Sword of peace
Bomber pilot Nobuo Fujita carried his family's centuries-old Japanese sword when he flew over southern Oregon during the only World War II aircraft attacks on the contiguous United States. In 1962, he presented the blade to the city of Brookings, Ore., as a gesture of friendship. See it at the Chetco Community Public Library. (541) 469-7738, chetcolibrary.org.

Simple flag of the last frontier
In 1927, Aleutian Islands native Benny Benson, age 13, won this gold pocket watch for his entry in a contest to design an Alaska flag. "I colored a piece of paper blue and drew on it the dipper pointing to the North Star," Benson said later. In the state's 50th anniversary year, his flag still flies. See his watch and more at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau. (907) 465-2901, museums.state.ak.us.