Signed “Good Luck Flag” - 寄せ書き日の丸 (Yosegaki Hinomaru)
From the Collection

Signed “Good Luck Flag” - 寄せ書き日の丸 (Yosegaki Hinomaru)

Eevery brushstroke carries the weight of a nation at war. This yosegaki hinomaru, signed for soldier Toshio Yoshikawa and carried home by Sgt. Lynn Hazelbaker, speaks with the voices of both Japan’s farewell and America’s victory.
Museum Collection: The M29C 81mm Mortar: Instant Thunder from the Sky
From the Collection

Museum Collection: The M29C 81mm Mortar: Instant Thunder from the Sky

The M29 series became the backbone of U.S. infantry fire support, but it was the M29C variant that saw its heaviest use in the jungles, rice paddies, and firebases of the Vietnam War. Designed to be portable yet devastating.
Museum Collection Artifact: XM177E2 “Colt Commando” Carbine (Model 629)
From the Collection

Museum Collection Artifact: XM177E2 “Colt Commando” Carbine (Model 629)

Much like the famed Fairbairn-Sykes dagger of WWII commandos, or the Thompson submachine gun of paratroopers, the Commando embodied a spirit of daring. To see it slung across a soldier’s chest was to know he was no ordinary infantryman.
Blade of the Brown Water War: A SEAL’s Mk2 Fighting Knife
From the Collection

Blade of the Brown Water War: A SEAL’s Mk2 Fighting Knife

Wrapped in tape, scarred with rust, and strapped with flares, this Mk2 knife isn’t just an artifact—it’s a survivor of the Mekong. Carried by a U.S. Navy SEAL in Vietnam, it speaks to the brutal, close-quarters fight waged in the rivers and jungles.
Ghosts of the Rising Sun: The Nambu Type 14
From the Collection

Ghosts of the Rising Sun: The Nambu Type 14

“Every weapon tells a story—not just of battles fought, but of the men, and destinies tied to its steel. The Nambu Type 14 pistol stands as both a relic of empire and a warning from history, demanding preservation before its lessons are lost.”
Ghosts of the Rising Sun: The Story of a Yosegaki Hinomaru
From the Collection

Ghosts of the Rising Sun: The Story of a Yosegaki Hinomaru

A simple flag, inked with prayers and signatures, became a soldier’s shield as he marched into the chaos of war. Yet behind its folds lies a haunting silence—we do not know who Iinuma Tatsuo was, whether he survived, or what role he played.
Unseen Service: The Burial Identification Bottle and the Road to Normandy’s Sacred Ground
From the Collection

Unseen Service: The Burial Identification Bottle and the Road to Normandy’s Sacred Ground

At Ghosts of the Battlefield, discover a humble burial ID bottle—used to mark the fallen in temporary graves before cemeteries like Normandy’s were built. A quiet witness to sacrifice.
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