Peter Blanc with the Evansville Wartime Museum is coaching a rider onto their 1943 Sherman Tank, named "Rosie’s Revenge," Saturday, May 4.
“What you're going to want to do is face the back of the tank as you go up,” he said. “Climb up on top of the turret on your knees.”
The Museum was shut down in early April due to storm damage. More than 25-percent of the roof was ripped from the structure and one of the massive hangar doors were damaged.
Still closed, they were unable to hold fundraising activities — until recently. The most popular fundraising activity — tank rides — just started again this weekend.
“Fundraising is how we keep the lights on at the Wartime Museum. So this is a big deal,” said Michael Rasche of the Museum. “And we use it one, as a fundraiser, two, a little bit of history. And you can't go ride a Sherman tank just anywhere.”
The tank engine turns over with a roar, and idles for two minutes before lumbering up and down the taxiway just beyond the museum hangar.
It’s operated by twin hand brakes, and pedals and lever for its 5-speed manual transmission. Getting into either front-facing seat takes some maneuvering. The inside is painted white and of course, short on creature comforts.
The tank carries five individuals, including the Museum tank driver. Riders can learn a little about history. Roy Boyd of Murfreesboro Tennessee, caught a glimpse of what that wartime job was like.
“Just to think about somebody being in (the tank) being scared to death … just being shot at the same time probably.”
Rasche is “point man” on the tank. He guides the tank operator from a golf cart using hand signals.
“It's a different experience you can get in the tank, you can actually be in an operating tank, you don't have to be told what it's like to be running a tank or in an operating tank. You just did it.”
The wartime museum had 16 riders on Saturday. There’s another riding day on the third Saturday of the month.
The Museum has also restarted Lunch and Learn sessions held at the VFW Post 1114 in Evansville.
The museum still has no firm date to reopen. Initially museum staff thought it might take a year to reopen. That expectation has been revised — it could now be open September of this year.
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