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An incredible sight over our hangar as we wrapped up some of the set up for this weekend’s Battle for the Airfield! ... See MoreSee Less
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Here is this week’s challenge for “What is it Wednesday?” - a close up of something in the museum or our collection for you to guess what it is in the comments!What is it?! We are looking for what it might be part of within the museum and, for more of a challenge, what the exact part is and what it does!Thanks to everyone who played last week… the answer for October 2nd was the throttle on the Ford V8 powering the Bren Gun Carrier in the D-Day gallery… see the previous post for the full details!Good luck on this week’s challenge! #americanheritagemuseum #historymuseum #visitma ... See MoreSee Less
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The answer to the “What is it? Wednesday” question of October 2nd is the throttle of the Ford V8 powering the Bren Gun Carrier also known as the Universal Carrier as on display in the D-Day exhibit. You’ll see one of these in action at this weekends Battle for the Airfield WWII Re-Enactment Weekend!Stay tuned for the next “What is it? Wednesday” later today!#americanheritagemuseum #whatisitwednesday ... See MoreSee Less
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One of the greatest WWII Re-enactments in North America will take place at the American Heritage Museum this weekend. For more information and tickets see: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/wwii-re-enactment-battle-for-the-airfield-october-2024/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Here is this week’s challenge for “What is it Wednesday?” - a close up of something in the museum or our collection for you to guess what it is in the comments!What is it?! We are looking for what it might be part of within the museum and, for more of a challenge, what the exact part is and what it does!Thanks to everyone who played last week… the answer for September 25 was the “squirrel cage” guard in the turret of the M60A1… see the previous post for the full details!Good luck on this week’s challenge! #americanheritagemuseum #historymuseum #visitma ... See MoreSee Less
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Arsenal of Democracy


M4A1 Sherman (Grizzly)
– USA | TANK

Sherman Turret Trainer – USA | TURRET TRAINER

1942 Buick Super (Front) – USA | CIVILIAN AUTOMOBILE

During the Second World War, “Arsenal of Democracy” was the slogan used by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a radio broadcast delivered on December 29th, 1940 to signal that the then still neutral United States would use all its immense industrial capacity to build the weapons of war needed by the last struggling democracies to save themselves, and the idea of democracy itself, from the threat of conquest by fascism and militarism in Europe and Asia.

Immediately after the United States entered WWII, our entire industrial infrastructure changed exclusively to support the war effort. All companies, large and small changed their production. A good example is the automobile industry. Ford focused a lot of their production on aircraft, primarily the B-24 Liberators – that became the most massed produced aircraft in American History. Cadillac made many components and engines for tanks and armored vehicles. Buick stopped all civilian car production and switched to making engines for the Liberators as well as armored vehicles, and tanks. Buick went on to make over 74,000 radial engines for the B-24, 2,000 M18 Hellcat tank destroyers, 600 M-39 tanks, over 19,000 M4, M10 and M26 power trains, over 2 million cartridge cases and more.

By the end of the war, U.S. industry was by itself out producing all the Axis countries combined. American trucks, tanks and aircraft were also supplied to Allied nations, from Canada to Britain to the Red Army of the Soviet Union. The Arsenal of Democracy exhibit highlights the phenomenal American industrial effort throughout WWII.

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BATTLE FOR THE AIRFIELD WWII RE-ENACTMENT WEEKEND SATURDAY & SUNDAY - Tickets Available Online!

Join us this weekend for the Battle for the Airfield WWII Re-Enactment Weekend on Saturday, October 12th and Sunday, October 13th. Event tickets can be pre-purchased at the link below - all museums are included in event admission. Note: General Admission tickets are not accepted this weekend.