Former West Point Deputy Commandant joins the board of The Museum of American Armor
Commack resident brings insight, experience, and vision to the Board.
Jason Halloren, former Deputy Commandant of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a Commack resident, has been nominated to the board of The Museum of American Armor, whose extensive collection of historic military vehicles pays tribute to those Americans who have served to protect our freedoms.
“Mr. Halloren’s extraordinary military credentials, coupled with his passion for preserving our nation’s heritage, make him an important part of the Armor Museum’s future,” stated Lawrence Kadish, president and founder of the museum.
“The Museum of American Armor is a national treasure,” Mr. Halloren said. “Its collection of operational armor breathes life into every history lesson that instructs visitors on the courage, sacrifice, and valor of those who have worn our nation’s military uniform. I am truly honored to be welcomed to its board and to provide whatever assistance I can to ensure its future remains as vibrant and innovative as the past ten years since it first opened its doors.”
During his tour as Deputy Commandant at West Point, Mr. Halloren’s responsibilities were centered on the character and leadership development training of over 4400 cadets, future officers of the U.S. Army. He was also involved in meeting the academy’s various infrastructure needs, staffing, and fiscal responsibilities.
Michael D. Sapraicone, the Armor Museum’s Senior Trustee, stated, “We are honored and fortunate to have Jason join the Armor Museum’s board. He brings a wealth of experience in many of the key operational aspects of our institution as well as his recognition that, at the end of the day, we are an important educational destination for thousands of students across the region.”
Prior to his role at West Point, Mr. Halloren was Chief Executive Officer (Brigade Commander), 5th ROTC Brigade, United States Army Cadet Command (USACC) at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
The Museum of American Armor offering LI college and high school seniors a D-Day essay challenge:
A trip to Normandy during next year’s 80th anniversary of the historic invasion.
The founder and president of the Museum of American Armor, Lawrence Kadish, has announced a contest that will challenge Long Island college students and high school seniors to submit an essay on the legacy of the historic World War II invasion, the winner being provided with a trip to Normandy, France, during 2024 that marks the 80th anniversary of history’s largest amphibious assault. The award is being offered by Beaches of Normandy Tours, an internationally acclaimed travel agency that specializes in military history tours in Europe.
Mr. Kadish noted, “A survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) found that a quarter of Americans didn’t know that D-Day occurred during World War II and less than half knew that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president during that time.
With such basic historic facts unknown to many college students, there is little surprise that few appreciate how our geo-political world is defined by the courage, valor, and sacrifice of Americans who answered the call of freedom over seventy-five years ago.”
Essay essentials
Essays will be accepted by the Museum of American Armor until March 30, 2024.
They may be of any length and in any medium.
They may be mailed, emailed, or delivered by hand.
The email address is: Info@MuseumOfAmericanArmor.com
Our address is: The Museum of American Armor, 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, New York 11804.
The essays will be judged by members of the Armor Museum board and recognized educators.
The winner must be over 18 years of age and will be responsible for having a valid passport.
If a high school senior is chosen, he or she will be accompanied by parent or guardian at the expense of the Armor Museum.
The Armor Museum will provide air and ground transportation and appropriate accommodations on the Cotentin Peninsula, France, that is near the historic Normandy beaches.
The decision of the judges will be final and all essays will become the property of the museum for the purpose of creating a permanent online archive of the submissions.
A winning essayist will be selected in the Spring of 2024.
Criteria for judging D-Day Essays
Historical Argument (Thesis or Claim)
The Museum of American Armor to offer LI college students a D-Day essay challenge: a trip to Normandy
during next year’s 80th anniversary of the historic invasion.
(Old Bethpage, NY) On the 79th anniversary of D-Day, Tuesday, June 6 th , at 10:30 a.m., the founder and president of the Museum of American Armor, Lawrence Kadish, announced a year-long contest that will challenge Long Island college students to submit an essay on the legacy of the historic World War II invasion, the winner being provided
with a trip to Normandy, France, during 2024 that marks the 80 th anniversary of history’s largest amphibious assault.
The announcement took place at 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, during a ceremony before the Armor Museum’s D-Day landing craft that will include the laying of wreath on its bow ramp. Mr. Kadish will remind, “A survey by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) found that a quarter of Americans didn’t know that D-Day occurred during World War II and less than half knew that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president during that time. With such basic historic facts unknown to many college students, there is little surprise that few appreciate how our geo-political world is defined by the courage, valor, and sacrifice of Americans who answered the call of freedom over
seventy-five years ago.”
The Armor Museum’s contest is a partial response to a recent campaign by Long Island social studies teachers to prevent what they see as an erosion of the amount of class time assigned to history under evolving state educational guidelines. “Without being anchored to our history, we are a nation adrift,” continued Mr. Kadish.
In 2010 the New York Regents eliminated social studies tests in fifth and eighth grades,
suggesting the state lacked funds for assessments.
Gloria Sesso, co-president of the Long Island Council for the Social Studies and a advisor to the Armor Museum says those tests were never restored. Sesso is among those educators who sent a letter of protest to Betty A. Rosa, the state's
Education Commissioner, warning that the state planned changes for social studies curriculum could pose a "danger to democracy"; by lessening the amount of class time schools spend on the subject. “This essay contest will potentially incentivize a generation of college students to study this era, making up for considerable educational deficit they experienced due to the loss of state mandates,” explained Sesso.
Essay essentials
Essays will be accepted by the Museum of American Armor for the next ten months.
They may be mailed, emailed, or delivered by hand. The email address is Info@MuseumOfAmericanArmor.com
Our US mail address is The Museum of American Armor, 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, New York 11804.
The essays will be judged by members of the Armor Museum board and recognized educators. The winner must be over 18 years of age and will be responsible for having a valid passport. The Armor Museum will provide air and ground transportation and appropriate accommodations on the Cotentin Peninsula, France, that is near the historic Normandy beaches. The decision of the judges will be final and all essays will become the property of the museum for the purpose of creating a permanent online archive of the submissions. A winning essayist will be selected in early 2024.
Open year round, the Museum of American Armor is in its ninth year of annually welcoming thousands of visitors who inspect its collection of nearly fifty operational military vehicles acquired for the purpose of honoring our veterans and telling their story.
The goal of the Museum of American Armor is to bring the sights and sounds of American history to a new generation, and thereby pay tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to defending our freedoms. Our interactive reenactments present a virtual time machine designed to assist in telling the seminal story of American courage, valor, and sacrifice.
WWII Weekend features a sprawling encampment of living historians, armor, and exhibits, designed to capture the sights and sounds of a pivotal conflict, the outcome of which continues to shape our world.
Travel back to 1944 with the nationally-acclaimed Armor Experience, as individuals are given the opportunity to be immersed with living historians in a time and place when Allied forces attempted to push back German troops while fighting to liberate a continent.
Tanker Weekend has become a much anticipated Labor Day tradition for all of Long Island and the New York metropolitan area, as scores of historic tanks and armor vehicles take to the field in a unique and powerful display of America’s military might some 75 years ago.
1303 Round Swamp Road
Old Bethpage, NY 11804
Phone: 516.454.8265