Let's Learn About Interior Lights!![]()
![]()
#AmericanHeritageMuseum #visitma #militaryhistory #historymuseum #WWII
Did you know that our TBM-3E Avenger currently on display in our annex hangar during special event weekends operated as a fire bomber / sprayer in civilian service after WWII and before we restored it from 1984-1986? Here is a photo of it in 1978 courtesy of the Warbird Information Exchange (WIX) and Warbird Resource Group as taken by Martin Kyburz - it certainly looks a lot different today! See more photos of the TBM both before and after restoration at: www.warbirdregistry.org/avengerregistry/avenger-91733.html
Today we celebrate the birthday of Harriet Quimby, one of America’s great aviation pioneers. Born on May 11, 1875, Quimby became the first American woman to earn a pilot’s license in 1911 and quickly captured national attention with her skill, courage, and unmistakable purple flying suit.![]()
![]()
In 1912, she made history again as the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel, piloting a Blériot XI, the same type of early aircraft now on display in the American Heritage Museum’s annex hangar. Her achievement came just years after the dawn of powered flight and helped inspire generations of women in aviation.![]()
![]()
The included photo shows Connie Tobias, pilot and Harriet Quimby re-enactor, flying the AHM Blériot 20 years ago, bringing Quimby’s remarkable legacy back to life.![]()
![]()
#HarrietQuimby #AviationHistory #WomenInAviation #AmericanHeritageMuseum #BleriotXI #LivingHistory
On this day in 1940, Germany launched its invasion of Western Europe. Aircraft, tanks, motorized units, and communications helped change the pace of warfare in the opening phase of the Battle of France. The American Heritage Museum has several notable artifacts on display related to the Battle of France including the German Panzer 1 tank and the British Matilda Mk.II. Additionally, the museum is currently restoring an original German Junkers Ju 87D-5 Stuka in the Czech Republic and a German Heinkel He 111H-3 bomber in Florida for eventual display - both key aircraft used by Germany in its Blitzkrieg tactics. Learn more about the Battle of France by visiting us today!
On this day in 1945, Victory in Europe Day marked the end of World War II in Europe. For millions, it meant liberation, relief, grief, and the beginning of rebuilding after years of destruction. The American Heritage Museum has one of the largest collections of tanks, military vehicles, and artifacts from the European Campaign and we invite you to come and explore more!
- This event has passed.
Speaker Series: Task Force Hogan
May 24, 2025 @ 3:00 pm, ending 4:30 pm
Join us on Saturday, May 24th, 3:00pm to 4:30pm, for a talk by author, historian, veteran and professor William Hogan. He will share a fascinating story about a daring escape and survival of an American armored unit during WWII. This talk falls on our WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend.
Task Force Hogan is a narrative nonfiction book about a WWII US Army tank battalion. The unit was a reinforced tank battalion in the 3rd Armored Division led by Samuel Hogan, the youngest tank battalion commander in the US Army during WWII. At the helm of 500 soldiers riding to battle aboard 54 Sherman tanks plus assorted other vehicles, they participated in some of the toughest battles in the European Theater. Also known as “Hogan’s 400” the unit is best known for rushing back to Belgium from their forward positions in Germany towards the Battle of the Bulge. Arriving with vehicles half full of fuel to help parry the German offensive they fought the 116th Panzer Division to a standstill. Outnumbered, surrounded and without fuel they held off the better part of two German divisions at the hilltop village of Marcouray, about 20 miles north of Bastogne. On Christmas Day 1944, they were ordered to destroy their vehicles and make out on foot as best they could. They did so Christmas Night, marching 12 miles through enemy held forest back to US lines. By 2 January they were rearmed and spent the first two weeks of January helping push back the “Bulge” to the German border.
William R. Hogan was the last US Army soldier on active duty with a parent who fought in WWII. His most recent assignment was as liaison to French Army Headquarters in Paris, France. He retired from the Army after 22 years of service in the summer of 2024. He is an adjunct professor at Paris School of International Affairs, Political Science University (Sciences Po).
