Get a front-row seat to World War II history this weekend at the Battle for the Airfield WWII Re-enactment Weekend at the American Heritage Museum, October 10-11, 2026. Two massive battles daily with real tanks, vehicles, artillery, and even airplanes! Get tickets at the link in our bio or at AmericanHeritageMuseum.org! #WWII #visitma #tanks #MetroWestMA #WorldWarII
Get ready for the Battle for the Airfield WWII Re-Enactment this Saturday & Sunday, October 10-11, 2026! Get tickets at: ahmus.me/bfta26
Who is excited for the Battle for the Airfield WWII Re-Enactment Weekend next weekend!? For those of you who have experienced it before, how many years have you attended? (Photos by Roland Brooks) - Get your tickets today at: ahmus.me/bfta26
Coming up tomorrow night, Thursday, October 1st - History After Hours with Vietnam POW Mike Penn at the American Heritage Museum - Tickets and info at: ahmus.me/afterhours1026
Let's Learn About Water-Cooled Machine Guns!![]()
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#AmericanHeritageMuseum #visitma #MilitaryHistory #historymuseum #WWII
- This event has passed.
History After Hours: Maj. Carpenter & “Rosie the Rocketer” with Jim Busha
May 15, 2025 @ 6:00 pm, ending 8:30 pm
$15 – $20
History After Hours is a Monthly Evening Program for American Heritage Museum Guests and Members to learn more about some of the fascinating stories surrounding the history presented in the museum. History After Hours events are 6:00pm to 8:30pm.
Our May 15, 2025 History After Hours Program features Jim Busha, noted aviation historian and journalist and author of Bazooka Charlie: The Unbelievable Story of Major Charles Carpenter and Rosie the Rocketer.
Major Charles Carpenter made headlines during the Second World War when he affixed six bazookas to his tiny Piper L-4 observation plane and began attacking German tanks – successfully destroying six German tanks and destroying or disabling several German armored vehicles. “Bazooka Charlie” and his plane “Rosie the Rocketer” were profiled in a variety of military and civilian publications, including the iconic Stars & Stripes. His efforts earned him the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.
The major was a high school educator in the civilian world, teaching history and coaching football. In 1945, the dashing pilot was forced out of the cockpit and into a hospital bed by Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which was discovered in his neck. In addition to the enemy and terminal cancer, Carpenter also battled cynicism and guilt, particularly in regard to the state of his marriage, which was on the brink of failure by the time he returned home from Europe. Charles Carpenter died in 1966, having resumed his career, salvaged his marriage, and long outlived the timeline afforded him by his doctors in the initial prognosis.
This revealing biography of the famous pilot was made possible through the collaboration of Jim Busha and Carpenter’s daughter, Carol Apacki. Along with memories of her father in his postwar years, Carol provided a treasure trove of wartime correspondence between Charles and his wife, Elda Carpenter.
The actual L-4 flown by Carpenter, “Rosie the Rocketer” was found by the American Heritage Museum in 2019 and restored to flying condition. It will be on display this evening for visitors to see.
Program Admission
$15 per person advance sale online
$20 per person at the event
Admission is free for American Heritage Museum members.
(Not a member? Click here to purchase a membership and email membership@americanheritagemuseum.org
with your member ID number for the promo code for members)
Click Here to Buy Tickets to History After Hours on May 15, 2025
