SAN ANTONIO – The Fort Sam Houston Museum shares history and memories of the historic post by preserving and displaying uniforms dating back to the 1840s.
"You start with one uniform that fits all purposes, and then over the years, the developing of different types of uniforms," museum director Jackie Davis said. "So a dress uniform for dressing up in, a service uniform for fighting in."
As visitors walk through the museum, they learn about the post's history in chronological order.
"Combat uniforms is a new concept -- a uniform that is specifically meant to be fought in," Davis said.
Davis is also part of the post's history.
"Some of these I can look at and tell and know what it feels like to wear them," said Davis, who joined the army in 1971.
"At the time I joined, women were not allowed to wear a field uniform. We only could wear skirts. No pants," Davis said.
She served in Afghanistan and has seen the evolution of uniforms.
"During the desert war, we had what they called the chocolate chip camouflage. It's a very complicated pattern, six different colors in there. So it's an expensive uniform to make," she said. "So by the time of going to the war of terrorism, we had reduced that down to (another) camouflage pattern."
Davis spends time giving visitors a sneak peek into the past and her life.
"Most of the people that come here served one time in the past, or had a family member that served here in the past. So they always want to talk about that," Davis said.
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