On this week 90 years ago: The Consolidated PBY Catalina flew for the very first time on March 21, 1935!![]()
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An icon of WWII, the PBY was the ultimate patrol and rescue flying boat—tracking U-boats, saving lives, and covering vast oceans with unmatched endurance.![]()
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One of those heroes, PBY-5A BuNo 2459, flew in the Battle of the Atlantic, scored 3.5 U-Boat victories, and survived. Now, it’s under restoration to flying condition in Florida and will eventually be displayed at the American Heritage Museum. Read more at: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/aircrafts/consolidated-pby-catalina/![]()
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#OTD #PBYCatalina #WWIIHistory #FlyingBoat #MilitaryAviation #AmericanHeritageMuseum
Here is this week’s challenge for “What is it Wednesday?” - a close up of something in the museum or our collection for you to guess what it is in the comments!![]()
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What is it?! We are looking for what it might be part of within the museum and, for more of a challenge, what the exact part is and what it does! Answer in the comments below and tune-in for the answer next Tuesday at 10:00am EST!![]()
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#americanheritagemuseum #historymuseum #visitma
Today, March 25th, is National Medal of Honor Day. In honor of this, we would like to take the opportunity to honor MoH recipient Colonel John Riley “Killer” Kane. “Killer” Kane was a B-24 Liberator pilot who led the 98th Bomb Group in Operation Tidal Wave; a large-scale bombing raid on German run oil refineries in Ploesti, Romania on Aug. 1st, 1943. Thanks to the generous donation of Mr. Curtis Burton, we have the honor and privilege of displaying Col. Kane’s Medal of Honor here at the American Heritage Museum as part of our Italian Campaign gallery. ![]()
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You can read more about Col. John “Killer” Kane at: bit.ly/4iVKYaq![]()
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#americanheritagemuseum #medalofhonor #moh #usaaf #ploesti #operationtidalwave #wwii #wwiihistory #worldwarii #worldwar2 #b24liberator
Today is Rosie the Riveter Day, honoring the iconic symbol of female empowerment during WWII. Rosie represented the millions of women who entered industrial jobs, proving their strength and capability. Despite facing discrimination, they paved the way for workplace rights and gender equality. Rosie’s legacy lives on in today’s fight for equal pay, representation, and opportunity—reminding us: “We Can Do It!”![]()
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Read our full article about today's importance at: bit.ly/4hDJaly![]()
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#americanheritagemuseum #rosietheriveter #rosietheriveterday #celebratewomen #womenshistorymonth #inspiringwomentoday #worldwarii #wwii #arsenalofdemocracy
One of the goals of the American Heritage Museum is to encourage our visitors to learn about the veterans in your own family and reflect on the experiences they went through during their service. When we first started, our focus was on our World War II veteran community, but sadly, many of our WWII veterans are no longer with us and many family members only learned about their service after their passing. Think of the WWII veteran that was in your life... family or friend. What is the one question you'd ask them today if they were still with us? Such questions may inspire others who have veterans in their life to ask the same and keep their stories alive. ![]()
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Please share your questions in the comments. ![]()
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Photo of WWII B-24 pilot Frank Tedesco (1921-2020), 451st BG and friend of the Collings Foundation via Emily Clark - Wicked Local (2013)![]()
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#WWII #veterans #WWIIveteran #veteranlife #AmericanHeritageMuseum
- This event has passed.
Speaker Series – The Rifle 2 by Andrew Biggio
October 28, 2023 @ 1:00 pm, ending 3:00 pm
$10 – $20
Join us for a special presentation by Andrew Biggio on his second book in The Rifle series. In this highly anticipated follow-up to The Rifle, Andrew Biggio brings to light more untold stories from the quickly vanishing ranks of the veterans of World War II.
Ordinary Men with Extraordinary Purpose
They are called the Greatest Generation, but they were also ordinary men, sharing in all of humanity’s weaknesses and flaws while responding to the call of duty. These are their unforgettable stories—first-person accounts from the last of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fought the most dreadful war in history, all collected by a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The idea was simple: travel across the country with a 1945 M1 Garand, the basic U.S. fighting rifle of World War II, ask combat veterans of that war to sign it, and listen carefully as the sight, touch, and feel of that rifle evoke a flood of memories and emotions. In this highly anticipated follow-up to The Rifle, Andrew Biggio once again reveals the astonishing effect his M1 Garand had on the old warriors who held it.
The passage of time is swiftly snatching from us the last of those men, but the memories of those who remain are vivid and strong. It’s astonishing to see how grasping that rifle brings out those memories—good, bad, terrifying, and heroic.
In Biggio’s riveting account, you will learn:
• What it was like to fight for freedom in the various theaters of World War II
• The obstacles these world-conquerors faced on returning home and how they overcame them
• The special meaning these recollections hold for later combat vets, confirming the brotherhood of warriors
• The importance to veterans of memory and respect
We anticipate several WWII veterans to attend this talk. Many who have been featured in The Rifle.
