Armed Forces History Museum

Last updated
Armed Forces History Museum
Armed Forces History Museum logo.jpg
Armed Forces History Museum
EstablishedAugust 2008 (2008-08)
Dissolved29 January 2017 (2017-01-29)
Location Largo, Florida
Coordinates 27°53′55.11″N82°45′7.66″W / 27.8986417°N 82.7521278°W / 27.8986417; -82.7521278
Key holdings Replica Bell X-1
Collection sizeOver 100,000
Website armedforcesmuseum.com

The Armed Forces History Museum (AFHM) was a 501(c)(3), non-profit museum in the city of Largo in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, United States. [1] [2] The museum opened in August 2008, with 35,000 sq. ft. of indoor displays and an additional 15,000 sq. ft. of outdoor viewing space. [3] The AFHM housed historical memorabilia including fully restored, fully operational jeeps, tanks, halftracks and armor. [4] The museum also had a large replica of Chuck Yeager's Supersonic Jet Bell X1, the aircraft he used to break the sound barrier. [5] The museum closed permanently on January 29, 2017. [6]

Contents

History

In 1955, John J. Piazza, Sr. was given a World War I grenade. Over time he collected other items, including military vehicles and several cases of memorabilia and ordnance, and in 1996 Piazza put together a traveling exhibit to take to local schools and community events. [7] In order to receive donations from the public, Piazza established his collection as The Armed Forces Military Museum, with a 501 (c)(3), non-profit status.

The Armed Forces Military Museum opened to the public on August 15, 2008. In 2012, the museum changed its name to The Armed Forces History Museum. [8]

Also in 2012 the museum began holding various special events to serve as fundraisers. [9] [10]

The museum housed over 100,000 items of military history. [7]

Museum displays

The museum was divided into several display areas. Large pieces, including aircraft, field pieces and tanks, were on display both indoors and in an outdoor area. [7] The Salute to Service gallery focused on uniforms and insignia. The Firearms and Ordnance gallery displayed hand weapons of many vintages. A diorama of a World War I trench filled one area, while the Pearl Harbor and the South Pacific gallery included scale models, Japanese artifacts, Marine Corps memorabilia and World War II film footage.

Some of the other displays included the US Navy Deck, the D-Day Landing/Utah Beach, [11] a French Village/St. Mere Eglise, a German Farmhouse, a World War II Communications Headquarters, the Korean War Inchon Landing, a Korean War MASH, a diorama entitled Korean War Frozen Chosin, Korean War's Rosie’s Bar, a POW/MIA gallery, a Vietnam WarHo Chi Minh Trail diorama, and an Officers’ Club.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15</span> Soviet fighter aircraft

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 is a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate swept wings to achieve high transonic speeds. In aerial combat during the Korean War, it outclassed straight-winged jet day fighters, which were largely relegated to ground-attack roles. In response to the MiG-15’s appearance and in order to counter it, the United States Air Force rushed the North American F-86 Sabre to Korea.

Bell X-1 Experimental rocket-powered aircraft, the first airplane to break the sound barrier in level flight

The Bell X-1 is a rocket engine–powered aircraft, designated originally as the XS-1, and was a joint National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics–U.S. Army Air Forces–U.S. Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived during 1944 and designed and built in 1945, it achieved a speed of nearly 1,000 miles per hour in 1948. A derivative of this same design, the Bell X-1A, having greater fuel capacity and hence longer rocket burning time, exceeded 1,600 miles per hour in 1954. The X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, was the first manned airplane to exceed the speed of sound in level flight and was the first of the X-planes, a series of American experimental rocket planes designed for testing new technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampa International Airport</span> Primary airport serving the Tampa Bay area, Florida, United States

Tampa International Airport is an international airport six miles (9.7 km) west of Downtown Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned by Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA). The airport serves 93 non-stop destinations throughout North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe across multiple carriers. The airport was called Drew Field Municipal Airport until 1952.

Technik Museum Sinsheim Technology museum

The Technik Museum Sinsheim is a technology museum in Sinsheim, Germany. Opened in 1981, it is run by a registered association called "Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim e. V." which also runs the nearby Technik Museum Speyer.

Australian War Memorial National war memorial and museum in Canberra, Australia

The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving personnel from the Australian colonies prior to Federation. Opened in 1941, the memorial includes an extensive national military museum.

Bob Hoover American aviator (1922–2016)

Robert Anderson Hoover was an American fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and record-setting air show aviator.

War Memorial of Korea Military museum in Seoul

The War Memorial of Korea is a museum located in Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It opened in 1994 on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit and memorialize the military history of Korea. It was built for the purpose of preventing war through lessons from the Korean War and for the hoped for peaceful reunification of North and South Korea. The memorial building has six indoor exhibition rooms and an outdoor exhibition centre displaying war memorabilia and military equipment from China, South Korea and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Military Museums</span>

The Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006. The new museum comprises the former Museum of the Regiments as well as the relocated Naval Museum of Alberta and an Air Force Wing consisting of artifacts being acquired.

War Remnants Museum War museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The War Remnants Museum is a war museum at 28 Vo Van Tan, in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. It contains exhibits relating to the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War.

Tony Jannus Award American commercial aviation award

The Tony Jannus Award recognizes outstanding individual achievement in scheduled commercial aviation by airline executives, inventors and manufacturers, and government leaders. The award is conferred annually by the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society and was first bestowed in 1964 in Tampa, Florida, U.S. Its namesake, aviation pioneer Tony Jannus, piloted the inaugural flight of the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line on January 1, 1914, the first scheduled commercial airline flight in the world using heavier-than-air aircraft. In addition to preserving the legacy of Tony Jannus, the non-profit Society also offers financial assistance to college students pursuing studies in aviation and conducts an annual essay contest for high school students to encourage careers in aviation.

U.S. Army Transportation Museum Military Museum in Fort Eustis, Virginia

The U.S. Army Transportation Museum is a United States Army museum of vehicles and other transportation-related equipment and memorabilia. It is located on the grounds of Fort Eustis, Virginia, in Newport News, on the Virginia Peninsula.

South African National Museum of Military History Military museum in Johannesburg, South Africa

The South African National War Museum in Johannesburg was officially opened by Prime Minister Jan Smuts on 29 August 1947 to preserve the history of South Africa's involvement in the Second World War. In 1975, the museum was renamed the South African National Museum of Military History and its function changed to include all conflicts that South Africa has been involved in. In 1999 it was amalgamated with the Pretoria-based Transvaal Museum and National Cultural History Museum to form the NFI. In April 2010 Ditsong was officially renamed Ditsong Museums of South Africa and the SANMMH was renamed the Ditsong National Museum of Military History.

Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History Military museum in Brussels, Belgium

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History is a military museum that occupies the two northernmost halls of the historic complex in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark in Brussels, Belgium. The park is set on the continuation of the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, which starts at the end of Brussels Park before the Royal Palace.

Leonard T. Schroeder American soldier (1918–2009)

Leonard Treherne "Max" Schroeder Jr. was a colonel in the United States Army, who served on active duty from 1941 to 1971. As a captain during World War II, he commanded Company F of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division in the Normandy Landings on June 6, 1944, landing on Utah beach in France. Leading the men of his company, Schroeder was the first American soldier to come ashore from a landing craft in the D-Day invasion.

Mississippi Armed Forces Museum

The Mississippi Armed Forces Museum is located at Camp Shelby, approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Armed Forces Museum serves as the military history museum for the State of Mississippi. It is a member of the Army Museum System.

The Jihad Museum is located in the western provincial capital of Herat in Afghanistan. It was built in 2010 as a place for Afghans to understand past conflicts and their history. Since its opening, the museum has welcomed many visitors, including U.S. congressmen and the deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan. The museum seeks to inform visitors of the mujahideen's plight and to educate Afghans. It is a memorial to the mujahideen heroes who fought the Soviets in the 70s and 80s as well as to the Afghans who lost their lives fighting.

Texas Military Forces Museum Military Museum in Austin, Texas

The Texas Military Forces Museum is a history museum in Austin, Texas. It is hosted by the Texas Military Department at Camp Mabry and is part of the United States Army Historical Program.

IS-3 1940s Soviet heavy tank

The IS-3 is a Soviet heavy tank developed in late 1944. Its semi-hemispherical cast turret, became the hallmark of post-war Soviet tanks. Its pike nose design would also be mirrored by other tanks of the IS tank family such as the IS-7 and T-10. Too late to see combat in World War II, the IS-3 participated in the Berlin Victory Parade of 1945, in the border conflict during the Sino-Soviet split, the Soviet invasion of Hungary, the Prague Spring and on both sides during the Six-Day War.

Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum Aerospace museum in Pasay, Philippines

The Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum is an aerospace museum located within the premises of Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay, Philippines.

References

  1. "Armed Forces History Museum combines fun with honor". Tampa Bay Times.
  2. Iwo Jima Vets tour Armed Forces History Museum" Archived 2014-09-14 at the Wayback Machine . ABC Action News.
  3. "Military museum in Largo conveys the human side of war" The Laker Lutz News.
  4. "Armed Forces History Museum" . Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  5. "Yeager's Supersonic Jet Full Episode – Museum Men". HISTORY.com. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  6. "Armed Forces History Museum in Largo to close in January | Tampa Bay Times". Archived from the original on 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  7. 1 2 3 "Armed Forces Military Museum could move into Clearwater's Harborview Center". Tampa Bay Times.
  8. Castillo, Piper. "Armed Forces History Museum in Largo Holds Vast Collection of Military Collectibles". February 10, 2012, Tampa Bay Times. c20 November 2013.
  9. Castillo, Piper. Armed Forces History Museum Marches on Despite Challenges, Tampa Bay Times.
  10. Torres, Juliana A. Museum Offers Closer Look at Military History, TBN Weekly. Retrieved 1/8/2014.
  11. "Local museum gives up close look at D-Day". Channel 10 News, 2014.