The US Army's Attic: Field Museum Support Center, Anniston Army Depot

[gwb123]

A few months ago, I started a thread on the former museum that was at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.

 

Many of its vehicles are now in safekeeping at a nonpublic Training Support Facility at Fort Lee.  Others have been dispersed to other military museums across the country (Fort Bliss, Fort Benning).

 

But some of the items seem to be unaccounted for.  The answer that is often provided is that they are in a holding yard at the Anniston Army Depot.  

 

So, I was just curious if I could use Google Maps to get an overhead view of these vehicles in waiting.

 

So I pulled an overhead image of the depot and found out it was quite large.  And I poured over the images determined to find where they were holding the historic vechicles.   I looked at the main part of the depot, and spotted images of about everything in the current US military's inventory, but nothing older than a handful of M60's.

[gwb123]

So I shared my quest on a couple of Facebook pages, and one Pavol Vojtko pointed me away from the main part of the reserve and up to the Northeast corner.  It was so far from the main buildings and the rail head it never occurred to look there.

[gwb123]

Depending on which Internet map browser you use, you will get a different overhead image.

 

I am going to place these what I believe is the correct sequence.  Some of the contributors on Facebook have opined that these images are all at least seven years old.

 

We are lucky to have these images at all as sometimes the map browsers will obscure the images of military installations. 

 

I think this oblique shot shows how the sorting process began.

 

See if you can recognize some of your favorites.

[gwb123]

This image appears to have been taken later.  The previous parking lot is at the top of the photo.

 

The vehicles are being moved one by one to the gated compound across the street. 

 

It dawned on me that they were probably be sorted as to which institution would be their ultimate destination.

 

If you look closely, the shadows on the ground give some idea of what the vehicle or gun actually is.

[gwb123]

And now, this is what you will see if you do your search on Google Maps.  

 

The parking lot across the street is now completely empty.

 

Keep in mind this is probably an outdated image at this point.

[gwb123]

If you search the internet, you will find some ground level photos, this one coming from https://www.annistonstar.com/slideshows/the-armys-attic-the-field-museum-support-center/collection_1998b876-e4a3-11e5-8845-27bb5c17f8c2.html#6

 

But I thought doing the detective work for an overhead view was just more fun.

 

While I have listed this in Museum section of the Forum, this area is not really available for public view.  Even with a base pass, it appears all you can do is look over the fence.  But it will be intriguing to see where these vechicles eventually end up in the Army's musem system.

 

Feel free to add other photos if you have them!

 

[Proud Kraut]

Some awesome tanks & guns well worth to be displayed in a museum. Great detective work, thanks very much for sharing.

[Jack the Collector]

I will be visiting my son who is stationed at Ft Bliss at Christmas,I'll see if the museum staff can reveal more info on what if any they have from that Museum.