Saving Our Mighty Mite

Ghosts of the Battlefield has added a rare AMC M422 Mighty Mite to our growing collection of historic military vehicles.

When we first obtained it, we hoped that a complete mechanical restoration might eventually return it to driving condition. After carefully evaluating the vehicle, however, we determined that the damage and deterioration are too extensive to make that goal practical.

That does not mean this Mighty Mite is beyond saving.

Our focus will now be a complete cosmetic restoration and long-term preservation project. The vehicle will be cleaned, stabilized, repaired, and protected from further deterioration. Whenever possible, missing exterior components will be replaced, its Marine Corps appearance will be restored, and the surviving original material will be carefully preserved.

Although it may never drive again, it can still become an important educational display.

Not every historic vehicle must operate to tell its story. This Mighty Mite can still help visitors understand its unusual design, its connection to early helicopter warfare, and the effort that went into creating one of the lightest tactical vehicles ever used by the United States Marine Corps.

This will be an ongoing restoration project, and we will continue sharing photographs and updates as the work progresses.

The road ahead may be different from what we originally hoped, but the mission remains the same: save what survives before it is lost forever.

Click here to learn more about the history of the Mighty Mite.

Every artifact has a story. Click here to help us save the next one.