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
October 2020
Military History Through The Ages – *Replaces Battle for the Airfield due to COVID-19 Event Rules*
$15 – $25
The Collings Foundation and American Heritage Museum is hosting a living history exhibition - Military History Through The Ages. The weekend features multiple re-enactors with displays from the Revolutionary War up through the present day. All three Museums will be open: The Collings Foundation Automobile Collection, The Collings Foundation Hangar, and the American Heritage Museum. Fully restored military equipment of all kinds will be on display. Camps will be set up with authentic materials and appearance. Re-enactors act as docents…
Find out more »February 2021
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May 2021
June 2021
July 2021
August 2021
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October 2021
November 2021
December 2021
February 2022
July 2022
Battle of Bunker Hill – Revolutionary War Re-Enactment
$15 – $30
Join us July 23rd and 24th, 2022 at the American Heritage Museum for an extraordinary Revolutionary War re-enactment and living history event unlike anything you have seen! Period encampments and re-enactors will tell the tale of this infamous battle. Action will include bombardment of the redoubt on Breed’s Hill, the landing of troops on the Charlestown peninsula, company flank attacks on the Boston shore, and the multiple assaults up Breeds Hill, all done with pyrotechnic effects! It will be a…
Find out more »November 2022
December 2022
AHM Presentation: Remembering Pearl Harbor and U.S. Entry Into WWII
$10 – $20
Join us at the American Heritage Museum for a compelling talk about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into WWII. Hosted by American Heritage Museum President Rob Collings and Lead Docent Colin Rixon, we will discuss "the day that will live in infamy." The motivations of Japan to attack Pearl Harbor, how they executed the raid and its aftermath will be covered. We will also highlight the history of our Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk and Waco UIC…
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February 2023
Speaker Series: 11B10-Memories of a Light Weapons Infantryman in Vietnam. By author John Magnarelli
$10 – $20
Mr. Magnarelli will talk about his experiences as a young soldier in the Vietnam War and the processes he went through in writing his captivating book. 11B10 is a memoir on what Army life was like from boot camp through combat through the eyes of a young man just out of high school. Without glorification or exaggeration it reflects the experience of the author’s time in the service specifically his year as an infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division and…
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AHM Presentation: History of the Abrams Tank
$10 – $20
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare and now one of the heaviest tanks in service at nearly 68 tons, it introduced several innovative features, including a multifuel turbine engine, sophisticated Chobham composite armor, a computer fire control system, separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment, and NBC protection for crew safety. The M1 Abrams entered service in 1980 and currently…
Find out more »March 2023
AHM Presentation: Tank Technology
Join us at the American Heritage Museum on Friday, March 29th at 1:00 PM, to hear a presentation by AHM docent and former Master Gunner and tank platoon Sergeant Gregg Pomerleau. Mobility, protection and firepower are the main factors considered when designing and operating tanks. Hear Gregg Pomerleau discuss the history and technologies of tanks and how the concepts of building a better tank has advanced over the millennia. Mr. Pomerleau's has an extensive knowledge in tanks of all kinds…
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