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Joliet IL ammunition plant


tapwater
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My dad was a farmer and worked at the plant during WW2. Therefore, he was not drafted. A friend grazes cattle on the old arsenal grounds. I water them during the summer months, so I have access to areas that are still off limits to bikers, hunters, etc. Sadly, I somehow lost most of my photos from there.

Here is a pic of one of the hundreds of ammo storage bunkers on the property. Another of a practice 105mm round and some war time graffiti on a bunker wall.

 

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Sorry about stretching the screen to need scrolling. All forums are different.

I'll learn, in time. When I get back out to the old arsenal grounds again, I'll get some more interesting pictures.

Thanks for your interest, and giving me a place to post these pics......Happy New year!.....Dale...(tap)

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The impact range for the plant when they test fired ammunition is now the Abraham Lincoln National veterans cemetary. My Grandfather and Grandmother is buried there.

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The impact range for the plant when they test fired ammunition is now the Abraham Lincoln National veterans cemetary. My Grandfather and Grandmother is buried there.

 

Interesting! The cemetary is on the west side of Rt.53. There were many manufacturing and loading

facilities on the east side, which I'm more familiar with. There are remains of a test firing range on

this side also. The impact hill has been partially dug out. The fortified firing blockhouse still stands, as

do the wiring stations for radar and chronograph. The concrete pad and bolts suggest a fixed gun

mount.

 

It's both funny and sad to see cattle wandering in and out of the blockhouse and grazing on top

of the backstop hill.

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In 1963 and 1964, my ROTC unit held FTXs in the wooded areas of Joliet Arsenal. We spent a day and a night in what turned out to be a CLOSED impact area. Oh well... I recall seeing lots of rusty shell fragments littering the ground, as well as old .30-06 blank brass and 16 and 12 gauge shells (from bird and deer hunters). Ancient history.

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  • 4 weeks later...

The "practice" round in the photo is actually a "Propaganda" shell from late WW II. The bottom unscrewed and the leaflets were inserted. The fuse was set to expel the leaflets above the enemy troops.

One of the mail order companies (possibly sportsman guide) had a supply of these a few years ago.

I bought one, they are pretty neat! Mine shell case was dated 1954 and the projectile was dated 1945 if I recall correctly. It probably was repacked during the Korean War.

How would you like to be the grave digger in the old artillery impact area!

BKW

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Here's another ammo bunker in Illinois

This one is in Huntley

Was part of William Fencel Fuse Plant during WWII which made 4.2 chemical mortar fuzes.

There's 4 bunkers left at the old site.

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