American History

Marine Corps: Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful)
Coast Guard: Semper Paratus (Always Ready)
Navy: Semper Fortis (Always Courageous)
Air Force: Aim High...Fly-Fight-Win
Army: This We'll Defend

Find out more about our exhibits and their history from our curators and the museum's historians.

Artifact Friday: Thunderbird Flight Helmet

The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron is among the oldest units in the US Air Force, formed on June 13, 1917. Today, they are better known as the Thunderbirds.

John Townsend

Mar 7, 20252 min read

Artifact Friday: The Buffalo Soldier Patch

This week, we’re highlighting the iconic Buffalo Soldier patch worn by the soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division.

Kyla Cooper

Feb 7, 20252 min read

Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona

The USS Arizona, laid down in 1914 and launched in 1915, was the greatest tragedy in the Bombing of Pearl Harbor.

John Townsend

Dec 7, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: Shark Chaser

For a pilot in World War II, few things were as terrifying as getting shot down. For pilots in the Pacific theatre, that fear was compounded by the presence of sharks.

John Townsend

Nov 22, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: Richard Nixon Portrait

For this Artifact Friday, we draw attention to yesterday, which marked the sixty-fourth year since the first-ever presidential debate held on television in which both candidates were present.

John Townsend

Sep 27, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: Curtiss-Wright Junior

Among the oldest aircraft in our collection is the Curtiss-Wright CW-1 Junior. The Junior was to be an affordable aircraft, roughly the cost of the average car.

John Townsend

Sep 20, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: Chester Poole's Purple Heart

Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the Purple Heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen.

John Townsend

Aug 9, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: Nambu Type 96

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his Day of Infamy Speech where he stated, "No man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it.”

John Townsend

Jul 26, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: M3 Half-Track

One aspect that has made the United States military a tour de force over the last century has been the dedication to mobility.

John Townsend

Jul 5, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: German Gas Mask Canister

This is a German gas mask canister found in the Courland Pocket in Latvia and is part of a museum volunteer’s private collection.

Bentley Scherz

Jun 21, 20241 min read

Artifact Friday: Hand-cranked Air Raid Siren

If you have been around on one of our field trips or visits to the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market, you will notice that we carry this artifact with us! It is our air raid siren.

cartwrighth.aamm

May 3, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: 1950s Okinawa Postcard

AAMM has a lot of interesting items in its collection, and this week, we archived a postcard collection from a veteran stationed in Okinawa.

cartwrighth.aamm

Apr 26, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: The Type 14 Nambu pistol

In the early 1900s, Kijirõ Nambu began developing a new type of pistol for the Japanese Navy and Army.

cartwrighth.aamm

Apr 12, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: The Learjet 23

In the late 1950s, the inventor and entrepreneur William Lear Sr. began to develop a company he would call Learjet Corporation.

cartwrighth.aamm

Apr 5, 20242 min read

Artifact Friday: The UH-1 Iroquois

Today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It is observed on this day because it was on March 29, 1973, that the last of the United States military forces disbanded and left Vietnam.

cartwrighth.aamm

Mar 29, 20242 min read