Patton's Command Van Under Restoration

This is from a volunteer group I used to work with. (before the army moved me away from Ft. Knox).

Figured some of the CCKW fans would want to see this:

AFTA - Patton Van Project Page

A lot of clues on ETO markings while they are stripping the paint off.

That's cool. An early M109. Thanks for sharing.

There was another thread awhile back on this. It has some pictures .
Gen Patton's M109 Camper

I saw Patton's wartime van in the museum when I was down at FT Knox in September. It's great that it's going to be restored to its former glory.

It's a shame though that all the armor was shifted to FT Benning when the Army decided to combine the Armor school with the Infantry School and create a Center of Excellence there at Benning. (or whatever the buzzword is for Pentagon meddling these days.) During my military career I had numerous visits to FT Knox and I admired the different tanks they had collected over the years.

I see the old NCO Club that used to be right next door to the Patton Museum has been torn down. I remember being rousted by MPs for sleeping in my car in the parking lot of that club. I would have thought they would have appreciated my thoughtfulness in not trying to drive home.

The post has moved an old WW II barracks from its original location to sit right next to the Patton Museum. I think they are going to restore it to the condition it was in when it was originally built in the 1940s as a tribute to the "Greatest Generation" WW II vets. I saw so many of those barracks in my day that I don't need to look at another to remind me to remember the WW II vets though. I can see it in my mind's eye to this day. "Command Performance" thrones and all.

I remember someone telling me that someone who had an early M109 came and took measurements of the furniture in Patton's to make a reproduction....not sure if that ever happened though.

Yes, it is a shame that all of the armor has now been shipped off. I used to love getting to crew the vehicles during the tactical demonstration each summer....any time you can get multiple Shermans and Stuarts firing blanks and maneuvering on REAL German tanks...it was an awesome sight.

If any of you guys live in the Ft. Knox area they are always looking for volunteers there, and the guys there are a great crowd. Right now they're trying to get some of the vehicles they were left with from monument condition to inside static display shape. They still have an M-10, M-7, and an M4A3E8.

Great Article TY for posting it. I believe the US would have been a different if Patton had not died right after ww2.

One things for sure, things would be much different if Patton had gotten his way. He didn't trust Stalin and wanted to Attack the Soviet Union.

His car...

Here's a few pictures of the car he was in when it wrecked and later caused his death, I took while visiting his museum during this years Gathering...just before they told me ya couldn't take pictures in the museum...

It now looks like it just came off the show room floor.

I wonder what would have happened if he was in charge during Korea...

Cucvnut said:

I wonder what would have happened if he was in charge during Korea...

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Most likely the same as MAcArthur

how so two different people with two different styles of commanding.

Cucvnut said:

how so two different people with two different styles of commanding.

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but with the same thoughts on taking the fight to the COMMUNIEST, and both over ruled, (with what happened to McArthur happening to Pattion if he had lived)

When I first checked into my current squadron ( 2004 ), we would go to Ft.Knox several times a year. REALLY enjoyed the museum. And other places around town.

73m819 said:

but with the same thoughts on taking the fight to the COMMUNIEST, and both over ruled, (with what happened to McArthur happening to Pattion if he had lived)

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Yep Korea was the first war fought in Washington and not on the battle field. I read Bradleys Autobiography and he was then Cheif of Staff and I think the first Cheif of Staffs...and he makes it clear in his book that Washington was calling the shots and not the field commanders.

Oh and yes someone did make a replica of the truck. An article about it was in Army Motors a year or two ago.

Srjeeper said:

Here's a few pictures of the car he was in when it wrecked and later caused his death, I took while visiting his museum during this years Gathering...just before they told me ya couldn't take pictures in the museum...

It now looks like it just came off the show room floor.

Click to expand...

Really? I'm surprised that the docent told you photography wasn't allowed. I went through there in July and nobody said a thing to me and I was snapping pictures left and right. I have pictures of the same Cadillac but mine didn't turn out quite as nice as yours.

I did see a bust in the gift shop that amused me so I took a picture of it. I don't know what Patton would have thought if he could have seen busts of his foes on sale in his gift shop.

Thanks for posting- I was at Ft. Knox a couple times and yeah, Patton was the man!

I think Patton might have just laughed if he was alive and saw the heads of his enemies in a gift shop. Strikes me as someone who would have asked to have those same heads put on pikes.