WASHINGTON - U.S. senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today attended the opening of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center in Columbus, Ga.

“Today is a proud day for the men and women of the infantry and our nation,” said Chambliss, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The National Infantry Museum will provide a vivid reminder of the sense of duty, bravery, and honor our service members and Infantrymen have demonstrated throughout military history. I am pleased to have the opportunity to take part in the opening of this museum, which will give our infantrymen and women their due.”

“It is a privilege to attend today’s grand opening of the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center,” said Isakson, a member of the Senate Veterans’’ Affairs Committee. “The infantry deserves an appropriate place to showcase its rich history, and I’m pleased we now have this remarkable facility to make people aware of the immense sacrifices its soldiers have made for our nation.”

Last fall, Chambliss and Isakson were instrumental in passing legislation, the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Commemorative Coin Act, which authorized 350,000 silver coins to be issued in 2012 to honor soldiers and commemorate the construction of the National Infantry Museum. Money raised through the sale of the coins will go toward establishing an endowment to support the maintenance of the new museum.

The new National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park is a state-of-the-art facility constructed to tell the story of America’s infantry. For more information, please visit www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com.