As we prepare to celebrate our Emancipation Day from the shackles of British colonizers, the patriot in our industrial-sized heart swells. And what’s more patriotic—and bulletproof—than World War tanks and the brave casters that can help to restore their legacy?
Cue this 1943 beauty featured at the Robert Armory WWII Museum, which specializes in armored vehicles, artillery and other artifacts used by the United States in World War II. The tank, called the M22 Locust Light Airborne, has been lovingly restored to its former glory by Museum Curator Chuck Roberts, complete with turret, simulated canon and machine gun fire.
During the restoration process, Roberts had difficulty finding a spare because so few of these types of tanks were manufactured. So he called on Hamilton for the next best thing: one of our 15” x 6” wheels with a capacity of 6,500 pounds. With the trusty spare in tow, Roberts can confidently haul the M22 Locust on a lowboy semi-trailer to various reenactments and events throughout the Midwest. This particular M22 Locust was found in a farmer’s field. Luckily, the vehicle still rolled. It was one of the smallest tanks used by the Allies in the war and was the first tank the U.S. designed primarily for airborne operations.
Roberts started collecting World War II memorabilia more than 30 years ago. He served in the Army, his father was in the Battle of the Bulge and his mother was in the Army nurse corps. We thank Chuck for his service and his business, and we’re honored to play a small part in his labor of love on the history of WWII. If you live in the Midwest, you can check to see if the M22 is coming to a ‘hood near you.
(And believe it or not, this isn’t the first time Hamilton casters have obliged a battle tank in the name of our great nation).
Because that’s how freedom rolls.