This is the first video of my journey to, and the exploration of, many World War Two Desert Warfare Training sites that are scattered across the Mojave desert of Califonia and Arizona. These very large camps, mock battle sites, and live-fire ranges are testimony to the vast scale the United States training program established to help prepare the U.S. soldiers for combat before being shipped out to North Africa, Europe, or the Pacific. During WW2, over 1,000,000 soldiers trained in this area during the two years of the training area's existence. These camps were established under orders of the War Department in 1942 and General George S. Patton was tasked with setting up the camps and training areas and then running the program until he too shipped out to start fighting in North Africa with the men he helped train in these camps. Training included many steps to toughen the soldiers to deprivation. At first, the soldiers were housed in the large camps you will see in the videos and lived in large canvas tents. These camps might contain 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers at any given time as they rotated through the program. They were then transitioned into desert areas where they had to train living in small tents with limited amenities and finally no tents at all and very limited gear. After that, they were sent overseas with many never to return. Upon abandonment of the camps, the US Army did clean up the area and burned and/or buried all of the camp and training equipage. The firing ranges were also cleaned up. However, many foxholes, bomb craters, and evidence of where tank tracks dug deep into the desert soil are scattered across these deserts. Although the Army did police (clean-up) these areas during and after the war, many munitions and artifacts of daily life remain left behind and slowly decomposing in the desert sun. The sheer size and number of the mock battle sites, live firing ranges, and camps are silent testimony to the vast undertaking of our preparation to enter the future battlefields of World War Two. Please note: Many (but not all) of the areas in these videos are located on State or Federal lands and the removal of any man-made artifact over 50 years old is forbidden there. It is also highly recommended that you do not touch any munitions as they could be "live". All of the munitions seen in my videos are spent and/or "dummy" training munitions.
Chigg have you seen the railroad tracks in LA lately? The thieves use bolt cutters to open the shipping containers after they look at the bills to see what’s in them then the proceed to throw all the contents out onto the sides of the tracks The Bulls aren’t doing anything about it the LA sheriff said he had no idea it was going on 🙄 I’m sure you’re ok to explore where you want out there
Through out the state of Ca., North and South is the Ca.aqueduct system, which pumps the water from the SanJuanquin, valley up and over the grape vine(Hwy#5) Mts, from Bakersfield up over to L.A.The whole system was started by Moonbeam, s, father Governor Brown Sr in 1964! Big, Big deal! The L.A. has it, s own system providing water to the Inperial Valley and to L.A taken from the Colorado, River.I remember, visiting Whiskey Town in N.Ca. and there was a placket and little museum, where J.F.K., christened in 1963.So, this was an on going project for years before Governor Brown Sr. for years before Brown opened the pumps taken the water over the grapevine(Hwy5) to LA.My fatherN law worked for Ca. Water authority and retured.He would have to drive north & south along different aqueducts , checking on things and chasing people off the waterways.Today and over the decades past , every one fish's f or striped bass, catfish and carp.Any way the aqueducts are a big deal in Ca.There, s my two cents! Lol! Thanks for the travel to Mojave desert and exploration!Pretty neat!😀👍
Chigg, those boys were kids, they grew up fast when they left there though. My Grandpa was 15 years old when he went to fight the Japanese. He wanted to go and be like his brothers and serve our nation. Thank you Greatest Generation. We owe you more than our lives.
@@jimmyalamo839 you are 100 percent correct. They had pride, honor, bravery, and character. Worked hard and had very little, but loved and respected their Mommas and Daddys
The 2 land mine fuzes were already blown. The detonators were quashed down. Practice anti-tank land mines don't explode; they give off a smoke cloud. The altar you showed is the Catholic one. The Presbyterian altar is at the other end of the camp, and has a different design. The camp dump is huge and is in a wash NW of the camp. A grenade range is near the dump. You missed a very large, earthen relief map of the whole DTC where maneuvers were planned. So large that it had a bridge across it. The BLM fenced it in to preserve it but erosion has affected it. At 24:26, that is a foot powder can.
@@dalestuart1029 I am a retired geologist, but sorry, no. I began researching and exploring the DTC in 1981 as a hobby.. Continued on for 30 years. My "papers", photos, books, memorabilia, and a ton of artifacts, were donated to a history museum in Goffs, CA, a tiny community on the original Rt 66 in 2018. I did drive around the MWD Iron Mtn pumping station back when it was allowed. And I have explored a MWD construction camp site.
“When completed the camp had 15 shower buildings, 26 latrines, 113 wooden tent frames, an amphitheater, a 4,000-gallon water tank tower and two 3,000 gallon water tank towers. Camp had 6 training ranges for rifle, handguns and machine guns. The camp closed on 16 March 1944.”
Michael Andrews ; That is interesting information, I love WW2 History. This all took place before my birth, 14 March 1945. I some how feel personally connected. I love this type of History hunting. Thanks Beau/Chigg.
My father traded for one year in the desert under Patton. He was a tanker. He said that he volunteered for being a tanker, because he got more training. Draftees went directly into battle. The reasons for being in the desert in the one year was the United States Army never fought in the desert. My father told me, that he was limited to one quart of water a day. He had pictures of egg frying on his tank. I read in a book "Patton the Genius for War". In the book only one soldier died during the year. After the training, the soldiers were shipped off to North Africa. My father was sent to the Pacific, because the Marines needed tanks. My father was stationed with the 27th Army Division. He was at Siapan, Okinawa. Another note you talked about young men. My father was 18, but he was the youngest guy of his unit. The rest of the guys were older men. In Siapan, he fought in the large Banzai Attack by the Japanese.
The tin with the sprinkle holes in the top at 24:30 is a GI foot powder tin, common item for guys to carry in their kit. This entire camp hike is awesome, amazing that all that stuff is still there where those guys left it .
I have had some of my best gem hunting luck on the 40 between Barstow and Needles at Jasper Hill, Hector Hills, Lavic, Cady Mountains, Ludlow and Kelbaker Road collecting area, but the most productive Jasper area I have ever found is just north of Edward's AFB at a collecting area called Castle Butte. I am not joking when I tell you there are chunks of Jasper as big as a car! Most of it is gold and brick red but there is also some chocolate brown and some Jade green if you can find it. The road is very well maintained because of the electrical lines above.
Lovin it. I'm so jealous. Plus, you show'd the map and you came all the way thru my state, right past my house. Oklahoma. I"m between the Interstate/Will Rogers Turnpike and Rt. 66. I can hear the traffic from both at night. Anyway, THANKS for the vicarious adventures.
Neat Vid. I was out in the Palen Pass area in the latter 1980s and have a few observations. Landmine belts can be discerned by round (12 inches or so) flat/bare spots on the surface...usually lighter in color than the undisturbed ground. They are laid in a distinct pattern (three lines each) which resembles a pair of dice , side-by-side, showing a pair of fives. Each line may be several feet apart and the layout provides a staggered pattern. However, most mines have long been removed by the troops training there, Italian POWs whom were put to work salvaging material for several years, or civilians exploring the areas. This is what the flat/bare spots reveal...where mines were removed and hole filled. I found several intact Teller mines by walking the length of the belt until it came to a gully or rocky area. This is where the salvage personnel may have stopped short and left some behind. The detonators you found late in the vid are of two types. If they are (were) white, they contain a smoke charge when triggered by pressure applied on the mine's contact plate. If blue plastic, they are training components. The Teller mines themselves are also painted blue for training. I imagine live mines were also used, but for demonstration purposes only. I have a copy of all the sites from a two-part article by the Historical Military Vehicle Collector's Association. If you want a copy, post a reply where you want it sent (can make a PDF files for each page)...Carry On!
Thanks for sharing, to bad you cant keep the artifacts, that would be kinda cool! Interesting video. Metal detecting would have been fun. Those Almost melted looking boulders were unexplainably interesting. See ya on the next one. Your friend and fan, Kevin
I live in Parker, Az along the AZ and CA border. About 20 miles south of Parker is a small town called Poston. During WW2 they put up camps in Poston for Japanese citizens to be held in. The barracks are still there along with a memorial. When I was in elementary school we would have some of the Japanese who stayed there when they were kids come to speak with us about life living in the camps.
Jack Soo the actor from Barney Miller was in the internment camp in Topaz Utah. Started his acting by singing and performing for the fellow internees. Still a dark page in American history.
@@johnfisher5363 Wow, thats crazy. Your right about it being a dark spot. I live in a farming community and barely learned couple years ago that the Japanese are the ones who dug the irrigation canals. During the summer the average temperature is anywhere from 105 up to 120.
Having grown up on military bases in the 50's and 60's, I can attest to the fact that the Army liked to line their pathways with rocks, so seeing all those rock lined paths doesn't surprise me and I know it wasn't an idea the soldiers themselves decided to do on their own. I'm actually surprised the Army didn't have the guys paint the rocks white....Army was big on that to!
Fascinating video, I really enjoyed it! Something to keep in mind hiking in the desert. ALWAYS carry a source of water with you. If you were to get hurt out there it could take days for someone to find you and you'd need it!
I live in the Mojave DEsert and even in the Winter you never go for a hike even if it is just a short 1 mile hike without taking water with you!!! I have found several unexploded pieces of ordinance in my travels in the Mojave. A few years ago I was metal detecting on a dry lake bed near Fort Irwin searching for Meteorites and I found an old Thompsons submachine gun that had been ran over by a tank it was shaped like a U the magazine still had live ammo in it. I took it to the Barstow PD for them to dispose of it! I have even found unexploded 155MM HE rounds and old WW2 grenades out in the desert some witht he pins still attached.. You have to be very careful out in the Desert
That small square concrete foundation you saw when you were headed back to your truck could have been a brig and that small tin that held powder was probably talc (talcum powder). Love to see those areas, exploring is the best thing a person can do.
May the New Year bring many more exciting Aquachigger adventures to us all. Thanks Beau for doing all the hard work so we can sit comfortably in front of the PC and watch. Although I'd love to be on many of your adventures being a lover of the outdoors. HAPPY NEW YEAR CHIGG.🎆🎇🧨🎉🎊🎋
Beau, again, I'm loving this series! However at 20:00 both my wife & I busted out laughing at that rock formation. It looks like something female related but it certainly didn't look virginal! LOL
Hey chigg, you done a video on your military service ? Interesting to hear about it. I understand if you don’t want to. I was in the Royal Navy myself. Loving the content lately, it’s crazy the size of the USA, your distance away from home is basically London to Moscow if not further! That’s mad!
Maybe the random trash piles are where they actually had a trash bin next to the foot path and tents🤷♀️🤷♀️?? And when they left, they just left the trash bins. If you're finding wires and batteries everywhere, something I think would be useful and take with. Why not just leave the trash, it's labor and time. They left the rocks, so they weren't ordered to leave it like they found it. Lol Also different times too, different circumstances at that time. I love history now. I enjoy watching your exploring videos. Been a fan for at least 4yrs. Bought a Garrett detector, I'm still learning, but it's gotten me out more. Time gets away from me just looking lol. I try to do research on the areas but I'm still learning that too. Not everything is on Google lol #chiggsarmy
Thanks for showing us the tarantula. Yikes! 🕷. And you know I don’t LIEK spiders. LOL! 😉 Interesting little rock pathways. The altar was cool to see. Peach cans! LOL! “Water Police”…LOL! Thanks for the tour. You always show us the interesting stuff, I love that.
The stone lined pathways is typical Army procedure. I was thinking the ring of stones might represent a place where the soldiers were trained in map and compass navigation with the spokes or rocks might have been the degree lines to take a bearing. Thanks for the hike and tour!
Chigg your morning shadow reminded me of the "Stilt Walker" ... LOL On you way to the sanctuary area did spot a tower it was steal I was thinking it was observation of the war action surprised you did not check it out (OH maybe I was seeing a mirage ... LOL) That washed out rock feature on the east side of the pass was interesting too. Thanks for the early morning walk about. Look forward to your next reveal.
We can't bust heads like we used to. But we have our ways. One trick is to tell stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an ONION TO MY BELT, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Gimme five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...
At 20:55 I think those are oil change pits. There is one still being used today made during world war 2 in Brenda Arizona for residents of an RV park. They are not very deep, about 2 feet but it gives enough room to make changing oils, or parts easier. There were probably mechanics staying in tents nearby with a small junkyard.
I watched it again. Just before you walked upon the pit you thought it was strange there was a lot of trash by it. I'm guessing they were parting out jeeps there. Nuts, bolts, and jeep parts ended up lost in the soil.
My Dad spent some time out at Iron Mountain teaching artillery math. He was an old man at 26. Yep Tarantulas,, Kangaroo Rats, and Rattlers were some of his memories of the place. Was supposed to go to Africa but ended up with 562 Airborne (Artillery) and jumped on the retake of Corregidor in the Philippines .
The father of my dentist was a yard bull in Salt Lake City. Dentist went to school close to where dad worked. One day dad came and got him out of school and took him with him. Dad says if things start looking badd grab the gun (a .357 mag in glove box) Dad spies who he is looking for, two guys are walking toward him, one with a 2x4 with nails. Guy with 2x4 takes a swing at dad, doc dives for glove box while watching dad. He didn't need to worry, he said with one blow each he cooled these guys. Part II Down south, east of Bouse Arizona is where Patton had his primary tank training range. Been out to HQ. If you knew where to look you can still see tank tracks Me again, Ya outta get a drone to scope what is outa sight
Great adventure Chigg did you notice that ring of stones with the concrete pillar in the middle is a sun dial,Cheers Merry Christmas and a happy New years!
had a work colleague who had been in the Guards. He and another Sergeant were checking the Barracks one night when an oddly dressed soldier ran from them down the barracks. They gave chase and bounced off the fire escape a the end of the room which the stranger had run through! A few weeks later, they were in the Royal Artillery NCO mess and froze when they saw the same soldier in a painting on the wall. Apparently their barracks had been the Royal Artillery training ground in World War 1, and the soldier had died in training.......... So yes, you may get something 'strange' in those old barracks - just depends on how many died in training I guess!
I was watching WWII in Color on Netflix after watching your last video and saw a clip from a soldier camp in Northern Africa and they had the same rock lined walkways. I thought that was interesting.
If I recall, this area was also used in the 70's again, for War games with the Military, prepping in case they had to head to the Middle East around the time of the Iran, and Afganistan issues of the time, too. So, you might have overlaps of different stuff.
Crazy history. My dad trained in Florida. Unit motto? 'A plane a day in Tampa Bay.' B-26's killed a lot of people in early training accidents. He and Mom moved to southern California after the War and never left. He Never saw those desert training grounds before being shipped out- I think? I betcha' they met...
very nice wish you could find pictures of the area with the tents and all bet it looked real cool do you think in mine fields will you find one the wrong way by exploding can this happen i hope not thanks
Yeah tarantula won't bite you unless it's life depends on it. you're way too big for them to wrestle with and they know it, but they are pretty docile .next one you find put your hand down let him walk on you they won't bite you, just be careful don't drop them cuz they break easy. Catch them a cricket because they're not stupid either. if you feed them they're even more docile. They make pretty good pets because their low maintenance and they're fun to watch. I had a Mexican red leg that actually molted and before molting it couldn't climb the glass cage. but as soon as it molted it was beautiful and iridescent and its feet could stick to the glass and It could run right up the glass pretty neat. You could take one home as a pet. they do live very long. Males Live 5 to 10 years females live up to 30 years and crickets are cheap. If you could catch one before you went home it would live long enough in the ride home. Then just go to the pet shop and get some crickets you probably already have a small tank you can make a little terrarium that's all they need and a sponge with some water on it in a little flat cup. And if your house is cold you might want to put a little heater in there, but if your house is warm he'll be okay like I said low maintenance. I think my Mexican red live live for like two years which is normal because you don't know how old they were before you get them and the males can live up to 10 years and the females can live up to 30 years which is amazing for a spider or any insect. The other thing is you got to watch out for the hairs on their back because they have this defensive thing that they do with their back legs and they flick their hiars off of their bum and they're very light so they shoot up into your face and if you inhale them there pretty irritateing. So when they start hissing and flicking their back legs on their bum get your face away from them. they stop doing that after a while usually when their bum is bald LOL and then they'll molt and becomes an iridescent beautiful colored tarantula that's when they're the most I would say perfect. I actually got those tarantula hairs in my nose and it didn't last long it was just itchy for a couple hours. If you're allergic to bee stings don't get one.
I entered the Navy on July 3th. Since they weren;t going to form a training company until the 5th I got to paint the stones at camp Berry on the Great Lakes Naval Training facility. I think stones are there so that they always have "make work" for enlisted.
Go stack those stones. Go layout those stones. Go organize those stones. Now go stack those stones this way. Now lay them out this way and on and on and on..........
Hi Chig, can I make a suggestion ? Now this is just an idea I had that I want to run by you, maybe you might like it. My idea or suggestion is for those times when you are out on foot walking around carrying your camera or phone, whichever it is you use. I was thinking that an external microphone would be beneficial to the audio portion of your video. I know they are a bit pricey, but if the budget will allow for one you might like the results of the audio produced.
The real hookup/link is Patton. #319th bomb group USAAC was attached to his Army. Ground Attack... They blew the crap Outta' Rommel - in late '42 to '43. Thank you for visiting that Site. It matters... Any idea of what He(your dad) did? Flight Ops, Ground crew, A.A., etc? Then I can find his name in the Unit records. Not ALL of those records burned... Heh heh. It all fits. Cool stuff, Man! Thank you & keep it Up. Wish I was there. Cold and snowy here...
Chigg, Looks like around 1959 was when Aluminum cans were started. The BLM does NOT own that property, we do, but they, in their "wisdom" manage it and like all egotistical bureaucrats, think it's theirs. Such is life. I respect our military and how they have saved the world(until now), but the present day military/industrial complex is a law unto it self. Cheers, Rik Spector
my aunt and her husband are retired BLM people , two of the most ignorant people i have met . they retired to the old family farm and were going to show everybody how to do things . pissed of all the neighbors in short order and ruined everything they touched . complete idiots! .nothing the BLM taught them about management worked in real life.
Just before you spotted that black sand I thought that that place looked like it would have gold. Ofcourse I had been watching a prospector channel just before so I'm wanting to see some gold in my hand.
At 24:15 it looks like a Willys jeep was destroyed there. That steel rod with the notches in it is definitely a parking brake rod from a Willys. There used to be a pull handle on it. Maybe the motor pool area?
Maybe those ratchet polls are from those Magneto boxes with the T handle that you push down to blow up a wired explosive from a distance the wooden T handles are rotting off of them?
This is the first video of my journey to, and the exploration of, many World War Two Desert Warfare Training sites that are scattered across the Mojave desert of Califonia and Arizona. These very large camps, mock battle sites, and live-fire ranges are testimony to the vast scale the United States training program established to help prepare the U.S. soldiers for combat before being shipped out to North Africa, Europe, or the Pacific. During WW2, over 1,000,000 soldiers trained in this area during the two years of the training area's existence. These camps were established under orders of the War Department in 1942 and General George S. Patton was tasked with setting up the camps and training areas and then running the program until he too shipped out to start fighting in North Africa with the men he helped train in these camps.
Training included many steps to toughen the soldiers to deprivation. At first, the soldiers were housed in the large camps you will see in the videos and lived in large canvas tents. These camps might contain 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers at any given time as they rotated through the program. They were then transitioned into desert areas where they had to train living in small tents with limited amenities and finally no tents at all and very limited gear. After that, they were sent overseas with many never to return.
Upon abandonment of the camps, the US Army did clean up the area and burned and/or buried all of the camp and training equipage. The firing ranges were also cleaned up.
However, many foxholes, bomb craters, and evidence of where tank tracks dug deep into the desert soil are scattered across these deserts. Although the Army did police (clean-up) these areas during and after the war, many munitions and artifacts of daily life remain left behind and slowly decomposing in the desert sun. The sheer size and number of the mock battle sites, live firing ranges, and camps are silent testimony to the vast undertaking of our preparation to enter the future battlefields of World War Two.
Please note: Many (but not all) of the areas in these videos are located on State or Federal lands and the removal of any man-made artifact over 50 years old is forbidden there. It is also highly recommended that you do not touch any munitions as they could be "live". All of the munitions seen in my videos are spent and/or "dummy" training munitions.
The railroad police never bothered me during my childhood spent walking railroad tracks in the Midwest.
Chigg have you seen the railroad tracks in LA lately? The thieves use bolt cutters to open the shipping containers after they look at the bills to see what’s in them then the proceed to throw all the contents out onto the sides of the tracks
The Bulls aren’t doing anything about it the LA sheriff said he had no idea it was going on 🙄
I’m sure you’re ok to explore where you want out there
Through out the state of Ca., North and South is the Ca.aqueduct system, which pumps the water from the SanJuanquin, valley up and over the grape vine(Hwy#5) Mts, from Bakersfield up over to L.A.The whole system was started by Moonbeam, s, father Governor Brown Sr in 1964! Big, Big deal! The L.A. has it, s own system providing water to the Inperial Valley and to L.A taken from the Colorado, River.I remember, visiting Whiskey Town in N.Ca. and there was a placket and little museum, where J.F.K., christened in 1963.So, this was an on going project for years before Governor Brown Sr. for years before Brown opened the pumps taken the water over the grapevine(Hwy5) to LA.My fatherN law worked for Ca. Water authority and retured.He would have to drive north & south along different aqueducts , checking on things and chasing people off the waterways.Today and over the decades past , every one fish's f or striped bass, catfish and carp.Any way the aqueducts are a big deal in Ca.There, s my two cents! Lol! Thanks for the travel to Mojave desert and exploration!Pretty neat!😀👍
That tube you found with the notches looks almost like a rack and pinion net wire tensioner.
Fort Mohave is closer to AZ ... Part of the pony Express! Love exploring the Mojave and Colorado deserts.my playground!
Chigg, those boys were kids, they grew up fast when they left there though. My Grandpa was 15 years old when he went to fight the Japanese. He wanted to go and be like his brothers and serve our nation.
Thank you Greatest Generation. We owe you more than our lives.
its hard to compare the kids back then, and the kids today. complete opposite
@@jimmyalamo839 you are 100 percent correct. They had pride, honor, bravery, and character. Worked hard and had very little, but loved and respected their Mommas and Daddys
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏⭐️⭐️⭐️🙏⭐️🙏🙏😇🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@jimmyalamo839When you live in a shit hole people can change.
@@jimmyalamo839 they would cry just hearing the stories from the older generation.
It's truly pathetic
The 2 land mine fuzes were already blown. The detonators were quashed down. Practice anti-tank land mines don't explode; they give off a smoke cloud. The altar you showed is the Catholic one. The Presbyterian altar is at the other end of the camp, and has a different design. The camp dump is huge and is in a wash NW of the camp. A grenade range is near the dump. You missed a very large, earthen relief map of the whole DTC where maneuvers were planned. So large that it had a bridge across it. The BLM fenced it in to preserve it but erosion has affected it. At 24:26, that is a foot powder can.
Thank you, I was going to add that.
Thanks again for the further insight. I thought foot powder as well, my dad had one in the late 50s.
Jan, you sound like you might have an MWD history.
@@dalestuart1029 I am a retired geologist, but sorry, no. I began researching and exploring the DTC in 1981 as a hobby.. Continued on for 30 years. My "papers", photos, books, memorabilia, and a ton of artifacts, were donated to a history museum in Goffs, CA, a tiny community on the original Rt 66 in 2018. I did drive around the MWD Iron Mtn pumping station back when it was allowed. And I have explored a MWD construction camp site.
I'm glad you have good knees. I'd be like, " I'll wait for ya here" cool artifacts Beau!
“When completed the camp had 15 shower buildings, 26 latrines, 113 wooden tent frames, an amphitheater, a 4,000-gallon water tank tower and two 3,000 gallon water tank towers. Camp had 6 training ranges for rifle, handguns and machine guns. The camp closed on 16 March 1944.”
Michael Andrews ; That is interesting information, I love WW2 History. This all took place before my birth, 14 March 1945. I some how feel personally connected.
I love this type of History hunting. Thanks Beau/Chigg.
No quonset huts?
Military installations for all of their blandness can actually be very cool.
My father traded for one year in the desert under Patton. He was a tanker. He said that he volunteered for being a tanker, because he got more training. Draftees went directly into battle.
The reasons for being in the desert in the one year was the United States Army never fought in the desert.
My father told me, that he was limited to one quart of water a day. He had pictures of egg frying on his tank.
I read in a book "Patton the Genius for War". In the book only one soldier died during the year.
After the training, the soldiers were shipped off to North Africa. My father was sent to the Pacific, because the Marines needed tanks.
My father was stationed with the 27th Army Division. He was at Siapan, Okinawa.
Another note you talked about young men. My father was 18, but he was the youngest guy of his unit. The rest of the guys were older men.
In Siapan, he fought in the large Banzai Attack by the Japanese.
The tin with the sprinkle holes in the top at 24:30 is a GI foot powder tin, common item for guys to carry in their kit. This entire camp hike is awesome, amazing that all that stuff is still there where those guys left it .
I was going to say Talcum powder - pretty much the same thing.
maybe they used the sprinkle hole tin as a shower head 😋
Thanks 4 takin us along
Such a desolate area, hard to imagine all those young soldiers camping there. Interesting video 👍
I'd say it was amazing
During the late '80s through the '90s I made at least 50 trips out to the DTC. Still has a very WWII/Paton feel to it. GREAT series!
This whole Patton adventure has been a great history lesson.
Thank you, Sir! And have yourself a Happy New Year!!
I have had some of my best gem hunting luck on the 40 between Barstow and Needles at Jasper Hill, Hector Hills, Lavic, Cady Mountains, Ludlow and Kelbaker Road collecting area, but the most productive Jasper area I have ever found is just north of Edward's AFB at a collecting area called Castle Butte. I am not joking when I tell you there are chunks of Jasper as big as a car! Most of it is gold and brick red but there is also some chocolate brown and some Jade green if you can find it. The road is very well maintained because of the electrical lines above.
Interesting place Chigg be fun to detect the place be safe and GOD BLESS Happy New Year Chigg Amen 🙏
Lovin it. I'm so jealous. Plus, you show'd the map and you came all the way thru my state, right past my house. Oklahoma. I"m between the Interstate/Will Rogers Turnpike and Rt. 66. I can hear the traffic from both at night. Anyway, THANKS for the vicarious adventures.
Thanks for taking us along on another great adventure 👍
Thanks, Chigg! Merry Christmas!
Always educational Professor! Thanks for sharing..
Neat Vid. I was out in the Palen Pass area in the latter 1980s and have a few observations. Landmine belts can be discerned by round (12 inches or so) flat/bare spots on the surface...usually lighter in color than the undisturbed ground. They are laid in a distinct pattern (three lines each) which resembles a pair of dice , side-by-side, showing a pair of fives. Each line may be several feet apart and the layout provides a staggered pattern. However, most mines have long been removed by the troops training there, Italian POWs whom were put to work salvaging material for several years, or civilians exploring the areas. This is what the flat/bare spots reveal...where mines were removed and hole filled.
I found several intact Teller mines by walking the length of the belt until it came to a gully or rocky area. This is where the salvage personnel may have stopped short and left some behind. The detonators you found late in the vid are of two types. If they are (were) white, they contain a smoke charge when triggered by pressure applied on the mine's contact plate. If blue plastic, they are training components. The Teller mines themselves are also painted blue for training. I imagine live mines were also used, but for demonstration purposes only. I have a copy of all the sites from a two-part article by the Historical Military Vehicle Collector's Association. If you want a copy, post a reply where you want it sent (can make a PDF files for each page)...Carry On!
That's very interesting information thank you 👍
Thanks for sharing, to bad you cant keep the artifacts, that would be kinda cool! Interesting video. Metal detecting would have been fun. Those Almost melted looking boulders were unexplainably interesting. See ya on the next one. Your friend and fan, Kevin
Agree... was surprised/disappointed chig didn't film those up close :(
I live in Parker, Az along the AZ and CA border. About 20 miles south of Parker is a small town called Poston. During WW2 they put up camps in Poston for Japanese citizens to be held in. The barracks are still there along with a memorial. When I was in elementary school we would have some of the Japanese who stayed there when they were kids come to speak with us about life living in the camps.
Jack Soo the actor from Barney Miller was in the internment camp in Topaz Utah. Started his acting by singing and performing for the fellow internees. Still a dark page in American history.
@@johnfisher5363 Wow, thats crazy. Your right about it being a dark spot. I live in a farming community and barely learned couple years ago that the Japanese are the ones who dug the irrigation canals. During the summer the average temperature is anywhere from 105 up to 120.
Great video Chigg, thanks for sharing 👍
Having grown up on military bases in the 50's and 60's, I can attest to the fact that the Army liked to line their pathways with rocks, so seeing all those rock lined paths doesn't surprise me and I know it wasn't an idea the soldiers themselves decided to do on their own. I'm actually surprised the Army didn't have the guys paint the rocks white....Army was big on that to!
Yea... busy work as it's called... paint in WWII was probably restricted, considering the chemicals required to create it.
probably did. just worn off over the decades.
Yes, I see Boredom and Discipline all over those many many many lengths of stone pathways and circles.
Marines Corps does the same thing
Yup bs baffles brains lol
Thank you for this wonderful series on relics in the American West. You did a phenomenal job filming, and telling us what you were filming, Bravo.
Merry xmas chiggy baby have a good one buddy!!! 😉👍 !
Fascinating video, I really enjoyed it! Something to keep in mind hiking in the desert. ALWAYS carry a source of water with you. If you were to get hurt out there it could take days for someone to find you and you'd need it!
I’m loving these videos! I love WW2 history! Look’n forward to the next one!!
I live in the Mojave DEsert and even in the Winter you never go for a hike even if it is just a short 1 mile hike without taking water with you!!! I have found several unexploded pieces of ordinance in my travels in the Mojave. A few years ago I was metal detecting on a dry lake bed near Fort Irwin searching for Meteorites and I found an old Thompsons submachine gun that had been ran over by a tank it was shaped like a U the magazine still had live ammo in it. I took it to the Barstow PD for them to dispose of it! I have even found unexploded 155MM HE rounds and old WW2 grenades out in the desert some witht he pins still attached.. You have to be very careful out in the Desert
Awesome adventure chigger love the history of the video 🍺❄🤶🎅👍🙏🛐🥳🎂merry Christmas and stay blessed
Very cool place I could spend a whole day just there just exploring. Thank you and keep the videos coming
Stay Safe & Good Luck
Amazing Vidio ✋ thank for sharing this Vidio dear ✋ greeting from Indonesian traditional gold sheeker 🇲🇨✋👍👍
That small square concrete foundation you saw when you were headed back to your truck could have been a brig and that small tin that held powder was probably talc (talcum powder). Love to see those areas, exploring is the best thing a person can do.
May the New Year bring many more exciting Aquachigger adventures to us all. Thanks Beau for doing all the hard work so we can sit comfortably in front of the PC and watch. Although I'd love to be on many of your adventures being a lover of the outdoors. HAPPY NEW YEAR CHIGG.🎆🎇🧨🎉🎊🎋
The main wolf or water main
Thanx Chigg for another great AQUACHIGGER ADVENTURE
Always with the good stuff thanks for the videos
Beau, again, I'm loving this series! However at 20:00 both my wife & I busted out laughing at that rock formation. It looks like something female related but it certainly didn't look virginal! LOL
24TH INF,,1978,,,,FANTASTIC! SAFE TRAVELS..
Thats a stranges and itressting place...tnx for the tour
Thank you!! Love going with you. I always learn something!!
Happy New Year to you and your Lady!!!
Interesting content @Aquachigger 💚🏜 The desert is where my heart will always be💯
Hey chigg, you done a video on your military service ? Interesting to hear about it. I understand if you don’t want to. I was in the Royal Navy myself. Loving the content lately, it’s crazy the size of the USA, your distance away from home is basically London to Moscow if not further! That’s mad!
Merry Christmas Chigg!
Maybe the random trash piles are where they actually had a trash bin next to the foot path and tents🤷♀️🤷♀️?? And when they left, they just left the trash bins. If you're finding wires and batteries everywhere, something I think would be useful and take with. Why not just leave the trash, it's labor and time. They left the rocks, so they weren't ordered to leave it like they found it. Lol Also different times too, different circumstances at that time. I love history now. I enjoy watching your exploring videos. Been a fan for at least 4yrs. Bought a Garrett detector, I'm still learning, but it's gotten me out more. Time gets away from me just looking lol. I try to do research on the areas but I'm still learning that too. Not everything is on Google lol #chiggsarmy
Thanks for showing us the tarantula. Yikes! 🕷. And you know I don’t LIEK spiders. LOL! 😉
Interesting little rock pathways. The altar was cool to see.
Peach cans! LOL! “Water Police”…LOL!
Thanks for the tour. You always show us the interesting stuff, I love that.
The Chigg would be a fantastic history or geology teacher. He just captures your attention.
Theirs also an Agua Chigger Next to the Aqua Duck! Seen him with my own eyes! Great Videos Bo, out on the old Tango Tangos. Well Done!
The stone lined pathways is typical Army procedure. I was thinking the ring of stones might represent a place where the soldiers were trained in map and compass navigation with the spokes or rocks might have been the degree lines to take a bearing. Thanks for the hike and tour!
Chigg your morning shadow reminded me of the "Stilt Walker" ... LOL On you way to the sanctuary area did spot a tower it was steal I was thinking it was observation of the war action surprised you did not check it out (OH maybe I was seeing a mirage ... LOL) That washed out rock feature on the east side of the pass was interesting too. Thanks for the early morning walk about. Look forward to your next reveal.
We can't bust heads like we used to. But we have our ways. One trick is to tell stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an ONION TO MY BELT, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. "Gimme five bees for a quarter," you'd say. Now where were we... oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...
Great video. Thanks
At 20:55 I think those are oil change pits. There is one still being used today made during world war 2 in Brenda Arizona for residents of an RV park. They are not very deep, about 2 feet but it gives enough room to make changing oils, or parts easier. There were probably mechanics staying in tents nearby with a small junkyard.
Never thought of that and it makes perfect sense. Thanks.
I watched it again. Just before you walked upon the pit you thought it was strange there was a lot of trash by it. I'm guessing they were parting out jeeps there. Nuts, bolts, and jeep parts ended up lost in the soil.
Stonelined walk paths remind me of MASH...
Being in the Uk I would never get the opportunity to visit this treasure and visit, Thanx buddy 👍
My Dad spent some time out at Iron Mountain teaching artillery math. He was an old man at 26. Yep Tarantulas,, Kangaroo Rats, and Rattlers were some of his memories of the place. Was supposed to go to Africa but ended up with 562 Airborne (Artillery) and jumped on the retake of Corregidor in the Philippines .
The father of my dentist was a yard bull in Salt Lake City. Dentist went to school close to where dad worked. One day dad came and got him out of school and took him with him. Dad says if things start looking badd grab the gun (a .357 mag in glove box) Dad spies who he is looking for, two guys are walking toward him, one with a 2x4 with nails. Guy with 2x4 takes a swing at dad, doc dives for glove box while watching dad. He didn't need to worry, he said with one blow each he cooled these guys.
Part II Down south, east of Bouse Arizona is where Patton had his primary tank training range. Been out to HQ. If you knew where to look you can still see tank tracks
Me again, Ya outta get a drone to scope what is outa sight
The rocks hold the tent flaps down when the rain comes washing through... Helps the tentage stay put... Still do it that way at NTC Ft Irwin...
Great adventure Chigg did you notice that ring of stones with the concrete pillar in the middle is a sun dial,Cheers Merry Christmas and a happy New years!
Looked like a medicine wheel prayer circle like the indians built.
That rod with the ratchet like indentations may be the parking brake handle assy for a Willys MB.
That is a crazy road trip your on man!! Koodos !! On the edge of our seats every step of the way!! Oh man! Don't get blowed up!! 😯
24:21 I believe this may be a part to a jeep parking/emergency brake. It appears to be missing the handle but thats what I think it is.
we used a tent like that in the 1970s when we went camping with the kids!
Very interesting videos. Can't imagine what it was like to train there. Keep up the great work.
Very interesting for sure, thanks…
Thanks for the video. I lived I. Indio for a little over a decade and was aware of this camps existence. Sadly, I never visited.
Merry Christmas Chigg
Same to you!
had a work colleague who had been in the Guards. He and another Sergeant were checking the Barracks one night when an oddly dressed soldier ran from them down the barracks. They gave chase and bounced off the fire escape a the end of the room which the stranger had run through! A few weeks later, they were in the Royal Artillery NCO mess and froze when they saw the same soldier in a painting on the wall. Apparently their barracks had been the Royal Artillery training ground in World War 1, and the soldier had died in training.......... So yes, you may get something 'strange' in those old barracks - just depends on how many died in training I guess!
I was watching WWII in Color on Netflix after watching your last video and saw a clip from a soldier camp in Northern Africa and they had the same rock lined walkways. I thought that was interesting.
I can’t wait to explore the desert
Cool videos Chig!
I was at that alter in the 70s my ant and uncle lived at the Iron mountain pumping plant he knew that area well.
Looked like Bounching Bettie mines could be smoke mines !!! ; )
If I recall, this area was also used in the 70's again, for War games with the Military, prepping in case they had to head to the Middle East around the time of the Iran, and Afganistan issues of the time, too. So, you might have overlaps of different stuff.
Get home to Linsey safe Chigg, Merry Christmas and thank you so much.
Crazy history. My dad trained in Florida. Unit motto? 'A plane a day in Tampa Bay.' B-26's killed a lot of people in early training accidents. He and Mom moved to southern California after the War and never left. He Never saw those desert training grounds before being shipped out- I think? I betcha' they met...
very nice wish you could find pictures of the area with the tents and all bet it looked real cool do you think in mine fields will you find one the wrong way by exploding can this happen i hope not thanks
Chigg
Maybe one day you could do a bit on what classifies a cave as a cave, just wandering, uncle chigg 👉🤘👍
great video.
Yeah tarantula won't bite you unless it's life depends on it. you're way too big for them to wrestle with and they know it, but they are pretty docile .next one you find put your hand down let him walk on you they won't bite you, just be careful don't drop them cuz they break easy. Catch them a cricket because they're not stupid either. if you feed them they're even more docile. They make pretty good pets because their low maintenance and they're fun to watch. I had a Mexican red leg that actually molted and before molting it couldn't climb the glass cage. but as soon as it molted it was beautiful and iridescent and its feet could stick to the glass and It could run right up the glass pretty neat. You could take one home as a pet. they do live very long. Males Live 5 to 10 years females live up to 30 years and crickets are cheap. If you could catch one before you went home it would live long enough in the ride home. Then just go to the pet shop and get some crickets you probably already have a small tank you can make a little terrarium that's all they need and a sponge with some water on it in a little flat cup. And if your house is cold you might want to put a little heater in there, but if your house is warm he'll be okay like I said low maintenance. I think my Mexican red live live for like two years which is normal because you don't know how old they were before you get them and the males can live up to 10 years and the females can live up to 30 years which is amazing for a spider or any insect. The other thing is you got to watch out for the hairs on their back because they have this defensive thing that they do with their back legs and they flick their hiars off of their bum and they're very light so they shoot up into your face and if you inhale them there pretty irritateing. So when they start hissing and flicking their back legs on their bum get your face away from them. they stop doing that after a while usually when their bum is bald LOL and then they'll molt and becomes an iridescent beautiful colored tarantula that's when they're the most I would say perfect. I actually got those tarantula hairs in my nose and it didn't last long it was just itchy for a couple hours. If you're allergic to bee stings don't get one.
I entered the Navy on July 3th. Since they weren;t going to form a training company until the 5th I got to paint the stones at camp Berry on the Great Lakes Naval Training facility. I think stones are there so that they always have "make work" for enlisted.
n, lop
Go stack those stones. Go layout those stones. Go organize those stones. Now go stack those stones this way. Now lay them out this way and on and on and on..........
IF IT ON THE GROUND: PICK IT UP!
IF YOU CANT PICK IT UP: PAINT IT!
IF IT MOVES: SALAUTE IT!
So nice !
Hi Chig, can I make a suggestion ? Now this is just an idea I had that I want to run by you, maybe you might like it. My idea or suggestion is for those times when you are out on foot walking around carrying your camera or phone, whichever it is you use. I was thinking that an external microphone would be beneficial to the audio portion of your video. I know they are a bit pricey, but if the budget will allow for one you might like the results of the audio produced.
Really enjoying this series.
Any chance you could do any of the indian wars ? Black hills area
Such an interesting journey which I am studying on Google Earth as well.
great stuff
have you ever had a scarey experience running into some shadey characters being alone on your adventures chigg?
One time he walked into a weed grow and witnessed a fed bust on other growers lol
The real hookup/link is Patton. #319th bomb group USAAC was attached to his Army. Ground Attack... They blew the crap Outta' Rommel - in late '42 to '43. Thank you for visiting that Site. It matters... Any idea of what He(your dad) did? Flight Ops, Ground crew, A.A., etc? Then I can find his name in the Unit records. Not ALL of those records burned... Heh heh. It all fits. Cool stuff, Man! Thank you & keep it Up. Wish I was there. Cold and snowy here...
I like the cargo rack on your truck. Where did you get that at?
It's just a ladder rack with a few of my own mods. Ordered it online.
Stay safe my friend
Cool video
Chigg,
Looks like around 1959 was when Aluminum cans were started.
The BLM does NOT own that property, we do, but they, in their "wisdom" manage it and like all egotistical bureaucrats, think it's theirs.
Such is life.
I respect our military and how they have saved the world(until now), but the present day military/industrial complex is
a law unto it self.
Cheers,
Rik Spector
my aunt and her husband are retired BLM people , two of the most ignorant people i have met . they retired to the old family farm and were going to show everybody how to do things . pissed of all the neighbors in short order and ruined everything they touched . complete idiots! .nothing the BLM taught them about management worked in real life.
Just before you spotted that black sand I thought that that place looked like it would have gold. Ofcourse I had been watching a prospector channel just before so I'm wanting to see some gold in my hand.
Why do you always look like GI GUMMBI? LOVE IT! UR TG BEST GIGG
Merry Belated Xmas Chigg!!
At 24:15 it looks like a Willys jeep was destroyed there. That steel rod with the notches in it is definitely a parking brake rod from a Willys. There used to be a pull handle on it. Maybe the motor pool area?
Could be. I did not research these camps much before going there as I only learned about them a day or two before.
Weird seeing all the walkways and ornamental rock designs so intact.
Maybe those ratchet polls are from those Magneto boxes with the T handle that you push down to blow up a wired explosive from a distance the wooden T handles are rotting off of them?
That was my 1st thought too
This is so cool 😎
My uncle had a connection at a concrete plant and he used those test plugs to line his driveways at his cabin.
Privates built those paths while officers supervised from a long distance and then took credit for the EMs handiwork.
Some of those holes might also be Tarantula Hawks.
WWII one of the "Pastimes" that 1st Sargeant's had troops doing was aligning and painting rocks.