National Museum of the United States Army
Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Tanks, guns, helicopters, dioramas with military dummies, a World War I walk-thru trench, the battered engine from one of the "Blackhawk Down" helicopters, Sergeant York's dented helmet, and the feather bonnet of I-See-O, a helpful Kiowan scout who was granted a lifetime U.S. Army enlistment.
This is one of those museums defined by its abundance of artifacts. Some of the many notable examples: a stuffed hero homing pigeon from World War I; melted coins from the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon; a rifle fired by Lewis and Clark "to impress American Indian tribes;" Douglas MacArthur's custom-designed general's hat; pajamas worn by a Vietnam War POW; battered solar cells launched into space on an early Vanguard satellite; an Oscar awarded to a 1946 Army documentary, "Seeds of Destiny;" and a twisted piece of the tower from the Trinity atomic bomb blast site.