Military
General Patton Bronze in 3D
Yesterday, on our way back home from Arizona, we got out to stretch and walk the dog at the General George S. Patton Museum, located along Interstate 10 in the California Desert.
While we were walking around in front of the museum, I snapped an image pair of this bronze statue of the General to merge into the 3D anaglyph image seen here.
According to Wikipedia:
The General George S. Patton Memorial Museum of Chiriaco Summit, California is a museum erected in tribute to General George S. Patton on the site of the entrance of Camp Young, part of the Desert Training Center of World War II.
Exhibits include a large collection of tanks used in World War II and the Korean War, as well as memorabilia from Patton’s life and career, especially in regards to his service at the Desert Training Center and that of ordinary soldiers who trained there. Development of the Colorado River Aqueduct and natural science exhibits are displayed as well. In addition, a 26-minute video is shown, detailing Patton’s military service and the creation of the Desert Training Center.
Though Patton only spent less than four months at the Desert Training Center, his establishment of the training grounds directly impacted more than one million troops.
The museum is at the Chiriaco Summit exit off Interstate 10, 30 miles/48km east of Indio.
Click on the image above to view the full-sized anaglyph. If you don’t have your free pair of 3D glasses, you can see the 2D version here.
Remembering Our Favorite Veteran
On this first Veterans Day after Verna’s Dad passed away, we would like to re-post this information about our favorite veteran . . .
Dad and Navy Patrol Squadron VP-26
It has been over sixty years since Verna’s Dad served in the U.S. Navy. He was stationed at Gibraltar in 1948 where Navy Patrol Squadron 26 had a detachment at the time.
The Cold War was fully in progress, and Dad’s Squadron was right in the thick of it all. He was a flight crew member and flew missions on the Navy version of the old B24 – the PB4Y-2 ‘Privateer.’ He flew missions all over the Mediterranean, Europe, the North Atlantic Ocean and back to the US for logistics and repairs.
Image: PB4Y-2 similar to ones in Dad’s squadron.
I did the research on his old squadron and brought him a package of information and history about VP-26, complete with pictures and the squadron patch seen above. That triggered a lot of old memories and discussions with Bill about his adventures in VP-26.
This mission statement is taken from the VP-26 Website:
Patrol Squadron VP-26, a member of Patrol Wing FIVE, is a Maritime Patrol Squadron with a worldwide theater of operations. Mission areas include: Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASU), Command and Control Warfare (C2W), Command, Control, and Communications (CCC), Intelligence (INT), Mine Warfare (MIW), and Mobility (MOB). Although the “TRIDENTS” are homeported at U.S. (Naval Air Station) NAS Brunswick, Maine, their reputation is known throughout the world. The Tridents have demonstrated success in all of these tasks and in all the services performed, one thing remains constant: Team Trident is at the ready, supporting the mission… Anytime… Anywhere!
I downloaded the history file that I found on the VP-26 website and have made it available here in case you want to read about Dad’s old squadron. Click here for the Complete VP-26 History (PDF).
The Patton Tank in 3D
The following text may be seen at the WikiPedia article on the Patton Museum:
The General George S. Patton Memorial Museum of Chiriaco Summit, California is a museum erected in tribute to General George S. Patton on the site of the entrance of Camp Young, part of the Desert Training Center of World War II.
Exhibits include a large collection of tanks used in World War II and the Korean War, as well as memorabilia from Patton’s life and career, especially in regards to his service at the Desert Training Center and that of ordinary soldiers who trained there. Development of the Colorado River Aqueduct and natural science exhibits are displayed as well. In addition, a 26-minute video is shown, detailing Patton’s military service and the creation of the Desert Training Center.
Though Patton only spent less than four months at the Desert Training Center, his establishment of the training grounds directly impacted more than one million troops.
The museum is at the Chiriaco Summit exit off Interstate 10, 30 miles/48km east of Indio.
Image: Patton Tank in 3D – click to enlarge. If you don’t have your 3D glasses handy, you can see the 2D version here.
Military Records
One of the items on my ‘things I need to do before I retire’ list was to obtain a copy of my Military discharge record (DD-214). While I was at it, I asked for the contents of my military personnel record, containing things like training records, performance records, enlistment agreement and so forth.
Right: cover letter and records
The records showed up last week, about six weeks after I sent the fax with my authorizing signature to the records center. I dug through the package – boy, was that a trip down memory lane. Page after page of forms and records documenting my time as a Sailor. Seeing my (immature 17 year-old) signature on the enlistment papers brought back that moment in time when I sat in the recruiting office and signed.
I was in the U.S. Navy (Naval Reserve, to be exact) for six years, three of those on active duty. I signed up when Eisenhower was in the oval office and mustered out when LBJ was busily ramping up the war in Vietnam.
I never regretted my military service to the country. My career benefited from military training in electronics and aviation plus the G.I Bill paid for much of my education. I have never had a problem finding employment, often working two jobs simultaneously (when I was much younger and ambitious).
If you’re a veteran or the immediate survivor of a veteran you can order these records online at The National Archives eVetRecs website. Ordering them is fairly simple; you will need to sign a form they email to you and fax it to them.
Dad and Navy Patrol Squadron VP-26
It has been over sixty years since Verna’s Dad served in the U.S. Navy. He was stationed at Gibraltar in 1948 where Navy Patrol Squadron 26 had a detachment at the time.
The Cold War was fully in progress, and Dad’s Squadron was right in the thick of it all. He was a flight crew member and flew missions on the Navy version of the old B24 – the PB4Y-2 ‘Privateer.’ He flew missions all over the Mediterranean, Europe, the North Atlantic Ocean and back to the US for logistics and repairs.
Image: PB4Y-2 similar to ones in Dad’s squadron.
I did the research on his old squadron and brought him a package of information and history about VP-26, complete with pictures and the squadron patch seen above. That triggered a lot of old memories and discussions with Bill about his adventures in VP-26.
This mission statement is taken from the VP-26 Website:
Patrol Squadron VP-26, a member of Patrol Wing FIVE, is a Maritime Patrol Squadron with a worldwide theater of operations. Mission areas include: Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASU), Command and Control Warfare (C2W), Command, Control, and Communications (CCC), Intelligence (INT), Mine Warfare (MIW), and Mobility (MOB). Although the “TRIDENTS” are homeported at U.S. (Naval Air Station) NAS Brunswick, Maine, their reputation is known throughout the world. The Tridents have demonstrated success in all of these tasks and in all the services performed, one thing remains constant: Team Trident is at the ready, supporting the mission… Anytime… Anywhere!
I downloaded the history file that I found on the VP-26 website and have made it available here in case you want to read about Dad’s old squadron. Click here for the Complete VP-26 History (PDF).
