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I bought a pretty cool book from the Patton Museum. It's mostly pictures. It's called, "The United States Army At Fort Knox" by Mathew D. Rector (Copyright 2005). The pictures are of the first maneuvers at West Point, Ky in 1903 to Fort Knox of 1958. These are mostly government pictures so I'd say they are in the public domain. Hope to share some later.

Look at these SKINNY troops!

Hi Mark! Hi Folks!

Notice the web belts? Some are black and some are khaki.
Those guys clearly have not spent much time as couch potatoes.

Sgt, Scouts Out!

- MarkHolloway

I bought a pretty cool book from the Patton Museum. It's mostly pictures. It's called, "The United States Army At Fort Knox" by Mathew D. Rector (Copyright 2005). The pictures are of the first maneuvers at West Point, Ky in 1903 to Fort Knox of 1958.

'Weed...ask the librarian if Mr. Rector is working on, or considering doing a "Volume II"
It seems with the preponderance of cameras post-1958, there'd be a heckuva' lot of material to choose from...

I haven't looked yet but there is a web site for the publisher. Maybe they would know. I know your 'secret agenda' though. You will probably be IN volume 2!

www.arcadiapublishing.com

- MarkHolloway

I haven't looked yet but there is a web site for the publisher. Maybe they would know. I know your 'secret agenda' though. You will probably be IN volume 2!

www.arcadiapublishing.com

Heck...I just want to buy "Volume II"...ain't got no agenda here but to look at the purty pichers....

Fort Knox was hell on khakis, and the creases in them. These fellows look like just before Inspection on Saturday morning, after the daily shower.

"Sergeant, I swear they were pressed this morning, before the rain!"

Russ

That publisher concentrates on 'local history' all over. They have several books available in our area. The only one with any military context is 'Baltimores Defenses' that covers the Coast Defense installaions that protected Baltimore up through WWII. It had pretty goo diagrams and lots of photos. Other ones I have seen were on various communities.

Seriously Doug. I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't in it!

- MarkHolloway

Seriously Doug. I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't in it!

Well, I dunno' 'bout 'dat, but I'm interested in the one you have even now.

A few years ago, on the AMC (American Movie Channel) feature "One-reel wonders", there was a ~15minute humorous film (in color!) from about 1942 that was obviously a bit of wartime entertainment/recruiting effort for public consumption. It featured the adventures of a Lou Costello sort of fellow who was a taxi driver from the big city that somehow gets onto Ft. Knox inadvertantly during tank training. Some of the footage, to my amazement, was shot in the Armor Board Motor Pool directly across from the Armor Board, now Knox HQ. The buildings are unmistakable...they have what looks like M3's or M5's in the bays and the pad is dirt, not concrete, but it's clearly where I used to work in the early '70's. I have most of it on VHS tape and wish I could get some decent screen captures from it (or even better, the whole original feature).

Since I served in some of the old wooden barracks, a lot of Ft. Knox would still be recognizable to me from pre-'58.

I'll have to get a look at that book when I'm there and maybe get myself a copy...

Doug, I saw that film too. The film gave excellent coverage to the M2 Medium Tank, this was the tank the recruits were training on. Actually in the store line of the film, Lou Costello, was drafted. One of the scenes required him as a recruit to analysis from the sound of the engine what was wrong and correct it. The field training scenes were really interesting and one got a chance to see the M2 in field maneavors.

- George

Doug, I saw that film too. The film gave excellent coverage to the M2 Medium Tank, this was the tank the recruits were training on. Actually in the store line of the film, Lou Costello, was drafted. One of the scenes required him as a recruit to analysis from the sound of the engine what was wrong and correct it. The field training scenes were really interesting and one got a chance to see the M2 in field maneavors.

You're right about the M2 and the story line. I recall he "hides" his taxi (something like a '32 Ford Victoria) away in what he takes to be barn on some farmland...but which turns out to be a structure on a gunnery range that takes a direct hit from ordnance of some kind (hilarity ensues). This kinda' commits our protagonist to accepting his fate in the war effort and his sense of duty emerges.

The production values are excellent, the film clear as a bell (and incredibly, in color). Maybe it's worth trying to reach somebody at AMC archives and trying to get more info, stills, or even better on this thing. I don't even know the title...but I have about 2/3rd of it on VHS.