So Cal. AMPS Chapter Camp Pendleton Field Trip

After our visit to the museum itself, our guide took us to the restoration facitlity where thje work is done on these vehicles to get them in shape to be displayed in the museum itself

in their motor pool a ZSU 23-4 Shilka sat next to a 2S1 Gvozdika. Both were in very run down condition.

This is the interior of the drivers compartment of the ZSU-23-4

and the Iraqi bumper marks and lights on the right front corner of the 2S1

Then we walked over to teh building where the vehicles are repaired and restored... outside sat this LVT(A)-4. You may have seen this vehicle in either of the Clint Eastwood films "Flags of Our Fathers"/"Letters from Iwo Jima", or the HBO series "The Pacific". Although this is actually a Korean War version of the vehicle with overhead cover on teh turret and other post war modifications

Our guide said that we were allowed to climb aboard, so I climbed up top and too these shots of the drivers compartment

and this photo looking down the hatch into the turret at the turret basket

Then we went inside the building where an Ontos is undergoing restoration.

left wall of the interior seen thru the rear

right rear interior sidewall

rear view thru hatch

106mm ammo compartment

drivers compartment sidewall

then our guide asked us to ID this particular vehicle that they had just obtained, but he did not know what it was- one M29 Weasel

afterwards it was time for a walk around the motor pool area for the restoration facility where I found these vehicles along the back corner of the fence

a Dodge Ambulance

and this M42 Duster

stay tuned for more...

After the restoration facility we had lunch on post and then headed over to the Amtracks Museum

Parked nearby were these LVTP-5 variants

and finally outside the Museum itself was this LVT-3

it was a bit too tight inside the musuem to get any good photos of the LVTs inside, but I must admit by this point I was truly akid in a candy shop seeing and climbing into or up stairs to look into the LVT-1, LVT-2, LVT(A)-1, LVT-4(A) and LVT-3 inside. Those are some very big vehicles up close and personal.

finally afterwards we visited some of the areas on post that had captured war trophies

A Type-63/YW-531 Chinese made APC near the Amtrack Museum

Then finally it was a trip across post to near School of Infantry where they have a nice park of more captured stuff

a BMP-1 MICV

T-62 MBT

Type-59 MBT

ZPU-4 AAA

S-60 AAA

and that's all folks.. thanks for looking in

Thanks for sharing! looks like it was a great time!

Thanks for posting these Stik!  Looks like you went to armor heaven. 

That rocket launcher truck reminded me of the book "From the Volcano to the Gorge: Getting the Job Done on Iwo Jima" by Howard N McLaughlin Jr. and Raymond C. Miller.  They reported the trucks would run up and loose their rockets, then scoot the hell out of there before the mortar rounds started coming in, for they were prime targets for the Japanese.

Gary

That's way cool. Out of curiosity, was there anything you wanted to get a pic of ,and they said nope?

Stik thanks for the photos, I don't mind saying that I've locked them down in a folder i'm sure for a future build. That looks like a really fun and informative trip, I have a million questions,  but who restores these vehicles, how are they picked and how are the restorations and maintenance paid for. I think a lot of hours and money are necessary for even the smallest of them, I couldn't imagine a lager AFV.

Very nice stik. Thanks for sharing!

Raualduke

That's way cool. Out of curiosity, was there anything you wanted to get a pic of ,and they said nope?

Not a thing. Our museum contact was exceptionally helpful. I was most suprised when he told us that we could go hands on and climb onto vehicles. Mind you, they do not let the general public do so, but since this was a "back room deal" type of tour, and this was on a day when the museum was closed, the normal rules did not apply. Many of these vehicles are "runners" and it was really a treat and privlege to have had this opportunity. I suspect that our chapter will be going back in the not too distant future, probably next summer. We are also laying the groundwork for a tour to the "Leatherneck Air Museum" at Miramar MCAS. I am glad to see that you guys like the photos and that some may be helpful to you as well. I chose to do the detail photos of the Ontos and HMMWV Avenger because those are two kits in my stash to be built and I thought that the detail shots of those areas would be helpful.

Jibber, I do not know who selects the vehicles for restoration. But they get pretty much everythng on the base that is slated for disposal, to have, and either fix up or salvage parts off of. And they get the rest from other sources. The restoration is done by both civialian volunteers and by pesonnel assigned to Pendleton who care enough to donate their time. They are funded mostly by donations and also the base provides some mony for their work as well. There was a few guys working on a M88 recovery vehicle when we went thru that facility, and I must say that who process took me back to days in the motor pool when I was in a mech infantry unit.... just with a lot more variety of equipment types. For the Ontos that was undergoing restoration, there were 3 other hulks also there in various states of disrepair/disassembly.

Very cool, nice to be able to really go thru them. I think al these museums are important and thanks to all those who fund and keep them up. Thanks Stik.

This moment made it worth it for me... reliving my 11H days (Heavy Anti Armor Infantryman-aka TOW gunner). One of my fellow AMPS members snapped this shot and just sent it to me Thank you Jake!

"Backblast area CLEAR! Arming lever UP!"

Some awesome pics there SP. Looks like a great day out.

Those Russian/Soviet vehicles are defiantly not build for comfort. I had a look in the back of a BMP in Bosnia, certainly not a lot of headroom. Give me a nice roomy Warrior any day.

Pretty cool set of photos Stik! Looks like you had a blast particularly in that last shot.

Bish, I am not a tall man, and the BMP was definitely cramped inside when I had a look there. I can't vouch for the Warrior, and the 113s armor or armament never impressed me, but I'll take a Marder (Bundeswehr not WWII type) any day over a BMP. I have ridden in those...

I'm 6 foot 1, I would certainly need the top hatch open on a BMP. For Warrior, think Bradley minus the TOW. Nice and roomy but of course also a bigger target.

Yeah, you'd have your chin on your knees in a BMP...

Some nice stuff to check out there Stik,although I couldn't possibly drag my wife to another base while on vacation,I do plan on the Midway next time I'm in SoCal

Lol! Well there is good shopping there on post if you happen to have military ID ;)