Speaker Series: Cold War Massachusetts - Tomorrow, 12/12 at 2:30.![]()
Did you know MIT in Cambridge became one of the most important research centers for U.S. Cold War defense technology, especially through its Lincoln Laboratory, founded in 1951. The lab played a major role in developing the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) air-defense system—one of the earliest large-scale computer networks, and a precursor to modern digital command-and-control and networking technologies. Learn more tomorrow!
Don't miss this Friday's Speaker Series - Cold War Massachusetts: Hidden Infrastructure and the Legacy of Preparedness. Dec. 12th, 2:30 to 3:30. See: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/speaker-series-cold-war-massachusetts-hidden-infrastructure-...
Bob Tyce and the Attack on Pearl Harbor![]()
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#AmericanHeritageMuseum #VisitMA #militaryhistory #historymuseum #WWII #ww2 #WorldWarII #worldwar2 #army #tanks #WorldofTanks #tanknerd #PearlHarbor #neverforget
As part of our commitment to community engagement, the American Heritage Museum will offer free admission to all residents of Hudson and Stow this weekend - December 6th and 7th. Hope you can make it!
Today, December 4th, 2025, marks the 75th anniversary of Captain Thomas J. Hudner Jr's valiant attempt to rescue Ensign Jesse L. Brown in the Chosin Reservoir.![]()
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On December 4, 1950, Hudner, a native of Fall River, Massachusetts, and Brown, one of the first African-American U.S. naval aviators, were part of a flight of F4U Corsair fighter planes tasked with supporting U.S. Marine ground forces in Korea. During their mission, Ensign Brown's aircraft was struck by small arms fire, forcing him to crash-land in the Chosin Reservoir.![]()
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Shortly after, Captain Hudner intentionally crash landed his own airplane in the reservoir and rushed to Brown's crash site to try and rescue him. Upon arriving at the now burning wreck, he found that Brown's legs were pinned in the cockpit. A rescue helicopter arrived shortly after and Hudner, accompanied by the pilot, tried for 45 minutes to free Brown to no avail. ![]()
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Ensign Brown passed away shortly after from blood loss and exposure to extreme cold, and Hudner was forced to leave his body and evacuate by helicopter.![]()
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Captain Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor on April 13th, 1951, for his actions and met Brown's widow, Daisy, during the ceremony. The two would stay in contact for the next 50 years.![]()
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The book "Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Brotherhood and Sacrifice " by Adam Makos details the entire ordeal, with a film adaptation which premiered in 2022.![]()
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Today, we remember and honor Captain Hudner and Ensign Brown for their valiant service and sacrifices made in the pursuit of freedom.
- This event has passed.
August Special Event Weekend – Automobile & Aircraft Museums Open
August 15, 2020 @ 10:00 am, ending August 16, 2020 @ 5:00 pm
$15 – $25
*We ask that everyone wear face masks and adhere to social distancing protocols.
The American Heritage Museum will host the Tanks, Wings and Wheels weekend on August 15th and 16th.
All three amazing museums will be open: The American Heritage Museum, The Historic Aviation Hangar and Classic Automobile Barn. This is a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s most rare aircraft, extraordinary American classic automobiles, historic tanks, armored vehicles, military artifacts and much more.
There is over 100,000 square feet of space within the American Heritage Museum and Hangar combined. There is plenty of room for people to explore these amazing facilities while adhering to social distance protocols. Face masks are required, and pre-event ticket purchases are encouraged. People will be led direction-ally through each museum with limited group size intervals.
The weekend is particularly important as we will be observing the initial announcement of Japan’s surrender that was made on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day), bringing WWII to an end.
Admission Cost:
$25 for Adults
$23 for Active Duty Military/Veterans/Seniors
$15 for children 12 yrs. and younger.
Free for children 2 and under, WWII and Korean War Veterans.
AHM Members are admitted for free as part of your membership benefits.
Buy Tickets (Please select day)
Please select the date you wish to attend and purchase your tickets online for faster check-in.
– Saturday, August 15, 2020 (10am-5pm) – Purchase Tickets
– Sunday, August 16, 2020 (10am-5pm) – Purchase Tickets
Tank Driving Experiences Available!
For the ultimate immersion in living history, we will be offering tank driving experiences in the WWII vintage M4A3 Sherman and M24 Chaffee on both Saturday and Sunday. Learn the “in’s and out’s” of the tanks as you work directly with one of our tank instructors and get in the drivers seat for the exhilarating opportunity to drive the tank around our driving area behind the museum.
Donations for the program are $995 for the M24 Chaffee and $1495 for the M4A3 Sherman. The cost is a tax-deductible donation to the American Heritage Museum and helps support our ongoing growth and restorations. Reservations are highly recommended!
Click here to learn more and book your experience or call 978-562-9182.
