The American Heritage Museum at the Collings Foundation is offering people a chance to participate in their “Tank Driving Experience,” which puts participants in an authentic M4A3 Sherman or M24 Chaffee tank, which were both used in WWII.
“Imagine yourself receiving one on one driving instruction in either the world’s only full dual control M4A3 Sherman tank or dual control M24 Chaffee tank,” said president and CEO of the American Heritage Museum, Rob Collings. “The legendary Sherman tanks were in every major battle in WWII. The Chaffee light tanks were revered by its crew for being quick, maneuverable and effective. The Tank Driving Experience is unforgettable. We hope participants will take away a personal piece of this history and passion to learn more during this milestone anniversary year.”
The Hudson, Massachusetts based museum says the tank experience program was developed by veterans and museum docents who were tank instructors in the Army and Marine Corps.
Participants will wear tanker overalls, complete a training course and be briefed on tactical objectives required of tank crews from WWII, a press release stated.
Hunter Chaney, who serves as the museum’s education services coordinator, stated, “An immersive experience in WWII history is an effective way to engage younger generations and provide better understanding of the great dangers our soldiers endured during the war. The American Heritage Museum has developed a special one-of-a-kind Tank Driving Experience program that puts you in the driver’s seat of an authentic WWII tank.”
The driving programs begin at $995 for the M24 Chaffee experience, and $1,495 for the M4A3 Sherman experience. According to the museum’s website, both programs last an hour long, with a 20-minute driving session.
You can learn more and book a tank driving experience, which are running through October, on the American Heritage Museum’s website.
The American Heritage Museum is part of the Collings Foundation, a non-profit Educational Foundation that was founded in 1979. The foundation was created “to organize and support ‘living history’ events that enable Americans to learn more about their heritage through direct participation.”
The museum, which features collections of military artifacts from the Revolutionary War to today, offers visitors a chance to “discover and interact with our American heritage through the history, the changing technology, and the Human Impact of America’s fight to preserve the freedom we all hold dear.”
The Collings Foundation is most-known for its “Wings of Freedom” tour, which offers guests a chance to fly aboard WWII bomber jets. Those flights are currently on hiatus after a B-17 bomber crashed at Bradley International Airport last fall. There were 13 people on board at the time of the crash, including 10 passengers. Seven people, including two pilots, were killed in the crash.
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