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Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:40 am Post subject: Ordnance Museum Updates

Just saw this:

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION - DUE TO BUDGET CUTS THE MUSEUM WILL BE CLOSED SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE." Sad

www.ordmusfound.org/

Neil

JG300-Ascout

Yeah, that makes much more sense than closing on, say...Mondays and Tuesdays.

bsmart

Well if you believe their mission is to support the Ordnance School and it's training program it makes sense. After all that is whole reason for the move to Ft Lee Rolling Eyes

JG300-Ascout

"The Ordnance Museum Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to support the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground."

...conspicuously absent is any reference to Ft. Lee, present or future.

bsmart

I will only say that your observation is accurate. If there is a 'friends group' for the musuem at Ft Lee it will (most likely) be a new organization incorporated under Virginia Law and have no direct connection with the current foundation. The last time I had contact with the foundation there were more questions than answers about the status of projects, etc.

I think when folks look back at the history of the Ordnance Museum the current period will be in the running for the darkest days of the museum along with the 'great scrap drive' of the Korean War and the eviction from their longtime home in the 60s

JG300-Ascout

- bsmart

I think when folks look back at the history of the Ordnance Museum the current period will be in the running for the darkest days of the museum along with the 'great scrap drive' of the Korean War and the eviction from their longtime home in the 60s

Not much better than Ft. Knox artifacts being displaced downrange as "hard targets" for the betterment of all...and the detriment of history.

Current Army legacy will not be remembered for it's distinguished committment to preserving history.

piney

is there even any point going there now from an AFV /arty POV? Sad

bsmart

I was actually planning a tour in the next month or so. There are some folks who play Flames Of War at the local hobby shop that were interested ( I did a tour for them a couple years ago)

Yea it wouldn't be as good as before they moved some of the collection and when we had access to the warehouse with the cut open T34 but I figured it was worth a trip. For vehicles most of them are outside so are available whether the museum is open or not but small arms etc are all inside

Neil_Baumgardner

Yeah, I'm wondering whether they will still let you go through the gate to see the outside vehicles on weekends - I would hope so, but...

I agree the Ordnance Museum is facing something of a down point right now. But, I am still hopeful of the future. While I might not like the pending splitting of the collection into two museums, and the temporary inaccessibility of items (at Fort Lee or at APG on weekends), I believe the future Ordnance Museum at Fort Lee could actually be one of the brightest periods in the museum's history - the first facility that houses a majority of the collection since being kicked out of the old museum in the 1960s.

Neil

Joe_D

Let me know when your next tour is Bob,

History is just repeating it self.

Scrap Drive = Korean War

Eviction = Vietnam

Current mess = Enduring Freedom/ OIF or whatever you want to call it.

Focus is elsewhere and is leaving the door wide open for those to screw things up Rolling Eyes

bsmart

- Joe_D

Let me know when your next tour is Bob,

Like I said before - You let me know when you'll be up here and that will be my next tour. I think you want to try and make it a weekday so we can try and look at the M60 vehicle files

Neil_Baumgardner

Just saw this:

www.ordmusfound.org/

"IMPORTANT INFORMATION - THE MUSEUM WILL NOW BE OPEN SATURDAYS 900am to 300pm

"The GIFT SHOP WILL ALSO BE OPEN DURING THAT TIME ON SATURDAY

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT OF THE US ARMY ORDNANCE MUSEUM!"

I suspect the "budget issues" weekend closure (which lasted less than 30 days) was due to waiting for the Defense Appropriations Bill to get signed and austerity measures of working under a Continuing Resolution...

Neil

bsmart

Still appears they are not open on Sundays

Their staffing has always been so thin that having the one person required as a minimum to open on weekends has sometimes been difficult.

nexus6 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Mar 07, 2010 Posts: 3

Hi im coming to the US from Australia from the 15 march for 12 days, can anyone give me any information on when the Ordnance Museum is open? Im particuarly interested in viewing the tanks etc outside , is it still possible to visit them if the museum is closed?

thanks for any help you can give

Dan

Neil_Baumgardner

Dan,
Looks like right now its open Monday-Saturday. See www.ordmusfound.org/ for more details.

Neil

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