The new National Museum of the US Army opened Wednesday, Veterans Day, celebrating the history of the oldest US military force in the nation, according to the Associated Press.
The museum features items such as a sword used in the defense of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, a Sherman Tank that fought in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, and a wristwatch recovered from the wreckage of the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks, stopped at the moment the plane hit the building.
The museum does not back away from some of the unseemly deeds undertaken in war, featuring some war crimes and controversies committed by members of the Army.
“We don’t shy away from the more sensitive subjects the Army’s been involved in,” Paul Morando, chief of exhibits at the museum, said. “We mention My Lai. We mention Abu Ghraib. We mention Wounded Knee. These events are put out in a factual way for the public to interpret or learn more about, but we do not ignore those subjects.”