The American Heritage Museum is open today! Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Open 10am to 5pm.
Hello all good people! The American Heritage Museum will be open on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 20th, 10am to 5pm. We are looking forward to seeing you soon.
The American Heritage Museum is excited to announce the launch of a new restoration project aimed at restoring a rare and historically significant piece of original World War II armor: the Type 97 Tankette “Te Ke,” used by the Imperial Japanese Army.![]()
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Read the full article at: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/2025/01/rare-japanese-type-97-tankette-te-ke-restoration-project-b...![]()
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The Type 97 Tankette was a light armored vehicle developed and employed by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Introduced in 1938, the Te-Ke was designed as a reconnaissance and infantry support vehicle, embodying Japan’s focus on lightweight, mobile forces. ![]()
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The Type 97 Tankette was powered by a 65 horsepower, inline 4-cylinder diesel engine, giving it a top speed of around 26 mph. It featured a two-man crew: a driver and a gunner/commander. Armament included either a 37 mm Type 94 tank gun or a 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun, making it effective against lightly fortified positions and infantry but inadequate against heavier tanks.![]()
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Our particular project vehicle has been determined to be a variant of the Te-Ke that was specifically designed as a gas scattering vehicle to either deploy chemical agents such as mustard gas or other chemical agents offensively or similarly scatter agents to counter poison gasses defensively. Vehicles in this role carried their scattering agents in a towed tracked trailer and though we do not have one of these trailers, we are actively looking for one to add to the restoration.![]()
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The rare Type 97 Tankette will be restored at the American Heritage Museum by our restoration team over the next 3-4 years and will include a full overhaul of the original and rare Ikegai air-cooled diesel engine that is part of the project. We intend to restore it to operational configuration as a running tank and it will eventually become part of an enhanced exhibit documenting the years leading up to World War II. The restoration team is seeking any technical materials, drawings, or documentation of the Type 97 Tankette type – so if you have any resources to assist, please email us at admin@americanheritagemuseum.org
A huge THANK YOU to our hardy re-enactors, dedicated volunteers, and enthusiastic guests for braving the cold and muddy conditions this past weekend for the Battle of the Bulge History Experience! This was our first cold weather outdoor experience and we were happy to welcome so many visitors who took part, deploying in the M3 Half Tracks to our slice of the Ardennes Forest! Please enjoy a selection of photos from Warren Disbrow and Roland Brooks from the weekend! Let us know if you think we should plan another in 2025! #AmericanHeritageMuseum #battleofthebulge #tanklife #WWII #worldwar2 #WorldWarII #WorldWarIIHistory #1944 #visitma #hudsonma
Looking for an adventure with the kids during school break? Come visit us at the American Heritage Museum! We are open today (Monday 12/30) and tomorrow (Tuesday 12/31), 10am to 5pm. Fun activities and Jim will have the game board set up.
Some Options for Your Bequest
As you consider adding the American Heritage Museum and Collings Foundation to your planned giving arrangements, there are several ways to add language to your will or trust to add our organization as a beneficiary. Please see the examples below for bequest options and sample language.
Specific Bequest: “I bequeath Twenty Thousand ($20,000) Dollars [or: all my xxxx stock] to Collings Foundation, Inc. dba American Heritage Museum, a Massachusetts non-profit organization EIN 47-1954671, located in Hudson, MA.”
Residuary Bequest: “I bequeath Ten Percent (10%) of the residue of my estate to Collings Foundation, Inc. dba American Heritage Museum, a Massachusetts non-profit organization EIN 47-1954671, located in Hudson, MA.”
Contingent Bequest: “If my nephew does not survive me or is unable to inherit this bequest, I direct that it be paid to Collings Foundation, Inc. dba American Heritage Museum, a Massachusetts non-profit organization EIN 47-1954671, located in Hudson, MA.”
Please speak with your financial planner to learn which option is right for you. And, let us know if we may include you in our planned giving society!
Suggested wording to Make a Bequest to American Heritage Museum and Collings Foundation
The unconditional bequest . . .
“I hereby give, devise, and bequeath to Collings Foundation, Inc. dba American Heritage Museum, 568 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (EIN 47-1954671) __________ percent of the rest, residue and remainder of my property, real and personal, (or the sum of $ ________ or other appropriately described property to be paid out of the real of personal property) owned by me at my death to be used for the living history and education purposes of the American Heritage Museum.”
The contingent bequest . . .
“. . . If any other the above-named beneficiaries should predecease me, then I give, devise, and bequeath the property, real or personal, which said beneficiary of beneficiaries would have received if they had survived me, to Collings Foundation, Inc. dba American Heritage Museum, 568 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (EIN 47-1954671) to be used for the living history and education purposes of the American Heritage Museum.”
The bequest of residue . . .
“I give, devise, and bequeath to Collings Foundation, Inc. dba American Heritage Museum, 568 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (EIN 47-1954671) all the rest of my property, real and personal, to be used for the living history and education purposes of the American Heritage Museum.”
The specific purpose bequest . . .
“I give and bequeath to Collings Foundation, Inc. dba American Heritage Museum, 568 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749 (EIN 47-1954671) the sum of $__________ to establish the ______________ Fund, the net income of which is to be used for _________. If at some future date, in the opinion of the Board of Trustees of Collings Foundation, Inc., the income from this fund is no longer needed for the aforementioned purposes, then the Board is authorized to use said income and principal for the living history and education purposes of the American Heritage Museum.”
Questions? Reach out to us.
If you have any questions about this process or what might work best for your needs, please contact Ryan Keough, Director of Development at rkeough@americanheritagemuseum.org or call 978-562-9182 x203.
