Finding the Tropic Lightning Museum is easy: Just look for the World War II Sherman tank and the howitzer used during the Vietnam War on its front lawn.

In the heart of Schofield Barracks’ Historic District, the museum collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits artifacts, photographs and documents that chronicle the history of Schofield Barracks; the 25th Infantry Division (nicknamed the Tropic Lightning Division), which is stationed there; and neighboring Wheeler Army Airfield, a National Historic Landmark.

"Few people know that Wheeler provided a landing strip for aviation greats such as Arthur Goebel, Amelia Earhart and Charles Kingsford Smith who all flew record-breaking first flights over the Pacific in the 1920s and 1930s," said Kathleen Ramsden, the museum’s curator. "Both Schofield and Wheeler were targets during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Wheeler’s hangars, barracks and flight line from 1941 are still there."

Likewise, according to Ramsden, many kamaaina have heard of the 25th Infantry Division but don’t know much about it. The Tropic Lightning Museum honors the scores of Schofield soldiers who have served in nearly every major conflict since World War II. Present members of the division recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan to resume their role as the U.S. Army’s "guardians of the Pacific."

The museum began in 1956 as an eclectic assortment of memorabilia collected by a group of 25th Infantry Division history enthusiasts. Since 1984, it has occupied what was originally Schofield’s library, which dates back to 1915. Although the building has been expanded and parts of its interior have been remodeled, the central section evokes an early 1900s feel, complete with the original lava rock fireplace.

Museum exhibits cover the period from 1909, when Schofield was established, to the present-day conflicts in the Middle East. Enhanced with track lighting, informative placards and reflections written by veterans and their families, they provide insights into how the post’s soldiers have lived, fought and played over the past century.

Even the simplest items intrigue. Canvas leggings with leather reinforcements, circa 1913, recall the time prior to World War I when a cavalry unit was stationed at Schofield. There are glass bottles, circa 1915, that stored a variety of items, from milk to bleach; a case for a gas mask used during World War I; a pre-World War II bugle that was used to summon troops of the Hawaiian Division, the predecessor to the 25th Infantry Division; a scorebook for a 1921 target practice session; a baseball signed by a team of soldiers in 1941; and a collapsible water bucket made of green canvas, circa 1944.

Also displayed are two bullets that hit the Bishop National Bank of Hawaii at Schofield during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. "These bullets were embedded in a concrete wall at the bank," Ramsden said. "They were recovered and donated to us in 1969. The building that housed the bank has since been demolished."

She also likes to point out a handmade gun that was recently donated to the museum by a Vietnam War veteran who served with the 25th Infantry Division. Fashioned after a 7.65mm Czech pistol, it was in an underground cache of weapons discovered in 1967 by U.S. soldiers in the Boi Loi Woods, 28 miles northwest of Saigon, which was heavily occupied by the Viet Cong.

"It speaks to the Viet Cong’s resourcefulness," Ramsden said. "To bolster their arsenal, they copied weapons they had on hand, which were primarily obtained from the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China."

One gallery is dedicated to today’s global war on terrorism. Enemy assault rifles, playing cards imprinted with the faces of suspected insurgents and a Humvee’s 2-inch-thick glass window that was shattered by IED (improvised explosive device) shrapnel are vivid reminders that peace is often not easily attained nor preserved.

A departure from the usual Hawaii vacation itinerary, the Tropic Lightning Museum draws just 10,000 visitors annually — primarily veterans, active-duty soldiers, their families and others interested in military history.

"Some people get very emotional because the history we share is more than recounting wars and deployments of units — it’s about the sacrifices that brave men and women have made and are making to serve our country," Ramsden said. "They have done their jobs time and again under the direst of circumstances to uphold freedom, liberty and justice in the world. We’re proud and honored to tell their stories."

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.