Encampment time
One Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival favorite is the World War II Encampment, made possible by Highmark.
Walking though the rows of military Jeeps while learning from the members of the encampment is something many Jeep and military enthusiasts appreciate.
More than 60 re-enactors will participate in the World War II Encampment this year, which is more than ever before.
Included will be the First Frontier Mechanized Cavalry (FFMC), First of the 7th Cavalry, 28th Division 110th RCT-K-Company and 99th Infantry Division.
The encampment will feature a fully operational World War II U.S. military light tank which is a new feature in 2015. The armored vehicle, owned by FFMC Military Encampment members Pat Nicholson and Rick Kline, is a rare completely restored 1942 M3A1 Stuart Tank that was originally built in Berwick, Columbia County.
It weighs about 14 tons and is operated by a four-man crew. It features a 37 mm high velocity main gun and three 30-caliber machine guns, all now de-milled to fire blanks.
During World War II, this Stuart Tank was sent to England and was transferred to Tunisia, North Africa, during the early North African campaigns. The tank was used by a Free French Army armor division fighting the Germans and the Italians under the overall command of U.S. Gen. George Patton.
After the war, the tank was sold to the Brazilian Army, where it served for a couple decades until being retired. Years later, it was acquired by an American entrepreneur who brought it back to New York City’s Port for open sale.
Columbus, Ohio, racecar builder Ian Algae bought it and spent most of 20 years restoring it.
Three years ago Nicholson and Kline bought the tank, helped finish the restoration, and brought it to its new home in Pittsburgh.
Nicholson and Kline now feature the tank in several tri-state events and parades.
It will be able to be viewed all weekend at the festival in the armor section of the WWII Encampment.
It also will be featured at 8 a.m. Sunday as the crew uses the cannon to fire the starting shot of the second annual Muddy 5K Race.
