The Russell Military Museum, originally begun as the Kenosha Military Museum is a military museum located in Russell, Illinois.
History Mark Sonday began collecting surplus military equipment in the 1970s. In 1980, he purchased 11 former American tanks from Israel. He also joined a group of collectors which provided props for movies such as First Blood, Courage Under Fire and Saving Private Ryan.
The Kenosha Military Museum opened in 1989 in the former town of Bristol, Wisconsin. Ten years after establishment, Sonday announced plans for a new building and requested a corresponding zoning change for the property. The change failed to pass a vote, due to the petitions of the adjacent property owners. The museum then filed a lawsuit against the county. In 2002, Kenosha County used eminent domain to reclaim the land on which it sat.
A settlement was reached in 2006, in which the museum received a $3.9 million payment, but was forced to vacate the property. It moved across the state line to a new site with a building in Russell, Illinois where it was renamed the Russell Military Museum.
Collection Aircraft
Aero Commander U-9 Bell AH-1 Cobra Bell OH-58 Kiowa Bell UH-1B Iroquois Bell UH-1H Iroquois Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Grumman OV-1 Mohawk Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH Hiller H-23 Raven Hughes OH-6 Cayuse Hughes TH-55A Osage Lockheed T-33 LTV A-7 Corsair II McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle Mil Mi-24 Northrop T-38 Talon Republic F-84 Thunderjet Sikorsky CH-34 Choctaw Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe Sikorsky HH-3
Ground vehicles
Bandvagn 206 Cadillac Peacekeeper Centurion CJ-750 Fast Attack Vehicle Ferret armoured car FMC XR311 Harley-Davidson WLA LVTP-5 M3A1 half-track M3A1 Stuart M4 Sherman M4 tractor M5 Stuart M5 tractor M7 Priest M16A1 multiple gun motor carriage M29C Weasel M32 tank recovery vehicle M35 M37 M41 Walker Bulldog M42 Duster M47 Patton M48 AVLB M48 Patton M60 Patton M110 howitzer M113 armored personnel carrier M114 Command and Reconnaissance Carrier M116 Husky M151 M274 M548 M561 Gama Goat M578 light recovery vehicle M715 M725 M726 M816 M911 M984 M998 M1008 M1009 M1030 MLull EBFL Pandur I Sexton Unimog V-100 Commando M38 Willys MB Wollard MB-4 XM-501
See also Motts Military Museum Indiana Military Museum
References
External links