On this day in 1941, a PBY Catalina helped locate the German battleship Bismarck. Long-range patrol aircraft like the Catalina became essential eyes over the ocean in the Battle of the Atlantic. The American Heritage Museum is close to completing our epic restoration of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942-1943. The restoration taking place in Florida will be wrapped up this summer and the aircraft is planned to make its first public appearance at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Airshow in July.
Click to enter! ahmus.me/double-down![]()
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The final month is here for the Road to Victory WWII Jeep Sweepstakes!![]()
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Now through June 4th, use promo code DOUBLEDN to get DOUBLE ENTRIES with every purchase toward winning an original, road-ready 1944 Ford GPW Jeep.![]()
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The sweepstakes closes June 21st, and the Grand Prize will be drawn June 30th. Enter today and help support the American Heritage Museum’s mission to preserve and share history for future generations.![]()
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Use code: DOUBLEDN and enter at: ahmus.me/double-down
The Road to Victory Sweepstakes - Win a Road-Ready, Original WWII Jeep!
www.tapkat.org
This is not your average Jeep. The American Heritage Museum is giving YOU the chance to win a real, period-correct, road-ready 1944 Ford GPW Jeep — an authentic WWII-era military vehicle — in the ...
The American Heritage Museum is open on Monday, May 25th from 10:00am to 5:00pm in observance of Memorial Day - General Admission tickets may be purchased at:
Purchase Tickets Online - The American Heritage Museum
www.americanheritagemuseum.org
Purchase Your General Admission Tickets Online and Save Time and Money!* Online tickets are $2 off in-person tickets! The American Heritage Museum is open every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, ...
This Memorial Day, we pause to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States. Their courage, devotion, and selflessness secured the freedoms we enjoy today and continue to inspire generations of Americans.![]()
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As we gather with family and friends today, may we also remember those who never came home and reflect on the true meaning of the day.![]()
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From all of us at the American Heritage Museum, we thank and remember our fallen heroes. Never forgotten.
Meet the 25mm Hotchkiss Model 1934!![]()
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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
