General Patton Memorial Museum, Chiriaco Summit, CA
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Bernd das Brot Team
N 33° 39.689 W 115° 43.344
11S E 618453 N 3725355
Museum comemorating General Patton and the WWII Desert Training Center
Waymark Code: WM2YGY
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 01/10/2008
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member GA Cacher
Views: 145
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We needed gas and stopped at Chiriaco Summit. We had no idea what we would run into here in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

The General George S. Patton Memorial Museum was established to honor the late General George S. Patton and the thousands of men who served with him at the Desert Training Center and overseas.

From 1942-1943 Patton commanded the DTC, also called the California-Arizona Maneuvers Area (CAMA), where over a million US troops trained for combat, during its brief history. Unknown to many, the first battle between American and German troops happened long before D-Day in North Africa. On February 5, 1942, Lt. General Lesley J. McNair, Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, gave his approval to a plan developed to stop Germany's advance in Northern Africa. He designated Major General George S. Patton, Jr. to establish the Desert Training Center for the purpose of training men and machines for action under the harsh conditions of the African deserts.

General Patton Tank


Tanks were a primary fighting tool used at the DTC, the largest training area ever in the USA, and tank tracks still mark much of the landscape. Remnants from many of the 12 camps remain, mostly rock mosaics, altars and road alignments.

We didn't have enough time to really check out this place, but here is a website of someone who did and took 50 pictures doing so.

The museum is located off Interstate 10, about 30 miles east of Indio at Chiriaco Summit, which was the entrance to Camp Young, command post for the DTC during World War II. The site was donated by Joseph Chiriaco, one of the first area residents General Patton met when he arrived to set up the center.

Opening hours: Daily 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Open all year: Yes

Related web-page: [Web Link]

Wikipedia link:: [Web Link]
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