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hey chris, here are a few recent shots from armada this past summer. the vehicle used to be done at the artillery center (which has been been torn down now).



neil, from what i was told from the PR man on one of my TACOM walk abouts, every vehicle there the M110A2, the M1, the Hemmitt(?), etc. are all prototypes of one sort or another...

As to the arty center which was on 8 Mile Rd., the 63rd Troop CMD 1072 Maintenance Co. had used that facility the last time I took pics there. The M48 went up to Armada, not sure where the M55 went.

Shawn,

We have an M1 Basic, the M110A2, a Bradley A3, a HEMMT, the T92, T30 and the Twister, everything else went bye bye.... The T23 is still rattling around in one of the shops too.

When did they tear down the Arty center? I was by there a few months ago and it was still up, overgrown but standing.... I'd would have liked to poked around in there...

chris, am i mistaken? the arty center there on 8 and coolidge (?). i thought that had been torn done, i dont know within the last year or so... last i recall i remember just a big recently "leveled" field where the center used to be. was there a big, big empty lot right next to the place? if you were past there a few months ago and it was there, i am mistaken.
there are so many empty buildings along that stretch...

hey chris, here is a portion of the article from back in 2005...
the lightguard armory is still there, that has an M48 out front still.
are we thinking of 2 different armories? i called it the artillery center, but the artillery armory is gone... someone out there on photobucket has 3 pages of interior pics of the building.
*****

Detroit armory being leveled


Web-posted Feb 4, 2005


By DOUG HENZE
Of The Daily Oakland Press

Demolition of the neglected Detroit Artillery Armory - one of Eight Mile Road's ugliest landmarks - could be completed within the next week.
But Southfield developer Schostak Bros. & Co. still isn't sure how it will reuse the 82-acre site it purchased from the state for $3.7 million in April 2004. The company also purchased 21 acres northwest of the armory property.

"The truth is, we don't have specific plans at this point," said Linda Busse, director of corporate communications and marketing for Schostak, on Thursday. "Most likely, it is going to be some type of mixed-used development. There could be some retail. There could be some light industrial. There could be some residential."

The developer began ripping down the back portion of the 494,000-square-foot armory about four weeks ago and may be done flattening the entire structure a week from today, Busse said. Demolition of the long-vacant building now is visible to passers-by.

Here is a couple of pics I found in a search...



Caption for above photo: Guns pointed toward Detroit, a rusting tank standing before the abandoned Detroit Artillery Armory on 8 Mile Road



Caption for above photo: ....Detroit Light Guard Armory on 8 Mile, where a cold war era relic rusts away.

Don

- Dontos

Neil

That 'possible ACE image'....it appears to big to be an ACE. Perhaps the C2V ???? MRLS Chassis command vehicle used in the 'Force 21' AWE tests....??

Don

They mainly had chamfered top edges at the sides except the AMEV which has thas large square air intake cover on the roof.

Shawn,

I'll have to put on my kevlar and flak vest and make the run up 8 mile and see what's still there. The light gaurd armory was still there, and I know there was a sign and a water tower with artillery logos up further, very overgrown. Was there a 3rd armory on 8 mile?

That M48 has been in front of the light gaurd for eons, I remember playing on it as a kid, back when they still had gun shows there.....

chris,
yes, yes, i remember going to the gun shows there as well. that is where i got the bug to collect (anything and everything). you could pick up surplus arms and it wouldnt cost you an arm and a leg...
i dont know of a 3rd armory along 8 mile. it was just those two.
yeah, don, i saw those pics online as well. some of the best pics for the arty armory were the ones i searched for and found on photobucket. wish i could have gotten into the place before it was demoed.

Hi everyone,
I wonder if the ROBAT got sent to Leonard Wood in Missouri ??? That is the Engineer home right now.

About that other "Vehicle" , I am thinking more like Dontos, it is boxy enough and laid out like some sort of MLRS chassied vehicle.

Chris, Is that place restricted to the public or is it restricted to everyone to include active duty Military??? I will still have 6-7 months before retiring when I get back and plan taking advantage of that to track down some tanks. If you guys ain't figured it out, I plan on being ROAD, Retired On Active Duty my last 3-4 months.

Joe D

After looking at the M103 pics again, that is the Mound gate,plinth, the twister sits there now. There is still some stuff in that lot, but the stuff in the pic is all gone. That photo has to be at least 7 years old, if not 10.

There is a Sheridan Turret by 200 that I have been trying to get into for a few years. Looks to be in like new condition.

JoeD, it is restricted to everyone, you can sign in with a military ID, but you have to have buisness here to do so. Plus, no cameras.
You can get a Camera pass from OPR, but it takes a lot of time and requires an escort. I understand that some AMPS guys did it a few years ago to photograph the T30 and the Twister.