PITTSBURGH - One display traces the evolution of the canteen from a pre-Civil war wooden flask to the metal of WWII to the plastic of Desert Storm.

Another shows a death mask of President Lincoln. Others show off dozens of weapons, from musket to machine gun, along with hundreds of other artifacts, helping round out an impressive military collection at the Soldiers & Sailors National Military Museum & Memorial.

Trouble is, many people are unaware of just what the memorial is, even as it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary, said Ron Gancas, chief operating officer.

Some people who had their graduation ceremony there years ago haven't been back since, Gancas said Monday. People also mistakenly think it's the final resting place of some veterans, although no one is buried there. Others think it's a nursing home.

The memorial was founded to honor Civil War veterans from Allegheny County, but has expanded to include southwestern Pennsylvania veterans of all wars.

A display for Operation Iraqi Freedom is the most recent. It includes a chemical suit, Iraqi "most wanted" playing cards and a photo of Army Sgt. Stevon A. Booker, a native of Apollo and a Gulf War veteran who was killed in Iraq on April 5, 2003.

"I hope I never have to put another display in. I hope this is the last," Gancas said.

The memorial has more than 50 displays, many housed in glass cases a bit larger than an average home closet.Gancas estimated the memorial houses one of the country's top Civil War collections, including five or six intact Civil War uniforms. Other collections often contain reproduction uniforms, he said.The memorial is currently updating displays to better tell the story of war through the people involved, instead of simply showing off items. One of Gancas' goals is to have wartime contributions of women and blacks better represented."I think about walking through here with my grandchildren. All they see is white male. Well, it wasn't," Gancas said.

The memorial had been conceived by the Grand Army of the Republic, a veteran's group, following the Civil War. It was incorporated by the state Legislature on April 12, 1905 - 40 years after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's troops formally surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. (Lee had surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1865; three days later, his men turned in their flags and weapons.)Many such memorials were built around the country, but most have since been torn down, Gancas said. The front of the massive building was styled after the mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.Many of the changes follow the memorial's shift in 2000 from an Allegheny County-run operation to an independent nonprofit.When it was operated by the county, the memorial didn't even have a catalogue of artifacts, Gancas said. Three years ago, the ceiling on the hall housing many displays received its first coat of paint since the building was completed in 1910.The changes and recent marketing have increased the number of visitors from about 50,000 annually to about 125,000 annually, Gancas said.