This story was originally published by the Ledger-Enquirer.
Tucked away on base at Fort Moore inside a large warehouse-like building rests a unique feature of the history of war in the world.
The U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection sports 200 pieces including rows of tanks, a Cobra helicopter, and various other cavalry vehicles spanning over a century.
These hulking tanks date all the way back to World War I and come from countries around the globe such as Italy, Germany, Russia, and various other countries. Walking past each, one might not sense the history that is stowed within the steel walls of these historic vehicles.
As patrons walk in, they are greeted by the Mark IV tank from World War I wearing red and white paint on the side. It was a tank made by the British but used by Americans.
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
Robert Cogan, Curator of the Armor & Cavalry Collection, told the Ledger-Enquirer the unique history behind the tank.
During one battle during World War I the tank was hit by German gunfire that knocked it out after clearing multiple machine gun nests. Two of the 11 crew members onboard were killed and seven were wounded.
The two who remained unharmed helped evacuate the crew. Afterwards, the two remaining soldiers grabbed two machine guns from the tank and went on foot to clear the German trenches and survived. The two soldiers earned Distinguished Service Crosses for their actions.
Now, people can still admire and learn the history about these behemoths through the work of those who restore these mechanical beasts at Fort Moore.
Robert Barlow, the museum specialist restoration shop manager at Fort Moore, breathes life back into the tanks in the collection on base. Barlow, a former aviator for the army who piloted scout helicopters, used to restore aircraft at the Army Aviation Museum in Fort Novosel in Alabama.
“This job came open and it seemed perfect and I took it. That’s been about three and a half years ago,” said Barlow.
“You want to restore something that’s going to be around for a long time,” he said. “You hope that people take away something from it.
Barlow told the Ledger-Enquirer his job is fun and said, “You get to play with tanks all day.”
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
Barlow said there’s a certain amount of humility in the tanks they restore that have seen action.
“People actually lived in those things and sometimes breathed their last in them,” he said. “So, you got to think about that. You can’t be cavalier about it.”
Barlow said it takes a lot of preparation to restore these tanks and that sometimes the tanks aren’t in the best condition. Sometimes the tanks coming into their shop may be missing several components, which then brings up the question as to how to replace those parts.
Barlow said he wants to keep everything as authentic as possible without using fabricated replica parts when possible.
Attention to detail goes in restorations
Right now, he’s working on a M3A3 Stuart tank from World War II with authentic spare parts from the era on shelves nearby in the original packaging.
The team restoring these tanks wants to get everything as accurate as possible and researches the history of each tank when it’s available. They even work to replicate the exact paint color and markings the tank would’ve had back when it was in action.
Another hassle the crew can run into is the weight of the parts for some of these vehicles. “Everything you deal with is heavy,” Barlow said.
Barlow said the volunteers that help him with these tanks are indispensable.
“I absolutely could not do it without them,” said Barlow. “I could not do my job; I would’ve quit long ago if I didn’t have volunteers to help me.”
Credit: Mike Haskey
Credit: Mike Haskey
The M3A3 tank Barlow and crew are currently working on weighs around 19 tons with one of the heaviest tanks in the collection weighing nearly 95 tons.
That tank is the experimental American T28 super-heavy tank that currently sits in the museum’s collection making other nearby tanks seem small in comparison.
The tank features a 105 millimeter barrel with two sets of tracks on both sides of the tank to support the immense weight.
Despite the difficulties that can arise in working with these machines, Barlow drives over two hours each way from Enterprise, Ala. to Fort Moore to do his job.
Barlow said, “I like doing this, or I wouldn’t be doing this.”
The collection is typically closed off to the general public because of its purpose as a teaching collection. However, periodically the collection does open their doors to the public to come see the collection.
The collection will be open for public visitation this year on the following dates, according to the collection’s Facebook page:
- April 27-28
- July 13
- September 7
- November 2
- December 14
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
Credit: Ledger-Enquirer
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