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Today we solemnly remember those who served and sacrificed all in the defense of the values we all hold dear. On this Memorial Day and every day... we will never forget you. ... See MoreSee Less
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First run of the new M36 Jackson 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage / Tank Destroyer that will be publicly unveiled this weekend at the Tank Demonstration Weekend! Get tickets for the event and book a ride on the M36 Jackson ($195 per person) via the links at www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/tank-demonstration-weekend-may-2023/ ... See MoreSee Less
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The weather this weekend looks perfect for our Tank Demonstration Weekend - May 27th and 28th at the American Heritage Museum from 9am to 5pm daily! Get a taste of what you might see at this video! Get tickets at: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/tank-demonstration-weekend-may-2023/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Our WWII Tank Demonstration weekend is coming up on May 27th and 28th. We have some special guests! WWII Veterans Bill Purple, Alfred Consigli and Russ Phipps (101!) will be joining us for a WWII Veteran talk around 10:30 and 1:30 both Saturday and Sunday. Amazing, incredible stories from these gentleman! Not to be missed. ... See MoreSee Less
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Get ready for our first Summer living history weekend next week with Tank Demonstration Weekend on Memorial Day Weekend - May 27th and 28th! Event details & tickets at: ahmus.me/23-05 - See some of the most historic American WWII tanks in operation all weekend including the M4 Sherman, M26 Pershing, M5 Stuart, M24 Chaffee, M18 Hellcat, and the first public appearance of our new M36 Jackson tank destroyer! All museum buildings are open and part of event admission... including the hangar and the car museum! ... See MoreSee Less
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Italian Campaign


M3A1 Scout Car
– USA | PERSONNEL CARRIER/RECON

M5A1 Stuart – USA | LIGHT TANK

VW Kübelwagen Type 82 – GER | RECON CAR

Schwimmwagen Type 166 – GER | AMPHIBIOUS PERSONNEL CARRIER/RECON

2 cm Flak 38 – GER | ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN

The Italian Campaign lasted from 1943 to 1945. It is estimated that between September 1943 and April 1945, 60,000–70,000 Allied and over 100,000 German soldiers died. The invasion of Sicily in July 1943 led to the collapse of the Fascist Italian regime and the fall of Mussolini who was incarcerated on July 25th, 1943. German forces soon took control of northern and central Italy.  Mussolini, who was rescued from captivity by German paratroopers. Hitler assisted Mussolini in setting up a puppet state, the Italian Social Republic, to administer the German-occupied territory. Italy fell into a civil war even as Allied and German armies clashed on its territory.

U.S. and British political leaders hoped that an invasion might knock Italy out of the war. The defeat of Italy would enable Allied naval forces, principally the Royal Navy, to dominate the Mediterranean Sea, securing the lines of communications with Egypt and Asia while forcing Axis divisions to transfer troops from the Eastern Front to defend Italy.  This assistance had been promised to the Soviet Union, then facing the great majority of German and also Italian troops.

The land forces involved were the US 7th Army under General George Patton, and the British 8th Army, under General Bernard Montgomery. They started with the liberation of Sicily in 1943. Allied forces continued with the invasion of mainland Italy which precipitated the fall of Mussolini’s government and also provoked a German invasion o the north that blocked the Allies from Rome.

Mountainous Italy was  a hard place to fight and mistakes were made by both sides, even before the main focus of fighting in Western Europe shifted to France in June, 1944. The result was that difficult, hardscrabble fighting in Italy lasted almost the the end of WWII.

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OPEN TODAY - MEMORIAL DAY

The American Heritage Museum is open today, Monday, May 29th from 10:00am to 5:00pm for Memorial Day,