In the “duh, we had no idea this was in our backyard department,” we just learned about the existence of The Museum of American Armor. Located on the grounds of Old Bethpage Village, Long Island, right near the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport, the Museum houses several dozen pieces of military hardware, and recently received a USMC LVT “Buffalo” from the estate of a deceased collector.
The Museum of American Armor in New York www.museumofamericanarmor.org is acquiring a rare World War II era LVT (Landing Vehicle Tracked) “Buffalo” amphibious assault vehicle from Thea Kronlund as part of a joint decision to create a permanent living tribute to her late husband and armor collector, Mr. Kevin Kronlund, and his leadership in keeping alive our nation’s military heritage.
Mrs. Kronlund stated, “On the eve of Kevin’s death the Museum of American Armor acquired his Long Tom cannon and M 4 artillery tractor for the purpose of making it a cornerstone of the museum’s armor collection on Long Island. Over the passage of time the museum has made repeated references to Kevin’s legacy when visitors come to tour their facility. Given that the museum is located within one of the largest veterans populations in the United States and some 35 miles from Manhattan, we thought his LVT would be an appropriate means to create a lasting tribute to Kevin’s legacy that would be appreciated by many.”
According to their web site, “visitors will walk through the museum’s camouflaged front doors that have been heavily sandbagged similar to the way important bunkers were protected some 70 years ago. Inside, a gift shop and administrative office will occupy a modest amount of space as the bulk of the building will be devoted to the display of some 30 vehicles. Half a dozen times a year, and in coordination with OBVR programming, these vehicles will be presented in the field or on the Village’s country roads as living historians offer displays on WW II tactics.”
For more information about the museum and its semi-regular events, you can visit their web site: http://museumofamericanarmor.com/