Army Heritage Day

[whulsey]

Thanks Don, some great photos. Probably a good idea to take photos of your gate guardians now. Don't know how many times I've driven past stuff and thought I need to get a couple of photos of that. Then one day its not there. Never regretted a photo I've taken, cussed myself a lot for ones I didn't.

[RyanShort]

Thanks for the photos. You gotta love a WW2 tank that could do 45mph... My uncle said that he knew a veteran from WW2 who'd served in what he thought was a Tank Destroyer Battalion. He said that the guys spotted a Tiger tank nearby and got to where they thought they were in a good spot. Apparently they got of something like three or four shots off - hitting the Tiger but literally seeing their shots bounce off, then noticed the Tiger's turret begin to move... They were happy with their vehicle because they had enough speed to get out of the way.
I've always liked the M18.
Anyone need a set of drawings?

Ryan

Originally Posted by boosed

Ryan --

Here are some photos of the M18.

Incidentally, as you may know, the M18 chassis was used for several other vehicles, including the M39 Armored Utility Vehicle: an open-topped personnel carrier that was used throughout the Korean War as an artillery prime mover, command vehicle, and armored personnel carrier. Six of them were assigned to each tank battalion headquarters and service company. The rifle squad of the tank battalion reconnaissance company was mounted in an M39, and they were assigned in small numbers to other units. During the 1952-53 "stalemate" phase of the war, they were used to evacuate casualties and to resupply the front-line positions, most famously at Pork Chop Hill. Eventually they were replaced by T18E1 Full-tracked Infantry Vehicles (armored boxes on tracks that entered full production as the M75 Armored Personnel Carrier).

It was a neat-looking vehicle -- along the same lines as the topless Sherman and RAM Kangaroo APCs used by Commonwealth forces in World War II -- and I wish we had one.

Don

[Don Boose]

The Army Heritage and Education Center (http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/index.htm) at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., is installing an AH-1 Cobra gunship helicopter at a new outdoor exhibit next to the M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer and just outside Ridgway Hall, which houses the Military History Institute (library, archives, and reading room) and a small collection of artifacts (current exhibit is of the Army in the West in the 1870s).

The aircraft is almost entirely assembled except for the chin turret and some other items.

The aircraft is an AH-1G to S (Roger Durham, the Curator of the Museum, tells me it started out as an AH-1G but received modifications over the course of its life, bringing it up to AH-1S standard) Tail Number 67-15663, which served initially with F Troop, 8th Cavalry at Chu Lai, Vietnam in August 1968. It sustained damage from ground fire on 25 November 1969 and the repairs to the bullet holes are still visible. Its last operational assignment was with the 175th Aviation Company, 3d Infantry Division, guarding the Fulda Gap in Germany, 1973-1975. Before being restored and donated to AHEC, it was serving as a lawn ornament at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

I didn't have my camera with me yesterday, but will provide photos soon.

AHEC has one other helicopter on display, a Huey Slick, which can be seen hovering incongruously over Highway 81 and behind the Civil War Winter Encampment exhibit in this photo.

Don

[birder]

That is a fine acquisition, Don! Cool to have combat history. I was thinking of maybe something with fixed wings, lets see, heliocurier?

[pahorace]

Don,
Great photo for us, for you a great memory!
I always complained that in museums Italians and Europeans in general, is forbidden to take the pictures!
The life of the European's modeller is tough!

Orazio

[KCStephens]

As I promised a couple weeks ago here are a few pictures that we took during our visit. This was such a great event I really wish I would have taken more... Oh well there's always next year. The two kids that keep showing up are my son and daughter. They really had a good time. I think their favorite part of the whole thing were the life size dioramas - They especially enjoyed the WWI trench and the WWII German pill box. Next year we'll be sure to bring the rest of the family.













I just love the TDB insignia

[Don Boose]

Thanks for sharing these great photos, Kevin. I look forward to seeing you during one of your future visits.

Don

[Don Boose]

Here are photos I took of the AH-1 Cobra exhibit now under construction at the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle.

To repeat the info on the chopper: The aircraft is an AH-1G to S (Roger Durham, the Curator of the Museum, tells me it started out as an AH-1G but received modifications over the course of its life, bringing it up to AH-1S standard) Tail Number 67-15663, which served initially with F Troop, 8th Cavalry at Chu Lai, Vietnam in August 1968. It sustained damage from ground fire on 25 November 1969 and the repairs to the bullet holes are still visible. Its last operational assignment was with the 175th Aviation Company, 3d Infantry Division, guarding the Fulda Gap in Germany, 1973-1975. Before being restored and donated to AHEC, it was serving as a lawn ornament at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

Don

[Don Boose]

Here are additional photos.

[Don Boose]

I don't know if you can read the placard. Most of the info is in my first photo posting.