A Prussian helmet on display at the Devens Museum  (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

To follow the history of Fort Devens is to follow the history of America's military through the 20th century. Opening as Camp Devens in 1913 and closing as Fort Devens in 1996, the base prepared soldiers for duty in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War, as well as a wide range of peacetime assignments. Nowhere is this history more evident than among the exhibits of the Fort Devens Museum.

The museum, tucked away in three rooms on the third floor of an office building on Jackson Road, boasts a collection of uniforms, equipment, photos, documents, weapons, and other artifacts from life on the base and in the trenches.

"But what we have here isn't just a collection of weapons and training equipment," said executive director Kara Fossey. "This really is a story about people."

As part of its proposal to redevelop Vicksburg Square, former military housing in Devens, into rental apartments, developer Trinity Financial plans to renovate the old theater at Vicksburg Square as a new home for the Fort Devens Museum. Trinity's plans call for a three-tiered layout with a ramp in between leading to the stage, which would remain for talks and other events.

The proposal, however, requires a vote on zoning changes from the town meetings of Harvard, Shirley, and Ayer. That vote is tentatively scheduled for March 28.

The museum Board of Directors has endorsed Trinity's plan, from a perspective of historical preservation. The plan would also achieve the museum's long-term goal of finding a permanent location.

Fossey and museum board president C. David Gordon showed the Press around the museum last week.

During a recent tour of the Devens Museum, President of the Board of Directors C. David Gordon and Executive Director Kara Fossey explain that Fort Devens was still active during Desert Storm, the first Gulf War.

A look inside the cavalry trunk of James Marshall, a Massachusetts native who fought in World War I.

Incorporated in 2001, the museum collects and displays artifacts from every stage of the base's history. The main exhibit room follows that history in a roughly chronological order. Devens began in 1913 as a training and processing center for soldiers during World War I and was made a permanent post in 1931, thanks largely to the effort of congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers. During World War II, Fort Devens again served as a training center and a demobilizing center for troops returning to New England.

One of the most popular exhibits in the museum deals with prisoners of war held at Devens between 1944 and 1946, Fossey said.

"As far as we can tell, they were treated very well," she said.

Among the POW artifacts is a photo of prisoners working in a local apple orchard. About 5,000 POWs were interned at Devens, most of them captured in the North African and Italian theaters.

Another exhibit is about the Army Security Agency training center that was based on Devens. Elsewhere, uniforms from different eras show the changes in design and camouflage over the years. Most of the items in the museum's collection were donated by veterans who came through Devens, or their family members.

"They want to see that [their donations] are being taken care of," Gordon said.

Former Devens residents and their families make up a significant portion of the museum's audience, Fossey said. It also draws military history enthusiasts and those with a general interest in local history. Last year, Fossey said, the museum hosted about 1,500 visitors.

One growth area for visitors, Fossey said, is school trips. The museum recently hosted field trips from Ayer Shirley Middle School and the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Harvard.

"That's something that we really, really want to continue," Fossey said.

Whether or not the museum moves to the theater location depends on the outcome of the super town meeting vote. The museum, which currently rents space from MassDevelopment (the agency responsible for developing the former base) at a highly discounted rate, can't afford the move on its own. Nevertheless, museum officials plan to move forward with plans to expand programming to include things like guest speakers and multimedia exhibit elements. And the hunt will resume for a new home.

"We do realize in order to really get moving, we need to have a permanent home that's not on the third floor of an office building," Gordon said.

The Fort Devens Museum is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is also seeking volunteers. Those interested in volunteering may call 978-772-1286 or visit www.fortdevensmuseum.org/BecomeInvolved.php.