Both photos by Mary Chalfant

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Several WWII classics graced Main Street.

  Photo below: An authentic WWII M-16 half-track was brought to Middletown on a flatbed trailer by its owner, Andrew Knapp of Redding, CT, a member of the Connecticut Military Vehicle Collectors Club (COMVEC). The restored half-track is fully operational, with an engine and track system in excellent condition. The "quad-.50's" turret rotates and elevates as smooth as butter, as was demonstrated by several 3rd Armored vets of the 486th Anti-Aircraft Battalion (who manned it for real in WWII).

  Photo above: An authentic WWII LaSalle U.S. Army staff car was parked in front of the Rose birthplace, although it's unlikely that the General ever had time for (or access to) such luxury. Still, it was a remarkable coincidence that the car, complete with a 2-star general's license plate and flag, was stored in a commercial garage only several minutes away in Middletown. Its collector and mechanic was Mike Cantwell, a Navy Cold War vet.

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