General Patton WW2 and the Arizona desert
General Patton WW2 and the Arizona desert
I have mentioned before about the tank tracks that are still visible in the desert around here. It’s crazy to think that 70 years later they are still very visible. But not only are there tank tracks to be seen, you can still find where the camps of the soldiers were during WW2.
We found several army camp spots close by our old camping place, plus when we were in Lake Havasu last year we found some old 50 cal. bullets and shells. When we camped outside of Yuma last year, we found quite a lot of discarded remnants from the war, I even found an old glass IV bottle. So all this got me wanting to learn more, and like everyone else, I Googled it.
The desert training center was established in 1942 to train the troops for desert warfare. General Patton oversaw every aspect of what was the largest military base in the world. At 18,000 square miles, the desert training center stretched from California into the Arizona desert. More than a million troops were trained in a two year period.
Patton personally traveled the whole training center, and stayed in the desert rather than in nicer accommodations in Indio,Ca.
These old wooden stakes are markers that I can only guess were to tell the tank drivers to turn here. They are always on a flat spot, and some have a line of rocks going behind them.
The tank tracks are much wider, and deeper than any other vehicle could ever make.
Finding the camp spots is so fascinating. I can only imagine what some of the young men thought when they found themselves in the desert. Were they city boys who had never been in the wide open wilderness? What about the 120 degree days?
This path going into this particular camp spot took a lot of man hours. Notice how it is not only lined with rocks, but the rocks in the path itself are a different color.
Meaning, they were brought from someplace else and placed on this path. Some of the camp spots were pretty good sized, and the rock paths would lead to square outlines were I am sure someone had a tent.
Down the road from where we were camped, until we moved, is a big marker in the desert. I looked on the internet to try and find an aerial photo, but couldn’t find one. The army took rocks and made a giant earth glyph. It says Quartzsite, and there is also a giant circle, and an arrow that points north. A compass marker.
This shows how big these letters are. They had to be seen from the air, so they could find their way to the airfield.
Troop 86 must have made this nearby camp.
We also found this way cool pile of old cans. It’s kinda surprising they just left the trash.
The cans tell a story though. I love these that were opened with a knife. I can just picture a weary soldier opening his can of juice, or whatever they had.
Life could not have been easy. The conditions were very primitive in the desert training center. The focus was to get the troops trained as fast as possible for the war in the desert. After two years, the military training ended with the end of the war. It’s obvious in looking at these places, that they just up and left.
If you would like to read more about the desert training enter, check out the links below.
http://generalpattonmuseum.com/general-patton-and-the-desert-training-center/
WOW. It is unbelievable to think that through the years, through weather and people and animals, that these traces are still there, undisturbed. You find very interesting ghosts in the desert, whether it’s a dried up cactus or rusty cans from the war. Another beautiful post, Mary!
What’s really crazy, is none of this is protected. The giant Quartzsite has a fence, but that’s about it.
Off the top of my head, it takes 500 years for an aluminum can to oxidize, if I remember….sad, very sad to see their leftovers knowing what they did. …:)JP
I’m pretty positive these are tin cans, being that old. But ya, interesting, but kind of a bummer.
It is really amazing that so much from that time is still left there. Sadly, trash was something people never worried about back then. Mom remembers when she was little and people just tossed trash out the window going down the road and thought nothing of it. Thankfully, people these days think a bit more and it isn’t acceptable either. What fun to discover all that stuff!
I remember the days before people cared about litter too. Back then, they jut didn’t think about stuff like that.
Wow, this is truly fascinating! Who knew there was such rich history out there?
That is totally fascinating. Maybe you should get a pilot to take you up so YOU can get the aerial shots!
If I knew a pilot, and one who wouldn’t care if I got sick in his plane. LOL
I just love history but hate war. Wonder why they left their cans. Litter bugs. Once traveling through the desert coming back from Ca. to Ut. we stopped to take a walkabout break and there was a sign as big as our car knocked down in the dirt. When we read what it said we were in shock! It said radioactive site.$^&*())_! WE loaded our 2 kids and got back in the car pronto. This was over 40 years ago. Maybe thats why we are the way we are, LOL
This is so cool! Thanks for sharing the history.
This is so interesting! I’m surprised I haven’t seen this documented somewhere, complete with aerial photos. As an avocational archaeologist, I can understand how exciting it must have been to discover such a wealth of tangible history. Great post, Mary, thanks!
I think it is all a big secret. Not really, but nothing is marked or really being preserved. Except the giant compass point, that has a fence around it.
fascinating. really glad all those rock letters and paths have not been disturbed or vandalized. the pile of old cans is almost like art, now.
This is so fascinating that all of that is still there, the tracks, rocks. My grandpa that I never met trained in Nevada I think, but he was on bomber planes in Europe not the desert. We found some stuff from where he was at cleaning out the house I’ll have to see if he was ever there. Thanks for the tour! Love Dolly
That’s very cool Mary. I imagine in the desert with no distinct markers they had to make up their own. (Turn left at the fourth cactus and follow that until you hit the tumbleweed…oh crap it moved!)just wouldn’t seem to work. LOL I do have to tell you, I am not surprised they left their garbage. I was on an aircraft carrier once and there is garbage at sea. They just dump it there. :-(
That is so cool!! I love exploring places like that, it is so interesting and sparks the imagination. Just like you I then have to do some research afterwards to find out more about it.
We have an area near us that was an armory during the same time period. Now, they’re letting it be reclaimed in a restoration project. It’s pretty fascinating and like you, we found all sorts of little things that hinted at life from a time gone by. You captured it beautifully!