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The World War II Vehicle Museum and Learning Center is located in Hubbard, Ohio, just outside of Youngstown in the northeastern
part of the state. This private museum houses a large collection of Second World War vehicles, artillery, uniforms,
small arms, and other memorabilia, and is dedicated to preserving equipment from all combatants from World War II. If
this museum sounds familiar, it may be because some of the vehicles have been featured in Jim Mesko's recent Squadron/Signal
titles on US armour (for instance, Pershing/Patton in Action).
The museum started back in 1992 when the founder/curator, Henry Venetta, acquired his first tank, an M5A1 Stuart.
Since then the collection has grown in leaps and bounds, and it moved into a 52,000 square foot facility in 1999. The
facility itself, a converted indoor tennis court (of all things) provides a very clean, well-kept home for the artifacts (although
I foudn it rather dark for photography).
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| Far and away the biggest piece in the collection is this M26A1/M15A1 tank transporter combo. |
The Museum is a working museum, in that every vehicle is either restored to running condition or will be. Hence,
the tanks and other vehicles show some of that weathering that comes only from being used (trust me, I consider that
a very good thing in this case), and you will see vehicles undergoing maintenance periodically, which gives great access to
their innards. The museum's vehicles are active participants in military vehicle rallies, re-enactments, and
parades. The museum itself holds a rally-flea market-vehicle show-living history display annually in July (check the
museum's website for details). I regret having missed it this year!
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| A sight that warmed the cockles of MY heart! An M18 Hellcat with everything hanging out. |
The collection has, at this point, a very heavy American slant (which is great, as far as I am concerned), although the
museum is always on the lookout for any country's equipment. The only non-American heavy equipment I saw was a
2 pdr. anti-tank gun, an Nebelwerfer, and a pair of CMP trucks. The 2 pdr. in particular is immaculate, and a rare example
of that piece of ordnance on this side of the Pond. The American vehicles and artillery on display is very impressive,
and it's hard for me to choose favourites. After visiting museums such as those at Fort Knox and Aberdeen Proving Grounds, though, it was refreshing to see large numbers of softskin vehicles on display. Standouts
include the mighty M25 tank transporter combination (comprising the soft-cab M26A1 Dragon Wagon and the M15A1 trailer), the
Mack NO 7.5 ton prime mover and the 8 inch M1 howitzer, and the Ward laFrance M1A1 heavy wrecker. A beautiful DUKW is
also on display, and with it is the extremely rare amphibious trailer which some DUKWs used in the Pacific. A
dizzying variety of 2 1/2 ton trucks are also on display, including a very rare bomb service truck, used to load USAAF heavy
bombers.
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| Don Van Duzen gives some scale to an extraordinarily rare and immaculately restored LVT(A)4. |
Among the tracked vehicles are an M26 Pershing, a dry stowage M4A3, an M4A1 (76) HVSS, an M7 Priest, and M18 and M36
tank destroyers (both recovered from Bosnia). The M36 in particular is a superb example; it is all the more impressive
because when the museum received it, the M36 had a Soviet V12 diesel in it! Pride of place probably belongs to
the LVT(A)4 Amtrac, one of only a very few still in existence. This one not only runs, but it still swims! A standard
LVT(4) is in the restoration queue. The museum also boasts an impressive collection of halftracks, including an M3A1,
M4 mortar carrier, and M16 quad .50 calibre AA vehicle. A beautiful M3 scout car provides a nice contrast to its brethren.
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| The museum houses more than just vehicles - a small part of their impressive small arms collection. |
There is more to this museum than just vehicles, however. Among the artillery pieces on display are examples of
all three major US antitank guns from World War II, the 37mm, 57mm, and 3 inch antitank guns. The small arms and
uniform collections are also very impressive. Large numbers of US, German, British, Japanese, and Soviet small arms
are in exhibits, as well as uniforms from all of the major combatants. The displays of non-combat equipment (field stoves,
hammocks, tents, sleeping bags, rations, etc.) is most welcome, since such items are all too often ignored. Particularly
noteworthy is a display of US and German military bicycles.
The museum is also actively collecting veterans' memorabilia, and some interesting photographs, medals, and other
items are on display. This museum is rather unusual in that it can typically only be seen as part of a tour. Fortunately,
the tour guides are extremely informative, knowledgable, polite, and interesting. Our tour guide, Jim Tabor, was very
tolerant of a pair of model geeks drooling over the gems in the museum, and taught me an awful lot of new information relating
to the artifacts on display.
This museum is a first-rate facility, and a hidden gem as far as I am concerned. It is absolutely worth the
trip to see this stunning, meticulously restored collection. If you can swing the trip to coincide with the flea
market/living history display, so much the better. Very highly recommended.
World War II Vehicle Museum vehicles featured in our Reference
Articles:
M4 Sherman Driver's Compartment
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