The museum opened in this location about a month ago, it is privately owned, and operated and was for years displayed on open land.
the museum is located in Illinois, just across the border from Wisconsin. A friend and I went to have a look at the new place, and of course, shoot lots of pics for all of you hooligans here.
The first pic is me, with an M-4 based SP howitzer called the “priest” So you finally get to see what I look like…(dont all groan at once now, 
) The next ,a trusty M-4, with my buddy Brando, then a case of assorted munitions.
Further lurking about in the museum,An M-41, and M-60 tank the 60 is being repaired now so it will run again soon. then there is a Stuart, with a very appropriate name, a good old halftrack, along with a 37m.m. A.T. gun. And, for our Panzerknacker, here is a 1943 WLA harley-Davidson, 45c.i. Army bike.Lastly, an interior shot of an M-113 A.P.C. with all of the stuff that would normally be in it.
Aside from Armor, and artillery displays, there are a number of aircraft, and related artifacts as well. Some admittedly look like they’ve been parted out, maybe they might be reassembled for proper display later on. I dont know the nomenclature of this stuff, but maybe P.K. or one of you others might know. there are more exhibits , but the weather wasnt too good that day, so on future trips, i’ll get the rest of it. Further note, the radial Aero engine is a twin bank, cut-away training aid. Aft of the engine is the intake, and supercharger unit. And as you can see, there is “Honest” Brando’s used Helo lot.
Difficult to tell where you end and the beard begins. Some good shots though.
Thanks ! I’ve had this beard for a looooong time… and earned every grey hair too, (I raised 2 kids)
:mrgreen:…Brando and you look just in the way I was thinking with some descriptions you give. That faces tells histories of several bar nights ( and some bar fist fights)
Fantastic pics Tankgeezer, that is favorite for obvious reasons.
Thank you my friend, i bet you would be no slouch in a bar brawl yourself. a long time ago, I was a bouncer at a notorious biker bar in my town. The regulars were never trouble, but sometimes, the folks off the road were my work on saturday nights… I had a good friend along for that sort of stuff, pictured below.
I’m glad you like the pics, I’ll get more next visit, some closeups of the ordnance case, and some others around the place.
Hehe…I remember my days in the Technical school, we used to make some nasty device like your brass knukles and also some knives in the metalurgic workshop.By the way unles I am scorted by some big fellows I avoid most of fights…not enough muscular mass to deal with that.
Physical confrontations were rare, only a couple occasions where the brass buddy came in handy, not to inflict great injuries, they are good for knocking the wind out of a drunken beligerant, so he will not want to continue a fight.
the WW1 trench knife is a good example of the usefullness of knucks in close combat,
Agreed, unfortunately there is to many wussies in the streets today, they prefer to take outa gun or a knife before start a good fist fight.
Excellent photos tankgeezer.
That seems true in modern times, always some chicken going for a gun, not even the honor of a “man to man” contest. very unsporting,
thank you Chevan, I took one of my Hasselblads on this trip, a shame it was overcast, but I will probably go there again as its not far away, and shoot some in the sunshine.There are a few other exhibits I missed first time, a Hind helicopter,They have a pic of a tilt rotor craft, a prototype in mock-up of a Russian aircraft.There is no designation listed for it though.
OOOOhhh Nice pics. Looks like you had fun. Lot a helos there… seems like when ever we move we get housing within eye line of the helicopter staging areas… LOL… I like to sit out and watch them.
I always like military museums… there is one not TOO far from here to the West the Airforce Armament Museum or something. I went once a long time ago, they have an SR-71 Blackbird (I think it’s called) parked out front. I’d really like to go to Patriot’s Point in the Carolinas one day though.
Hi Gracie, its always fun to look around a military museum, they do have alot of helicopters there, more than are in my pics, I’ll get them next trip though,
Best guess on the item in your photo here : movie props-dept mockup.
Aerodynamically the thing makes no sense, and the undercarriage on it is way too light by far for the supposed fuselage, which itself has no need for a fighter type cockpit at one end, and a Hind E canopy at the other.
Hell of an interesting pic, actually.
Regards, Uyraell.
Aircraft identifiable in these pics:
Little chopper indoors, Hiller 3 M (at a guess, though Kaman is also possible, they are they same thing really, just different licencees.).
Grey twin engine straight wing : Grumman OV1 Mohawk.
Flight line of Hueys (B’s and C’s, I don’t see any D’s),
leading back to a Vought A7 Corsair II (B model, judging by the In-Flight Refueling probe).
Sikorsky S74 Skycrane (late series, large crane operator cabin), stradling an M112 (note the centrally mounted crewdoor in the rear ramp, and the angle on the front armour, the smaller roadwheels in the suspension.)
CH53 hiding beside an M41 WalkerBulldog and an M60A1 or A2.
Tail of Sikorsky 55 in near left foreground.
Middle background, appears to be a Mule, though I may be mistaken. Rear right is a Recovery Vehicle based on the M55 or M59 (which gives rise to M105 and M109) SPH.
The missile is an “Honest John” or a “Tom-thumb” (name may be wrong but H_J smaller brother). Background behind that is the Mohawk, and behind that, a T33, aka F80C.
That’s about as much as I’m able to see, and I admit I may be called to task, but I feel My id’s in the pics are correct or close enough to it.
Tankgeezer, Thank you for some mighty fine pics 
Regards, Uyraell,[FONT=“Georgia”][/FONT]