In Old Bethpage, located within a giant hangar rich with the scent of oil and the aura of fortitude, is a collection of armored vehicles that tell a story of America’s history and the fight it has upheld to this day to ensure freedom for one and all.
Housing more than 30 pieces of armor—all of them in full running condition—and focused primarily on the World War II era, the Museum of American Armor serves as a reminder to all that the price of freedom is indeed not free, according to museum director and resident mechanic Mark Renton.
“We bring people here to see what it was like, so you can understand what your father, your grandfather, your uncle might have went through,” he said. “Kids today, with all the realistic combat video games they play, they all know exactly what these vehicles are, but the problem is that this is not a video game. Men lived and died in these vehicles.”
Gary Lewi, board member and vice president of the museum, said that the collection housed in Old Bethpage originally started as just a few independently-owned pieces on display at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale. However, as time went by and the collection of armor grew, it soon became apparent that it was no longer suited as a side-attraction in Farmingdale.
On June 6, 2014—the 70th anniversary of D-Day—the museum opened its doors to the public as a not-for-profit, privately-owned and funded entity. A $10 fee grants admission to both the museum and Old Bethpage Restoration. The museum is staffed mainly by volunteers, many dedicated historical interpreters who are glad to relay the realities of serving in the armed forces of yesteryear.
“I do this to keep their memory alive, and to teach people not to take them for granted,” said volunteer Pete Costas of Hicksville. “Freedom comes at a price, and many men and women paid that price for us all.”
Jake Dillon, another WWII specialist, makes the hour-and-a-half drive from Connecticut almost every weekend to volunteer at the Museum. He said the constant long commute is worth it every time.
“My Asian heritage allows me to give visitors to the museum the flavor of what the minorities did during the war,” he said. “I’m Filipino, and quite a few served over in Europe in various different combat roles.”
Among the impressive collection is a WWII Sherman tank; a U.S. M1 155 millimeter gun, capable of dropping artillery upon enemies situated up to an astonishing 20 miles away; an M25A1 tank transporter, essentially a massive flatbed truck nicknamed the “Dragon Wagon;” and a M48 Cold War-era tank with an especially fascinating, convoluted history, according to Lewi.
“In the 1960s, we gave it to Jordan in a military alliance…the Israelis captured it in a 1967 war, and then used it against the Egyptians in the 1973 Yom Kippur war, where it took a rocket-propelled grenade in the engine while defending the Suez Canal,” he said. “It became a war prize for the Egyptians, who then flipped it to a British broker who sold it to an American collector in California.
The public’s support for the museum has been heartwarming, Lewi said, but it’s the many military veterans who come for a glimpse into their proud past of duty and sacrifice in the service of freedom that is extra special.
“Long Island has the highest veteran population in the United States,” said Lewi. “Recently, we had a Battle of the Bulge ceremony where 500 vets and their families showed up to be acknowledged. We had a WWII vet who had been a crew member on a Sherman tank, and another vet who had driven the Dragon Wagon, both around 90 years-old and meeting for the first time, comparing their experiences. It was very moving.”
To find out more about the Museum of American Armor, visit www.museumofamericanarmor.com.
