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M4A3E8 Sherman with M2 dozer - it was dug up from a Long Island mental institution.







M47 Patton - according to the placard it is (like so many others) ex-Italian army, but that it was one of 136 imported by the US Army for use as hard targets - but a few were donated to museums instead. I wonder if this may explain the presence of so many ex-Italian M47s in the US???







M37







Neil

Thanks for the pics. I'm gonna be at VIR in February and plan on stopping by this museum on my way home.

- Neil_Baumgardner

M4A3E8 Sherman with M2 dozer - it was dug up from a Long Island mental institution.

Neil

Mwahahahaaah, the mind boggles... That is priceless, just imagine what a gifted comedian could make out of this bit...

BTW, if you didnt notice, there's a link in there to the story. Be sure to see the word doc via the link inside that page...

Neil

Oh,

I had read that before and am able to feel with the man... The countless junk- and backyards I inspected, not to mention former barracks and all kinds of miliatry installations- is there already a name for this affliction? Morbus CIA maybe?



Jens O.

Hi Neil! Hi Folks!

Looks like the museum staff did a good job on cleaning up the outside of that M4A3E8. I wonder if they did anything to the inside?

Quote, Neil,
"M47 Patton - according to the placard it is (like so many others) ex-Italian army, but that it was one of 136 imported by the US Army for use as hard targets - but a few were donated to museums instead. I wonder if this may explain the presence of so many ex-Italian M47s in the US???"

Only 136? A few years back a very long train load of Italian M47s come through El Paso/Ft. Bliss headed up to White Sands Missile Range. I remember thinking that was just over two battalions of tanks. 17 per company x 3 companies plus 3 battalion HQ vehicles = 108+ vehicles.

Neil! Question, any change you have a closer picture of the tanker standing on left side of that M47. I would be interested to know which Armored Division patch he has on his uniform. If I remember right, only the 2nd AD wore their patchs on the front of the uniform. The vehicle has a bumper marking for the 11th Armored Division.

Sgt, Scouts out!

Oddly enough, he has a 14th Armored Division patch.



Neil

Hi Neil! Hi Folks!

- Neil_Baumgardner

Oddly enough, he has a 14th Armored Division patch.

The 14th Armored Division?

That has me wondering something else now.
Was the 11th or the 14th Armored Divisions still around when the M47 was fielded within the US Army?

Now odd!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

Yeah.... Inactivated 1945...

Neil