Jump to content

Got a new toy...


Cobrahistorian
 Share

Recommended Posts

Cobrahistorian

Our M16 halftrack arrived yesterday! Spent quite a while on PMCS and making sure she was good to go and then we've certainly put her through her paces. Today was her first public appearance at the Change of Responsibility for the ADA School CSM. Pretty awesome stuff driving up in front of McNair Hall in a fully functional M16!

post-5470-1345863515.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks great!

The sad thing is she'll probably wind up like so many like her in Army hands; the first two or change changes of command will like it, a CO will come in and think it's stupid to remember the past, a malfunction follows then years later, people only know of it running as rumors.

I've seen several WW2 vehicles in Army hands that have this exact story...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobrahistorian
Looks great!

The sad thing is she'll probably wind up like so many like her in Army hands; the first two or change changes of command will like it, a CO will come in and think it's stupid to remember the past, a malfunction follows then years later, people only know of it running as rumors.

I've seen several WW2 vehicles in Army hands that have this exact story...

 

Well, hopefully not. I've built quite an outreach program around it and as the museum's director, I'm in charge of the thing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only seen it once and there were two M16s, but it is very impressive to see those quad .50's shoot at something. Since they were shooting at someone who was shooting green tracers at me made it more impressive. Those ROK gunners were good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobrahistorian
awesome! that is rolling in style :thumbsup:

what's next on your acquisition agenda?

Terry

 

Got about a dozen pieces coming from Aberdeen (twice that if you include the FA stuff too). After that, there are only a few pieces that we won't have. Wouldn't mind getting a functional T17E2 Staghound AA armored car. That'd be pretty cool to see. Other than that, if the T52, T69 or T77 prototypes still existed, those would be ideal acquisitions. Unfortunately all were scrapped. There's something just cool about a Chaffee with six .50s as the main armament...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hbtcoveralls

Is that one from the Cors collection? If that's the same one I had the opportunity to buy that one years ago and it is a really nice and very complete AAA HT. I agree with Lee, however and have seen just too many instances where the Army has reversed itself and sent historic vehicles to the target range or had them spiked and turned from an operating piece of history into a gate guard. I really hope that's not the case here, but I've had the chance to sell and always said no to Army agencies trying to buy my vehicles.

Tom Bowers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobrahistorian
Is that one from the Cors collection? If that's the same one I had the opportunity to buy that one years ago and it is a really nice and very complete AAA HT. I agree with Lee, however and have seen just too many instances where the Army has reversed itself and sent historic vehicles to the target range or had them spiked and turned from an operating piece of history into a gate guard. I really hope that's not the case here, but I've had the chance to sell and always said no to Army agencies trying to buy my vehicles.

Tom Bowers

 

 

Tom,

 

It is the Cors track. I can tell you, as long as I'm the HMFIC here, it ain't going nowhere. I will also say that AR870-20 is pretty clear in the legalities of historic property. I'm not sure when the incidents that you speak of occurred, but unless those items were deaccessioned from the Army's historic property inventory what was done was illegal.

 

Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jon,

 

Are you guys open for tours their at the ADA Museum? I come down to Lawton every year to inspect the local Commandery of Knights Templar and wouldn't mind making a diversion for the afternoon prior.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobrahistorian
Jon,

 

Are you guys open for tours their at the ADA Museum? I come down to Lawton every year to inspect the local Commandery of Knights Templar and wouldn't mind making a diversion for the afternoon prior.

 

 

Sure are! Drop me an email at work and we can set it up!

 

Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hbtcoveralls

Actually, the latest incident of the type I was referring to was just last year when the Army stripped Ft Snelling of its vehicles. http://www.kare11.com/rss/article/930239/1...se-this-weekend

Ft Snelling had a wonderful volunteer base who poured untold hours into restoring and maintaining a representative group of operating vehicles including Armored and soft skin vehicles for displays and parades. The Army "Realigned" the museum out of business and scattered all the vehicles to the wind, most of which wound up either as gate guards (after being environmentally stabilized i.e. spiked) or who knows. The Army museums can be very good, but this kind of thing happens way too much.

Tom Bowers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobrahistorian
Actually, the latest incident of the type I was referring to was just last year when the Army stripped Ft Snelling of its vehicles. http://www.kare11.com/rss/article/930239/1...se-this-weekend

Ft Snelling had a wonderful volunteer base who poured untold hours into restoring and maintaining a representative group of operating vehicles including Armored and soft skin vehicles for displays and parades. The Army "Realigned" the museum out of business and scattered all the vehicles to the wind, most of which wound up either as gate guards (after being environmentally stabilized i.e. spiked) or who knows. The Army museums can be very good, but this kind of thing happens way too much.

Tom Bowers

 

Tom,

 

I hear ya. I've got Snelling's Duster, which we're presently bringing back online. I'm aware of what's going on there and believe me, after 22 years in the museum field, nothing surprises me anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hbtcoveralls

I'm glad to hear that the Duster went to a good home. And the HT is just perfect for your museum. I wish you all the best and I'll have to drop in when I get out that way.

Tom Bowers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Returning from our Avenger/M16 photo shoot today. More pics to follow. That's me in the commander's position.

 

Cool picture Jon, Looks like alot of fun

 

CB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cobrahistorian
Cool picture Jon, Looks like alot of fun

 

CB

 

 

It was a great event. We basically had the halftrack and crew out with an Avenger and crew, both in full battle rattle as a brief history class for new Avenger AIT students. Seeing the vehicles side by side really puts in perspective how the more things change, the more they stay the same. While the Avenger has eight Stinger missiles on it, it's still a power operated turret that has an optical gunsight for acquisition and tracking and still uses the ubiquitous .50 Caliber MG, although they're using an M3P and we've got M2HBs on the M16. This was our premiere event, so we had some good media coverage for the museum as well, but we'll be doing this for all incoming AIT classes.

 

Here's the article on our local TV Station's website: http://www.kswo.com/global/story.asp?s=19505341

 

Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...