addition, at 83 years young, Mancino ensures that military history isn't just confined to the walls of the museum. He often visits Broken Arrow High School and talks with students about his service in Afghanistan.

"Our motto is promoting patriotism through the preservation of military history," he said. "We do a lot of programs through the schools. And a lot of schools send their students down to check out our library books."

The Military History Center is located in Broken Arrow's Rose District in what was once the Franklin Memorial Hospital, built in 1942. The facility is showing its age, and the collection is simultaneously outgrowing its space.

"You won't find 100 feet of space that's not occupied," Mancino said. "We're absolutely outgrowing it with the amount of donations that come in. I don't want to get to the point where I tell someone that we can't take their donations. Because otherwise, it goes to a garage sale or people throw it out."

A new Military History Center facility is one of the projects under consideration for inclusion in the 2026 General Obligation Bond package.

"A bigger building will allow me to rotate more items, have more items on display, and have adequate storage for items that we don't display," Mancino said.

The Military History Center is arranged chronologically by wars. Each of the uniforms displayed contributes to that chronology.

"A bigger place will allow me to have kind of specified exhibits which we can rotate. And so that is another reason we are hoping for a larger place," said Mancino.

"The building is a great building, and the city's been wonderful about it, but it's aging," he said as he pointed to cracks in the concrete basement floor. "It's a 1942 building with a basement that leaks. So, we're looking forward to the public approving a new building on the bond issue."

However, before the public votes on the General Obligation Package in April 2026, the City Council will face a difficult decision on which projects to include in each proposition. The project list for the bond is expected to be finalized sometime in December or January.

If approved by the voters, the bond will generate approximately $400 million for improvements, while roughly $600 million in projects are under consideration for inclusion in the bond package. The Council is also considering a possible eighth proposition that will fund improvements to the city's sports facilities.

But Mancino has confidence in Broken Arrow voters and says the city has a long history of supporting bond projects.

"The bond is not going to increase your sales tax; it's a municipal bond," he said. "I think the items there are necessary for the growth of Broken Arrow, whether they vote for our particular issue or not. They should come out and vote."

Every vote counts, especially on bond issues, he says.

"The people that live here are invested in the community, and they are also very supportive of the military," Mancino said. "As you can see by the Veterans Center and Veterans Park. But anybody who thinks, well, I don't need to vote needs to understand that sometimes elections are won by just single-digit votes."

For more information about the Military History Center in Broken Arrow, visit okmhc.org.