Come see our newest addition to the Vietnam War exhibit - the F-105G Thunderchief. Read the latest post from Owen Myers: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/2024/07/the-legacy-of-the-f-105-thunderchief/
We are very excited to see 102 year old WWII Pacific War Veteran Mr. Caster Salemi this Saturday. Mr. Salemi trained in Paris Texas before being sent to the South Pacific. He was first stationed in New Guinea from Mar.1944 to Jan.1945 and then made the landing in Luzon, Philippines as part of the 251st Field Artillery battalion- company B. Caster was a T4 (Tech)Sergeant responsible for setting up communications between companies. He was in the Philippines fighting the Japanese from Jan.1945 through Dec.1945 seeing action in Dagupan, Pangasinan, Bayombong, Balette Pass, Cagayan Valley, Iguig, and Manila. Caster Salemi received the Philippines Liberation Medal and Asiatic Pacific Service Medal. ![]()
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He will be here through Saturday during our Pacific War re-enactment. A very rare opportunity to talk with a Pacific War veteran who was in the thick of it.
We are getting ready for our first WWII Pacific Theater Re-enactment and living history event - This weekend! 7/13-7/14.![]()
More information and tickets see: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/wwii-pacific-re-enactment-saipan-campaign/
Celebrating our Independence - The American Heritage Museum will be open on Thursday, July 4th, 10 am to 5 pm. We hope to see you here to commemorate this pivotal time in American history. To life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!
Clash of Steel
T-34/85 – RUS | TANK
Panther Ausf. A – GER | TANK
Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, its invasion of the Soviet Union, on June 22nd, 1941. The tank battles the ensued between the Soviet Union and Germany were massive. The Clash of Steel exhibit features two of the most advanced tanks along the Eastern Front: the Russian T-34/85 and the Panther Ausf. A.
The Battle of Kursk was the largest tank battle in history, involving some 6,000 tanks, 2,000,000 troops, and 4,000 aircraft. It marked the decisive end of the German offensive capability on the Eastern Front and cleared the way for the great Soviet offensives of 1944–45. Battle of Kursk, (lasting from July 5, to August 23, 1943), was an unsuccessful German assault on the Soviet city of Kursk in western Russia. In an attempt to recover the offensive on the Eastern Front, the Germans planned a surprise attack on the from both north and south, hoping to surround and destroy the Soviet forces within the bulge that was created by Soviet defenses. The Soviets had surmised the German attack beforehand and had withdrawn their main forces from the obviously threatened positions.
The Germans launched their attack on July 5, but they soon encountered deep antitank defenses and minefields, which the Soviets had placed in anticipation of the attack. The Germans advanced only 10 miles into the north and 30 miles in the south, losing many of their tanks in the process. At the height of the battle on July 12, the Soviets began to counterattack, having built up both troops and tanks. Their successes encouraged them to develop a broad offensive that recovered the nearby city of Orel (now Oryol) on August 5 and that of Kharkov (now Kharkiv, Ukraine) on August 23 and helped clear their advancements into Germany.
