HUDSON, Mass. – A World War II tank demonstration at the American Heritage Museum gave families a look back at history.

A number of Stuart tanks were part of Sunday's event, something Marketing Director Hunter Chaney says is no small feat.

"They're pretty rare. There's only a small handful of them left in the United States," Chaney said. "We have three of them here, all operating at the same time. Nowhere else in the last, were guessing around 40 years or so, have people been able to see these three tanks as similar models all together at once."

Reenactments also took place with several demonstrators setting up camps around the facility based on the lives of American soldiers during World War II.

People were able to get an immersive feel for how soldiers ate, slept and prepared for battle.

"We portray airborne, the paratroopers who jumped in Normandy and basically secured all the areas behind the beaches," said demonstrator Sean Gilmartin. "We secured the causeways and the bridges leading off the beaches so that infantry and the armor could make off the beaches inland and keep fighting."

Gilmartin is one of the demonstrators. He said life as a soldier during World War II was difficult.

"We jumped in behind enemy lines and we only had what we could carry. We had a couple hundred pounds of equipment on us, and we didn't know when we were coming out and when we were gonna get resupplied," said Gilmartin. "They tell us three days, but in Normandy, we were up to 33 days, so it was definitely different than advertised..." 

Chaney said the tank replicas used in the show played a massive role in deciding the outcome.

"Thousands and thousands and thousands of tanks went through Europe, liberating towns as they went through closer and closer to Berlin," Chaney said. "Had it not been for these tanks, the dynamics of World War II, the outcome of World War II would've been much different."

Chaney said it's important for people to be educated on the events of World War II so the tragedies don't repeat themselves.

He said people can look forward to more historical events at the museum in the future, including a celebration for women in aviation next month.