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Trevor

Luckily the museum does have a public access entrance so visitors are always welcome.

As for getting onpost to see the many historic sites, I am always (usually...) able to host and act as a tour guide. I see this as one of the important aspects to being a Museum Volunteer.

Ask The Vagabonds, Tumbleweed, Doug, Neil, and a bunch of others who I have had the honor of escorting, My tours don't suck, too bad.....ha ha ha

BUT don't ask Bob....(!?) I sort of 'no showed' his visit, but that was 'Uncle Sams' fault.....

Anyway, I try to accommidate as much as possible.
Regards
Don

- Dontos

I noticed a sign,....."NO TOURING, FT KNOX IS A CLOSED POST!".

Who do these people think think they are. And where do they think their paychecks come from.???

Sorry, I had to rant a bit.

I've just added the last of the M41s in my Fort Knox list (I hadn't got to it before my holiday):

Unique ID 1317: M41 on Post

When I saw it, it was outside Humpick Hall beside Old Ironsides Avenue.

- Dontos

As for M41A3's, there is the one in Stithton Traffic Circle:



Regards
Don

Given our previous discussions about the Chaffee Avenue M24 moving to Chaffee Gate I'm confident that this M41 on Stithton is the same as the one I saw on Old Ironsides (cast muzzle brake, MG on top, etc.) so I've added your photo's to its profile page and updated the text - thanks.

The only thing is, my notes have it as an M41A1 rather than M41A3. I understand the difference primarily comes down to the engine, and I'm not aware of any distinguishing marks. Anyway, I've ordered Hunnicutt's Sheridan book (and the Osprey US Light Tanks book) so I can learn up on this issue, and M41s in general (including Neil's comment about the museum's M41A3 actually being an T41E1, which I haven't forgotten).

- JWB2

- Dontos

I noticed a sign,....."NO TOURING, FT KNOX IS A CLOSED POST!".

Who do these people think think they are. And where do they think their paychecks come from.???

Sorry, I had to rant a bit.

It's simple, really. The excuse is "Force Protection". There are US Military personnel and families on that post, so anything that can be explained as for their protection is virtually irrefutable. Bad people mix with 'the American public', so the public is bad (quite aside from the blatant we-are-better-than-that-rabble-ism that pervades the ranks of government/military employees).

Among many government/military employees (similar to UN employees of all stripes) the fastest way to lose your job is to make a decision of any type. Simple rules are simple to explain and enforce, and less likely to require judgment or decisions during enforcement. Since these measures are implemented by government employees who already have all the access they need, there is no need to consider the desires of the public. The result is rules that exclude all except the privileged, and that brook no dispute of any kind. It has always been so, particularly where anything to do with the military is concerned.

Chuck
(who has become cynical in 30+ years of association with the military and it's civilian support force)

[Edit: To prevent the idea that I think ALL government/military civilian employees are like this...they are not. These are generalized statements, and anyone who bucks the trend is to be applauded. Those people will also be pressured by the weight of the entire system to conform to it's automaton norms...]

- Dontos

Here are a couple I took a week or so ago.



...

Regards
Don

Photo's added and text updated, thanks:

Unique ID 1312: Fort Knox T43

Changes have been made to the Armor for the Ages web site that reflect the changes in the museum as it becomes the General George Patton Museum tomorrow. While the basic format is the same, the Museum Photo Tour, Research page and Vehicle List page have been deleted. There are other wording changes throughout the site, but the basic message is still there. One addition to the web site is the General George Patton Museum Overview and Future Plans page that hopefully present the immediate changes and what the future holds for the museum.

Armor for the Ages will continue to cover anything the museum volunteers are involved in and the changes in the new museum as its grows.

armorfortheages.com/

Garry

Yesterday, The M1A1 (M1E1) 'Answer To This' was pulled out of the Museum to make room for the ongoing dismantling of the exhibits.

I was informed that since she is basically gutted, it was decided to move her to RMP. Currently no other vehicles are to be pulled out, until transportation has been arranged 'south'. Instead a bunch of the exhibited vehicles are being shifted around to facilitate preparations for shipment of the 'micro-artifacts' (ie non-vehicular artifacts)

Monday 'she' will be transported to RMP.

Regards
Don

Regards
Don

JWB2 said:

Who do these people think think they are. And where do they think their paychecks come from.??? Evil or Very Mad

Sorry, I had to rant a bit.

It is unfortunate, but a sad fact of life. If you really want to blame someone all you have to do is watch the news tomorrow covering the 9th anniversary of 9/11. The Army generally was very easy going when it came to access to their installations, most being called "Open Posts". Never had a post registration sticker until I got to Irwin. Just wasn't needed. After, everyone was scrambling to secure their posts, using whatever units were available to man the gates and check points. Not enough MP's in the Army to do this so now there's one more Red Cycle duty to cover. Contracted Security is the norm now, freeing up soldiers to be just that, Soldiers. Unfortunately, the good folks who now do this job are at the mercy of their civilian bosses. So to keep from losing their job, they interpret the rule literally. Good example is the sign when you enter a facility. "No Photography allowed without prior approval from the Installation Commander" . An MP/Soldier would know when a person is taking unauthorized pictures, and that Contractor usually does (Most are former military), but that contractor can't make a decision to allow it for fear of loosing their job. I mean technically, you can't take a picture of your own car in housing if you live on the installation.

Try not getting questioned/hassled when carrying a camera pole and GPS

I believe the 'Open Post' phenomina came about with the end of the cold war. Throughout my time in the Air Force (76-85) all bases I knew whether Army Navy or Air Force were closed bases. DoD stickers were needed to get on base. Some bases were even more restricted not allowing access except to vehicles with decals for that base without stopping at the gate explaining where you were headed (BX, Commissary, etc) Dover AFB was one of those as was Ft Ritchie MD. I think some bases changed from closed to open about 1990.

I Know Fort Riley Kansas was an open post during and after the cold war, In fact the locals had to go through the post to get to Manhattan or Junction City form either. When they locked it down it really screwed up them up for a while. Fort Knox was like that post Cold War. Not sure about prior but IIRC it was closed when I went through Basic there.

Patton Museum to close . . . for renovations.

Go to armorfortheages.com for information on the upcoming closing.

Garry

Armor for the Ages has been updated with the following news:

The General George Patton Museum of Leadership is now open. After a three-month closure for renovation of the two front galleries, lobby and gift shop, the museum opened yesterday, April 1. Over 100 eager visitors viewed the museum in the first three hours.

The Cobra King Project section has been updated with photos of the hull and other parts after receiving a final coat of paint.

Life of the Soldier, the annual living history event is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, May 28-29, 2011. Follow the link on the main page for further information.

armorfortheages.com/

Garry

- bsmart

I believe the 'Open Post' phenomina came about with the end of the cold war. Throughout my time in the Air Force (76-85) all bases I knew whether Army Navy or Air Force were closed bases. DoD stickers were needed to get on base. Some bases were even more restricted not allowing access except to vehicles with decals for that base without stopping at the gate explaining where you were headed (BX, Commissary, etc) Dover AFB was one of those as was Ft Ritchie MD. I think some bases changed from closed to open about 1990.

BTW, I found that "open post" takes on a whole new meaning in the UK. At Aldershot and Bovington, I honestly could not tell where the residential area stopped and the army base began. It was pretty seemless as far as I could tell - no wall, fence, gate, etc (although I'm sure training areas/motor pools, etc were behind fences). I guess their idea was to hide in plain sight or something.

Neil

Are they moving tanks out of Richardson now, going south? I saw an M26 sitting on a trailer on the side of Frazier Road yesterday. It was the one that has the Tiger mouth painted on the front slope. I forget where that one used to be displayed.