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.
The answer to the “What is it? Wednesday” question from November 26th is the hood ornament on our 1942 Buick! This car was one of the last produced at Buick's plant in Flint, Michigan in 1942. Buick was one of many companies who, after the United States entered WWII, stopped producing civilian goods and began the production of war goods.![]()
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Stay tuned for the next “What is it? Wednesday” question tomorrow, December 3rd at 10:00 am EST!![]()
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#americanheritagemuseum #whatisitwednesday
Their gift to us was freedom. On this Giving Tuesday, your gift ensures their stories are never forgotten.![]()
Give today: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/annualfund2025/![]()
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At the American Heritage Museum, every field trip, veteran visit, and living-history weekend helps a new generation understand that freedom has a real weight—and a real cost. Your Giving Tuesday donation to our 2025–2026 Annual Fund keeps the doors open, the engines running, and the stories of service and sacrifice alive.![]()
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Their gift to us was freedom. Your gift TODAY preserves their history.![]()
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Make your Giving Tuesday gift now: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/annualfund2025/![]()
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#GivingTuesday #AmericanHeritageMuseum #SupportHistory #neverforget #veterans #historymuseum
- This event has passed.
History After Hours: Maj. Carpenter & “Rosie the Rocketer” with Jim Busha
May 15 @ 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
