The 2021 Fourth of July Armor Museum Parade will take place inside Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced this week.
Sponsored by PSEG Long Island, the event will allow families to watch a parade of vintage military vehicles from the extensive collection of the Museum of American Armor.
“In a county that is proud to be home to one of the largest veteran populations in the nation, I can’t think of a better way of saluting the Fourth than by honoring those who have defended our freedoms over the generations,” Curran said.
The gates to Old Bethpage Village Restoration at 1303 Round Swamp Rd. in Old Bethpage will open to advance ticket holders at 9 a.m. on July 4, and families will need to be in place by 10 a.m., as directed by park personnel. Various historic vehicles will drive in convoy while masked living historians from the Long Island Living History Association pass in review. Families will be admitted only with pre-reservation e-tickets purchased on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission fees will be posted and available by going online at oldbethpagevillagerestoration.org/tickets.
“We welcome the opportunity to expand our veteran recognition efforts by supporting a celebration of our nation’s birth that directly pays tribute to those who have defended our nation,” said Daniel Eichhorn, PSEG Long Island president and chief operating officer.
A parade of history
The Armor Museum hosts an operational collection of over forty armor vehicles, many of which will participate in the July 4 parade. Vehicles expected to be in motion include the legendary Sherman tank, the mighty Hellcat, half-tracks, armored cars similar to those that liberated the Nazi death camps, Vietnam era combat vehicles, and the massive M48 Patton tank that would have confronted Soviet armor in the disastrous event the Cold War became an open conflict.
“These vehicles are symbols of American courage, valor, and sacrifice,” said Armor Museum president and founder, Lawrence Kadish. “As we pause to celebrate our nation’s birth we have a responsibility to remember why we are still able to observe this important date on America’s national calendar.”
The museum also will present operational replicas of several enemy vehicles as a dramatic reminder of the powerful forces that have faced America in its historic defense of democracy.
In addition to PSEG Long Island, sponsors of The Armor Museum’s July 4 program include Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Squad Security, Polimeni International, SUEZ Environmental, and Newsday.
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