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went to the Patton Museum again today be prepared to be depressed. This is the space that used to have the M1917's, very nice if you are a fan of ROTC uniforms.
Are there any fans of ROTC uniforms?




This is the space that has always had the Patton exhibits, the truck is missing.




These guys seemed to have found the most interesting part of whats left at the museum.



4 or 5 vehicles out front and these two in the rear of the museum
this one appears to have someone working on it with paint stripper and a hand grinder with a wire brush on it........




and last but not least, can some of you tell me what these balls are for? I never think to ask.....

- armyjunk2

and last but not least, can some of you tell me what these balls are for? I never think to ask.....

Searchlight mounts, which is basically a tripod trailer hitch looking affair. The ball on the vehicle's right is missing. Note that they are mounted to the mantlet, so it elevates and depresses with the gun when mounted. When you see something similar on or around the bustle rack, those are for stowage of the light.

As to the state of the museum.....

Thank you Doug, I was trying to figure how I could get my boat trailer up there...

AJ

The M47 and M60A1 are being cosmetically restored (ie repainted). They are planned for diorammas/exhibits in the museum.

The 'Patton Van' will be fixed up, (by yours truely, hopefully) and then the plan is to build a 1944/45 3rd Army Tactical (field) HQ centered around the Van. It is currently in the blocked off rear area.

Unfortunately I have been AWOL from the Museum for several months, but will be resuming regular visits to get some stuff done, beginning in the next week or so.

BTW: Assecesions Command & ROTC are the current 'sponsoring organizations' on Ft Knox. Besides it is a 'Museum of Leadership' (?!) hence the ROTC uniforms.

Regards
Don

Don, Thanks for the info.

It used to be a place I would visit to 'escape' once or twice a year, since it only took an hour to an hour and a half to get there.

Oh well ...



~ Jeff

I used to "escape" there during lunch almost every day, but it's hardly worth the drive over there now.

I went by the Museum today. The first such visit in over 5 months.

There is still alot of space as exhibits are being planned but it is a dramatic improvement on the building.

The Library & archival area is completed and quite amazing. Unfortunately 90% of the 'stacks' are empty. The Museum Library has had to basically start from scratch.

Besides having extended conversations with the some of the new staff members, I was able to spent sometime crawling on and into both The M60A1 & the M47. I took some real interesting shots of both tanks interiors. I'll post those in a new thread.

The bottom line is the Museum has improved BUT it does have a long way to go. AND it must be remembered that it is no longer an Armor Museum.

The sad reality, there is no United States Army Armor Museum in existence.

Regards
Don

My last trip there was March 30th or 31st, the grand reopening as well as my final duty day before departing for retirement on my terminal leave.

I spent four years in ROTC (Fall 82 thru Spring 86) and was commissioned through ROTC onto active duty and even I found that display to be essentially a waste of space.

Other than the new towed piece where the T28 used to be, the armor left there was probably some of the least interesting pieces of the previous collection.

Sad really, since I began my active duty career here in July 1987 and the museum was one of the first things I visited after I reported for duty. The first thing I remember doing was stumbling upon the old Long Theater and catching the movie Space Balls for like a buck.

I still think whoever made the decision to move the collection should be neutered!


Mike

It has to be a blow to not only us armor fans, but to the community and department of commerce as well. It was a huge attraction but our loss is someone else's gain. I know I dropped a 20 spot every time I visited and felt it was worth even more than that. But I guess it wasn't enough or from everyone.

I was never able to join any service when I was young due to health issues and problems but always had a fascination with armored vehicles, so this place was my release or fix.

I'm just glad I was able to be there during the last reenactment. That made my day!!


~ Jeff

The saddest part is that the current commands at Fot Knox have no vested interest in the post's previous history. They seem more concerned with preserving the history from this point forward than carrying on the history of Fort Knox as the premier armored warfare training center in the world.

Sadly, it is just like a reflagging of a unit. Once the old timers leave that battalion no one remembers the history of the unit before the current designation.

you know the folks I feel sorry for are the vets and others that come here thinking they are going to see something, most folks don't have a clue the armor has moved. They travel a long ways sometimes to see this, then get here and almost nothing to see. pretty sad.....could say its their fault but who would think its all gone.

At my local model club meeting, a couple guys from Utah visited on business. They traveled down to Knox to see the Armor Mecca and were vastly disappointed.

They were totally unaware.

While on vacation I was wearing my Patton Museum volunteer hat. A guy saw the hat and said that the museum was great when he last visited a a few years ago and that he was planning on going to see it again in a couple of weeks. When I told him the current status of the museum, he was crestfallen. There are still a few thousand just like him that have no idea what to expect.

Garry