Russell Military Museum

The Russell Military Museum is a military museum located in Zion, Illinois.

Background
Mark Sonday began collecting surplus military equipment as a child at Navy Pier in Chicago. In 1980, he purchased 11 former American tanks from Israel. He also joined a group of collectors which provided for movies such as First Blood, Courage Under Fire and Saving Private Ryan.

Establishment in Pleasant Prairie
The Kenosha Military Museum was founded by Sonday in 1986 and opened in 1989 in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. However, ten years after its establishment, the museum was being criticized for the poor condition of its collection. It 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, the county used eminent domain to reclaim the land on which it sat.

Move to Zion
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 15,000 sqft building in Zion, Illinois where it became the Russell Military Museum.

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