What Do They Prove on the Proving Grounds?

I love visiting the States. There's always lots to do, and sometimes, it really DOES feel like you're in another country. Take, for example, our drive around the outskirts of Yuma, which took us to the Yuma Proving Grounds. Now, I'd never heard the phrase "proving grounds", and I imagined that it might be a space in which you settle an argument with your brother.... kind of like seeing the Wizard of Oz! You know, a guy behind the curtain offers up pithy little lozenges of answers that end up settling that knock 'em down, drag 'em out fight. But no. The proving grounds are where the U.S. Army tests military weapons and tactics. It was both fascinating and completely terrifying.

There was an outdoor museum by the side of the road. Here's what we saw.

There were tanks:

The tanks were from all different eras in history and were deployed in various wars...

And there were nuclear warheads too.

And this missile is called "Honest John". (Not to be confused with the smaller "Little John")

I dunno. It was strange. Very strange....