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
Read the full post at: bit.ly/3FkwQZM![]()
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That old saying “the devil is in the details” certainly holds true for the ongoing restoration of Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina BuNo 2459 in New Smyrna Beach, FL at American Aero Services. Though the exterior restoration is mostly complete, the interior restoration to bring the aircraft back to accurate 1942 wartime configuration has been an enormous task that has tested the skills of the restoration crew led by project manager Casey Littrell. Because the aircraft arrived from Europe with little original equipment, nearly all of the interior components have either had be found or fabricated. And considering the early vintage of this PBY, original equipment is scarce… so just sourcing the materials is a monumental task in its own right. And for items that need to be fabricated, finding original drawings or photos to accurately reconstruct items is an additional challenge... (continued)![]()
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Please read the full update with a gallery of photos at: bit.ly/3FkwQZM![]()
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#PBYCatalina #PBY5A #FlyingBoat #USNavy #NavalAviation #AvGeek
The American Heritage Museum is pleased to announce the launch of our first BSA Merit Badge Program for Scouting America for the American Heritage Merit Badge. Learn More at: bit.ly/43DVnDd![]()
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Every Scout swears to an oath that includes duty to their country. The American Heritage Merit Badge encourages a better understanding of American heritage, learn the ways in which the past has lead to our present nation, and truly knowing what it means to be an American.![]()
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The American Heritage Merit Badge at the American Heritage Museum is a three-hour long program, which includes museum admission and a guided tour for scouts and leaders. By the end of the program (prerequisites required) the scout will have completed all requirements to earn the merit badge. The program is conducted by a registered BSA Merit Badge Councilor. A minimum of 10 scouts and 2 BSA registered adults is required per session and adults may be asked to assist.![]()
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The program cost is $40 per Scout and BSA registered adults are free. To learn more about the program and to schedule, see: bit.ly/43DVnDd
Presentation on the Six Triple Eight today at the American Heritage Museum! Starts at 1pm. Hope you can make it. See: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/speaker-series-the-six-triple-eight-all-black-all-female-bat...
Arsenal of Democracy
M4A1 Sherman (Grizzly) – USA | TANK
Sherman Turret Trainer – USA | TURRET TRAINER
1942 Buick Super (Front) – USA | CIVILIAN AUTOMOBILE
During the Second World War, “Arsenal of Democracy” was the slogan used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a radio broadcast delivered on December 29th, 1940 to signal that the then still neutral United States would use all its immense industrial capacity to build the weapons of war needed by the last struggling democracies to save themselves, and the idea of democracy itself, from the threat of conquest by fascism and militarism in Europe and Asia.
Immediately after the United States entered WWII, our entire industrial infrastructure changed exclusively to support the war effort. All companies, large and small changed their production. A good example is the automobile industry. Ford focused a lot of their production on aircraft, primarily the B-24 Liberators – that became the most massed produced aircraft in American History. Cadillac made many components and engines for tanks and armored vehicles. Buick stopped all civilian car production and switched to making engines for the Liberators as well as armored vehicles, and tanks. Buick went on to make over 74,000 radial engines for the B-24, 2,000 M18 Hellcat tank destroyers, 600 M-39 tanks, over 19,000 M4, M10 and M26 power trains, over 2 million cartridge cases and more.
By the end of the war, U.S. industry was by itself out producing all the Axis countries combined. American trucks, tanks and aircraft were also supplied to Allied nations, from Canada to Britain to the Red Army of the Soviet Union. The Arsenal of Democracy exhibit highlights the phenomenal American industrial effort throughout WWII.
