This morning we headed to the old downtown area of Abilene to visit the 12th Armored Division Museum. This museum is one of seven West Texas World War II museums. Interesting that this is the only World War II Division-level museum in the country. There are three floors of displays, photographs, hand-written accounts and exhibits of American, Japanese and German artifacts and traces the steps of the Army's 12th Armored Division through Europe in their pursuit of Hitler and in the Pacific theatre as well. Outside there are a few WWII vehicles to view.
So why Abilene TX? I ask this question frequently as we visit tourist sites throughout the United States. Why here? Well, in this case, the men of the 12th Armored Division trained in a military base not far from Buffalo Gap, where we were yesterday, called Camp Barkeley. They were known as the "Hellcats" and the unit only served during WWII from 15 September, 1942 - 17 December, 1945, then it was inactivated. So the Division was only active a relatively short time but made a huge impact during the war. Here are just a few pictures to give you an idea of what the museum is all about:
We started on the first floor where we learned about the history of the unit.
Then we exited the rear of the building to see the vehicles.
Back inside there is a display on the contributions of women during this time as they were not allowed to fight in battle.
Then we transitioned to the second floor and viewed the German display
Next was the Holocaust Room. The pictures were gut wrenching. It is beyond imagination.
The last area on the second floor included displays honoring Armored Infantry and Support Units
Finally we visited the basement and viewed the seven part diorama depicting the Battle of Herrlisheim, the largest defensive battle in the European theatre. The 12th fought three of the best German Army divisions in Hitler's Nordwind offensive as Germany tried to push past the Rhine and capture Strasborg France. They stopped this German advance and shortened the war in Europe.
Exiting the first floor we passed an area that honors those 12th Armored Division soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
This museum was very well done and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff was very informed and very friendly.
When we departed the museum we intended to try and see the Adamson-Spalding Storybook Garden. There are characters of every kind in the downtown cultural district, home to the largest public collection of storybook characters. According to the web site there are "six iconic Dr. Seuss sculptures; William Joyce’s, “Guardians of Childhood;” Walter Wick’s beloved character, Seymour; and David Shannon’s, "David & Fergus." and more. But there seemed to be a general lack of parking combined with one-way streets partially under construction which made it difficult for us to get to the area where the sculptures were. After driving around a bit we finally gave up and headed back to the base.
Back on Dyess we cruised their "Air Park" which is along the main road going into the base. I counted more than 30 static display aircraft and growing. Here are a very few pictures:
We stopped by the Exchange one last time and then back to the FamCamp for the day. Since the laundry building is just a short walk from our coach, Doreen did a light load while I emptied tanks, stowed hoses, and, well, you know the routine. The sun shined brightly which was welcome after all the rain. We sat out in our lawn chairs and soaked in the weather, and then watched the four-ship C-130 flyover!!
Tomorrow morning we will pull chocks and head southeast about 250 miles to Fort Sam Houston FamCamp located in north San Antonio TX, our next stop. We will be there for seven nights!
Thanks for following along!
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