Visit war museums and memorials in the West and in the nation’s capital.
The West has been shaped by all manner of heroes, none more important than those who put themselves on the front lines and, in many instances, sacrificed their lives in defense of America’s unique traditions, rights, and freedoms. The Western landscape is filled with ways to honor legendary figures. These museums and memorials occupy the top of any list of places to pay tribute to veterans, while learning about their extraordinary courage, devotion, and history.
National Museum of Military Vehicles | Dubois, Wyoming
The story behind the 2020 opening of the $100 million National Museum of Military Vehicles is almost as amazing as the breathtaking 160,000-square-foot facility itself. During a 32-year career in the cardiovascular medical-device business that included a period as CEO of St. Jude Medical, Dan Starks maintained a lifelong passion for American military history. In 2010, he bought a rusting, nonfunctioning World War II Sherman tank for $50,000 because he wanted to drive it in a Fourth of July parade. By the time he retired in 2017, he’d amassed about 30 old military vehicles that friends and gawkers would drive to his ranch to see. That hobby morphed into what’s now billed as the country’s largest private collection of fully restored U.S. military vehicles, nearly 500 in all. These range from artillery pieces, naval vessels and aircraft dating to 1897, to the present day, with an emphasis on vehicles from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Each is gorgeously displayed. Impressive in and of themselves, the museum uses the vehicles to tell the stories of the soldiers who used them and to pay tribute to the valor of service members who fought, and sometimes died, in them. The museum also houses a large firearms collection. “We’re running a bait-and-switch operation here,” Starks has said with a smile. “We talk about the vehicles … But the reason we’re here, the mission of the museum, is to honor the service and sacrifice of American veterans and their families. That’s point one.” nmmv.org
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Silent Wings Museum | Lubbock, Texas
The exploits of World War II Allied bomber and fighter pilots are well-known, but less publicized is the heroic service of the U.S. Army Air Force Glider Program’s 5,500 pilots. “Glider pilots were unique in that they had no parachutes, no motors, and no second chances,” says the Air Force. Gliders that flew into combat zones and often behind enemy lines weighed 3,900 pounds empty and, in addition to a pilot and copilot, could carry 13 infantry soldiers and gear; a jeep and four passengers; or a 75mm howitzer cannon and 18 rounds of ammunition plus three passengers. Though used sparingly in the Pacific, the stealthy “silent wing” gliders took part in the Normandy D-Day invasion, Operation Market-Garden in the Netherlands, the Battle of the Bulge, and other important campaigns in the European Theater. Located on the site of World War II South Plains Army Airfield, where glider pilots were trained, the centerpiece of the museum is a fully restored WACO CG-4A glider. It’s bigger than most visitors expect, almost as large as the Douglas C-47 aircraft (one of these is parked outside the museum) that was often used as a tow plane. The museum includes exhibits related to the soldiers and supplies that flew in the gliders, as well as the daring pilots who perfected the art of “dead stick” landings while maintaining dead calm nerves. ci.lubbock.tx.us/departments/silent-wings-museum
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National Native American Veterans Memorial | Washington, D.C.
Starting with the Revolutionary War — when Indigenous soldiers fought on both American and British sides — Native Americans have long made outsized contributions to the nation’s war and defense efforts. Since World War I, they’ve consistently served at higher rates per capita than any other ethnic group. During World War II, of 350,000 American Indians in the country, 45,000 enlisted in the armed forces. An estimated 10,000 Native Americans served in the Korean War, another 42,000 in the Vietnam era. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion had the highest proportion of American Indians — 20 percent — of any military unit in the combat zone. The National Native American Veterans Memorial titled the Warrior’s Circle of Honor on the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian is an elevated stainless steel circle balanced on an intricately carved stone drum. Ripples emanating from the water feature represent vibrations from the drum, calling people from around the nation to pay tribute to the often-overlooked contributions of Native Americans to all branches of the U.S. military. americanindian.si.edu/visit/ washington/nnavm
The National Native American Veterans Memorial features the design Warriors’ Circle of Honor by Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma), consisting of an elevated stainless-steel circle balanced on an intricately carved stone drum (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of National Native American Veterans Memorial).
The National WWI Museum and Memorial | Kansas City, Missouri
The centerpiece of the nation’s official WWI museum is the limestone-clad Liberty Memorial Tower, which rises 217 feet to an open-air observation deck that provides dramatic views of the Kansas City skyline, as well as reminders of battlefield sacrifice. At the top, four “guardian spirits” are represented by 8-ton sculpted figures named Courage, Honor, Sacrifice, and Patriotism. To access the main gallery — stunning replicas of trenches, video presentations, weaponry, and an extensive collection of wartime artifacts — visitors cross the Paul Sunderland Glass Bridge, suspended over a symbolic Western Front poppy field. The 9,000 red poppies below each represent 1,000 combat deaths, a moving tribute to the 9 million who died in the Great War. The museum and memorial are a national treasure worthy of a special trip. theworldwar.org
[1] The National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City includes the 1926 Liberty Memorial Tower, where you can take an elevator up to an open-air observation deck for a view of the city’s skyline. [2] A glass bridge outside the main gallery is suspended over a symbolic Western Front poppy field in remembrance of the millions who died as a direct result of the war (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of National WWI Museum).
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum | Houston, Texas
Following the Civil War, in 1866, Congress passed legislation to create six all-African American Army units to serve on the frontier. In 2001, this museum opened to honor the men who patrolled the West, built bridges and camps, and fought in more than 177 engagements. According to the museum, approximately 20 percent of U.S. Cavalry troopers who fought in the Indian Wars were Black. Though there’s debate about exactly how they earned their nickname, it’s generally accepted that the soldiers’ battlefield prowess, tenaciousness, and, according to museum founder Retired Army Capt. Paul Matthews, “naturally curly hair,” inspired the Cheyenne to first call them “wild buffalos.” The name symbolized respect for the group that became famous as Buffalo Soldiers. The museum features weapons, uniforms, tools, machinery, and other artifacts connected to the Buffalo Soldiers but honors all Black members of the U.S. military and NASA astronauts. buffalosoldiersmuseum.org
Houston’s Buffalo Soldiers National Museum showcases the history, achievements, and memorabilia of buffalo soldiers and African American soldiers from all branches of the U.S. military (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Buffalo Soldiers National Museum).
National Museum of the Pacific War | Fredericksburg, Texas
Central Texas might seem an odd place for the country’s principal museum dedicated to World War II combat in the Asiatic-Pacific — why not San Diego? Pearl Harbor? — until you realize that the small Texas town of Fredericksburg is the birthplace of Adm. Chester Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II, and the man credited with guiding American naval forces to victory over the Japanese Imperial Navy. The museum uses thousands of artifacts and displays to help visitors better understand not just what happened in the Pacific during World War II, but why it was so important. Once a month, from March through November, the museum stages a 60-minute “living history show” in its outdoor Pacific Combat Zone. Using real equipment from the American and Japanese sides of the conflict, volunteers portraying soldiers re-create an amphibious landing on a Pacific island. The most poignant feature is the authentic Japanese “Garden of Peace,” constructed in Japan after the war and brought here as a sign of enduring friendship between the two nations. pacificwarmuseum.org
[1] Voted one of the top history museums in the country, the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, includes the Admiral Nimitz Gallery, George Bush Gallery of the Pacific War, the Plaza of the Presidents, Japanese Garden of Peace, Memorial Walk, and the Pacific Combat Zone. [2] The Pearl Harbor exhibit at the National Museum of the Pacific War (PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of National Museum of the Pacific War).
From our July 2025 issue.
