The Museum's Permanent Collection

The festivities around the holidays never ceased no matter what time or place you happened to be. Parties and events typically fill up our schedules during this time just as it did Winter Hop Dance Card (1920-1921) over a hundred years ago for others. A nostalgic item from holiday parties is a winter hop dance card found at holiday events from a different time period. A dance card is a small booklet that usually has a string attached to it that would be tied to a ladies wrist

Fighting harsh winter conditions in the cold European winters during World War II was a feat in its own when it came to surviving the war. A staple during these times and a swift relief from the cold was a hot cup of coffee, sometimes the difference between a good or bad day. Innovative for the time, military hand-warmer mugs were produced from 1941 to 1945, specifically for the U.S. Navy. These mugs were typically made of milk glass, were about an inch thick, and were handle

On December 12, 1944, George Sewak was pronounced Missing in Action just days before the Battle of the Bulge. In a telegram sent to Sewak's mother, Mrs. Julia Sewak, it accounts that her son had gone missing in Germany and that she would be promptly notified of any changes. Right after being notified of her son's missing status, the Battle of the Bulge would begin on the Western front. The Battle of the Bulge commenced on December 16, 1944, and was a key turning point of Worl

We dedicate this Artifact Friday to the 2 nd  Battle of El Alamein, which took place on October 23, 1942. Every theatre of war has its turning point. In the pacific, it was the Battle of Midway. In Europe, the Invasion of Normandy. For the North Africa campaign, that turning point took place at the small Egyptian railroad town of El Alamein. It was here that the Panzerarmee Afrika, led by General Erwin “the Desert Fox” Rommel, was put on the backfoot by Lieutenant-General Ber

For a short time only, we have acquired a very peculiar part of history. The Antonov AN-2 stands proudly as the largest single engine biplane ever produced with an upper wingspan of 59ft 9in and a length of 40ft 8in. Originally designed in 1947 by the Antonov Design Bureau, the AN-2 was meant for use as a utility aircraft for forestry and agriculture. The Antonov Design Bureau was tasked by the Soviet Union to manufacture a plane that with high load capacity and reliability.

Although we are late to celebrate the United States Air Force’s birthday, September 18th , we are just in time to celebrate September...

Throughout World War II and many wars before and after, it has been customary for a surrendering officer to offer their pistol to the...

Upon the end of World War II, Germany was divided in half. West Germany became subject to the big players of the Allied powers; France,...

The events leading up to the Gulf War are far too complex to cover in a short article. To put it simply, the greed of Iraq’s leader,...

It is commonly considered among World War II historians that the weapon that won the war was not something so grand as the nuclear bomb...

To maintain this week’s theme of rodeos, today we have a cavalry saber. This sword was originally made in Japan and adopted by the...

On the 27th of January, 1778, the Connecticut Militia crossed the frozen Hudson River and established a camp that they named Fort Arnold,...

Among our vast collection of weapons and artifacts is one that American soldiers and marines once feared. The Type 97 machine gun once...

The months following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor consisted of various delaying actions by the United States Pacific Fleet. The...

As we all know, D-Day, June 6th , 1944, marked the turning point for the war in Europe. To this day, the Storming of Normandy stands as...

Perhaps the most famous military event in World War II, or possibly any war, is the invasion of Normandy, D-Day, that took place on June...

If you’ve ever seen a folded United States flag on someone’s mantle or anywhere else in their home, you likely already know that they had...

At the beginning of World War One, the Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte (German Air Combat Forces) had arguably one of the best air force...

Today we have the letter sent by a pilot, Pierce W. McKennon, to his mother.  Pierce was born and raised as an Arkansas native and...

Pilots have always been an interesting group. One could assume it simply comes with the territory. But, of the many pilots in history,...

It’s a strange feeling, looking back and seeing our sworn enemies as allies. Throughout the Cold War, the two global powers challenged...