Frequently Asked Questions

Below is a list of the most common questions e-mailed or left on the guest books of the Quartermaster Museum and Quartermaster Foundation. Because of limited resources the Quartermaster Museum answers inquiries from the general public as time is available (requests from U.S. Government agencies will be given priority). Do not expect an immediate response to an e-mail request for information.

The best way to contact the museum is by mail at:

Quartermaster Museum
OQMG USA Quartermaster Center
1201 22nd Street
Fort Lee, VA 23801-1601

Submit your request with as much detail as possible.

What information can you provide me on K Rations, Army Parachute riggers, war dogs, the Ike Jacket, Graves Registration, etc.?

The Quartermaster Museum has a wide range of materials available on current and former Quartermaster missions. The first place to look for this information is the Quartermaster History Page which contains links to most of the basic information on Quartermaster missions. Three pages in particular hold a wealth of historical information on current missions: They are; Aerial Delivery and Parachute Riggers History Page; Mortuary Affairs History Page; Petroleum & Water History and the Subsistence and Army Cook History Page.

You many refer to the Collections page for an overview of material available at the museum.

If you can’t find the specific information that your are looking for on these pages the Quartermaster Museum recommends that you:

Write: Quartermaster Museum, OQMG USA Quartermaster Center, 1201 22nd Street, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1601. Submit your request with as much detail as possible.

Because of limited staff resources the museum is not normally able to do more than provide basic information on a subject.

Visit: For detailed research the museum staff recommends that you visit the museum. The Museum library and archives are available for researchers by appointment. No materials may be removed from the building, however. The library/archives are closed Mondays, weekends, and holidays. Call (804) 734-4203 for an appointment.

Can you provide me information on the Quartermaster Company, Battalion, Regiment?

Most of these questions relate to the World War II period when there were over 3,000 Quartermaster units in existence. The Quartermaster Museum has information on only a handful of Quartermaster units. Some information may be found at the following websites:

Army Quartermaster Units; collection of basic resources for Quartermaster Unit History on this website
Distinguished Units of the Quartermaster Regiment (DUOR); a listing of current and former Quartermaster units inducted into the DUOR program. Most units listed on this page have links to their Lineage and Honors information
Quartermaster Distinctive Unit Insignia ; describes the insignia for 11 active duty Quartermaster units
The Organizational History Branch, US Army Center of Military History maintains a webpage with a hot-linked listing of the lineage and honors for a few Quartermaster units

My father, grandfather, uncle, brother, etc. served in the Quartermaster Corps in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, etc. Do you have any information on him?

It is very unlikely that the Quartermaster Museum has information on that one person out of the millions of men and women who have served in the Quartermaster Corps over the years. Most biographical information in the museum holdings are limited to senior leaders such as the Quartermaster Generals or to Quartermaster Medal of Honor recipients.

You may want to try the master index of Army records on the Center of Military History homepage or contact the Military Personnel Records Center, National Archives and Records Administration. All requests must be in writing. Their URL is http://www.nara.gov/regional/mpr.html

I'm a Collector/Reenactor and would like to know more information about insignia, equipment, supplies developed/issued by the Quartermaster Corps in the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War II, etc.

The Quartermaster museum has a wealth of information on Army clothing and equipment specifications, military insignia, etc. Basic information may be found on the following webpages on this site:

Army Clothing History; overview on Army uniforms from 1774 to the 1950s
Army Heraldry History; basic information on the research, design and development of distinctive unit insignia, shoulder sleeve insignia (patches), flags, medals, seals, coats of arms and other heraldic items for the Army
Army Rations/Subsistence/Food/Cooks History; history of Army rations until the 1950s, overview of Army Food Service operations
Army Remount Service; procurement and training of horses, mules and dogs
Refer to the Collections page for an overview of material available at the museum

Write: Quartermaster Museum, OQMG USA Quartermaster Center, 1201 22nd Street, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1601. Submit your request with as much detail as possible.

Because of limited staff resources the museum is not normally able to do more than provide basic information on a subject.

Why don't I see much historical information on Quartermasters in Vietnam, Panama, Desert Storm, Bosnia etc.?

Articles, photographs and materials posted on this website come from the Quartermaster Museum library. This library has a rich collection of material from the World War II and Korean War period. Much of this material came from the library of Office of the Quartermaster General and from the excellent historical program that the Quartermaster Corps maintained in the 1940s and 50s. Unfortunately there is very limited material in this library for conflicts and contingency operations that took place after 1962.

In 1962 the Office of The Quartermaster General in Washington D.C. was disbanded when the Defense Department was reorganized along functional lines. Responsibility for Army logistic support was given to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics with wholesale responsibilities delegated to the Army Material Command. The newly formed Defense Supply Agency (later renamed the Defense Logistics Agency) took over management of the supply items common to more than one service that were formerly under the control of the Quartermaster Corps.