Fort Knox Spring Break trip

[87iroc]

My daughter is on Spring Break so we took a day trip to Fort Knox Yesterday to see the Patton Museum.

1) Don't trust GPS! lol. The GPS took us in the north gate, got turned around by a nice man with a gun, then someone else took my license(also had a gun) and escorted us to a Uturn spot just beyond the gate to go to the main gate and check in. lol. That is the 3rd time in my life I've taken a Uturn at a military base. Its a tradition on family road trips.

2) Fort Knox Gold Depository(or whatever its called) was very impressive. Someone in the welcome center asked 'can I take a pic of it'. Guy behind the desk said 'you can try'. 'but I wouldn't recommend it'. Yah, he had a sense of humor.

3) The Patton museum was neat in the stuff they had from his personal effects...although I was hoping for more tanks(I was envisioning a Dayton AF museum type place but with tanks...and was prepared for smaller). They only had a few, and the few out front had no info on what they were. Also, whats up with the Sherman out front with a exploaded barrel and what 'looks' like maybe battle damage on the side? They also had a ton of open concrete pads for tanks to sit on. If anyone has any knowledge on that, I'd be interested in hearing about the tank or even if they had removed a bunch of armor. I was wondering if they had a bunch of stuff getting restored/painted or something. Seemed like several areas were under construction.


The patton portion was impressive, loved the displays, but hoped for more vehicles than they had.



Anyone been there before? How many tanks were out front on display? Maybe I had just heard about it so long that I had over-hyped expectations.

 

[mkgr22]

A large part of the tank collection at the Patton Museum was moved to Fort Benning, GA, when the armor school was moved there from Ft. Knox.

This occurred about five years ago.

Here is their web site:

Patton Museum Online: Official General George S. Patton Jr. Museum featuring Memorabilia & History

 

[joe138]

Up until 5 years ago the armor collection was impressive. It is my understanding that the armor that was moved is still in storage and that there was not a suitable place to display the armor at Fort Benning. There is a private museum at Vincennes that has a pretty good collection. I don't remember the name, but it was worth going to.

 

[HoughMade]

It was impressive 26 years ago when we were given 1/2 day off for the 4th of July. They staged a WWII tank battle reenactment, and you don't get to see multiple running German and American WWII tanks simulating attacks very often. Back then they were still describing the Gold Depository by reference to "Gold Finger" and the old wood barracks and parade ground by them in reference to "Stripes". I believe that they said they paved the parade ground for "Stripes" and then tore up the asphalt afterwards, because it was grass when I was there.

 

[307SD]

I vaguely remember a few years back, while we were waiting out some winter weather, watching a program on maybe the history channel or maybe the military channel, (which is called something else now, 195 on dish), about some gentlemen that were rehabilitating a Sherman tank or two, and maybe a half-track. Hard to remember, kinda had heavy eyelid syndrome. But anyway they were in the Fort Knox area and I thought they were doing them for display there at Fort Knox.

I deer hunted once in the back country reserve area of Fort Knox, (for lack of better description). It was about 1970, a couple neighbor fellows where I lived came up with an extra permit, and decided to take the neighborhood kid, (me). It was a lottery draw then. Don't know if they still do it, I haven't kept up with the info. Anyway, no luck, you could only get in the area the day of the hunt, so no scouting ahead, makes for luck of the draw happenstance chances of somebody jumping something out in front of you. Not good tactics, but I was there once. I think I might have the map that we were issued for that hunt, maybe in some of my junk collection somewhere.

Interesting topic, thanks for sharing.

 

[87iroc]

Up until 5 years ago the armor collection was impressive. It is my understanding that the armor that was moved is still in storage and that there was not a suitable place to display the armor at Fort Benning. There is a private museum at Vincennes that has a pretty good collection. I don't remember the name, but it was worth going to.

vincennes museum is on trip list. Thanks for info on why it wasn't hugely impressive.

 

[87iroc]

Reading their page it appears most were restored in 2012. Guessing what I saw is what is left.

 

[kalboy]

It's regrettable that the much of the armor collection is gone. Very impressive collection then, the cut away King Tiger was amazing.
The link below has some decent pics, not the same as seeing the place in it's heyday but at least you can get
an idea. Link opens to the cutaway K Tiger, scroll to bottom for a list of more vehicles.

Tanks - Patton Tank Museum - King Tiger Tank

One pretty rare vehicle I don't see on the list of armor on the link above was a Schwimmwagen , amphibious version of the Kubelwagen, both based on the original VW .

http://www.williammaloney.com/aviation/PattonMuseum/Schwimmwagen/index.htm

 

[joe138]

Not long before the armor was moved, I was at the museum and I spoke with a couple older guys working on a display. They explained the move this way: The senators from KY wanted Fort Knox used more, as in a permanent line unit that would bring in more soldiers and dependents. When the deal was cut and the armor school was moved, they then discovered that the armor museum went to. The senators tried to stop it but could not. They were able to hold on the the Patton portion of the museum.

 

[Woobie]

My only experience with Knox had been the areas with the ticks. And there are a LOT of ticks.

 

[HoughMade]

My only experience with Knox had been the areas with the ticks. And there are a LOT of ticks.

I can confirm that.

 

[87iroc]

National Armor & Cavalry Heritage Foundation

Looks like the Fort Benning one is simply in restoration mode...with money still being collected to create the armor museum.

Trip to Vincennes may be in order in hopes of seeting something good. The pics shown there is what I was hoping to see at the Patton Museum.

 

[rob63]

Nearly the exact same scenario has also happened to the Ordnance Museum that was at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. It was ordered moved to Ft. Lee a few years ago and is now in storage. They had an incredible collection: US Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen Proving Ground

Unfortunately, if you like tanks, two of the best collections are currently in storage awaiting funds for the building of new museums. I hope I live long enough to see them.

 

[johntheplinker]

Not long before the armor was moved, I was at the museum and I spoke with a couple older guys working on a display. They explained the move this way: The senators from KY wanted Fort Knox used more, as in a permanent line unit that would bring in more soldiers and dependents. When the deal was cut and the armor school was moved, they then discovered that the armor museum went to. The senators tried to stop it but could not. They were able to hold on the the Patton portion of the museum.

Yeah, they got a brigade form from the 1 ID that was moving back stateside from Germany. Then the last round of BRAC it got moved to Ft. Riley. Hundreds of millions of $ spent on new barracks and other facilities to support them, and they left after 3-4 years.
About all that is left at Knox is a bunch of administrative types and HQ positions.