Old Blood & Guts – The Patton Museum

Fort Knox is the home of the 1st Armored Division and hosts the Patton Museum, honoring General George Patton who lead the Seventh Army in WWII.

WWII soldiers would say of General Patton, “There goes old Blood & Guts – our blood and his guts.”

Fort Knox is a huge Army base, encompassing over 100,000 acres, and home to the 1st Armored tank division. Because General Patton was a famed commander of tanks in WWII, his museum is located here.

The Patton Museum is free and now has a separate entrance from the base. In years past, visitors had to undergo a rigorous security clearance just to visit the museum. Now you can bypass the main checkpoint.

I’m not going to give you a history lesson, because frankly I don’t know a lot about Patton’s military campaigns, and the museum seemed a little slim on information. (Tim says that I just didn’t take the time to read everything.)  There’s a big assumption here that you already know Patton’s reputation, so I’m glad my dad came along to fill in the details.

Some interesting personal effects were on display, like the General’s famous pearl-handled pistols.

General Patton designed a lot of uniforms because he hated the short-waisted jacket that was standard issue. He had a chest full of medals, bestowed on him from all the European countries that he liberated from the Nazis.

Patton was destined to be a military leader. He attended both VMI and West Point. He was also an Olympian in the 1912 games, finishing fifth in the modern pentathlon which included fencing, shooting, and horsemanship.

As you might expect, much of the Patton Museum is devoted to tanks and the accruements of the armored division.

There’s plenty of weapons and spoils of war on exhibit, too.

Patton died from an auto accident a few months after the war ended, when his Cadillac limousine collided with an American army truck in Germany.  That armored car is on display.

Outside the Patton museum is an original WWII Army barracks you can tour.

There’s also a lineup of tanks outside. My dad explained the progression of technology on display, from the early clumsy models up to the final design of the big Sherman tanks that were used at the end of WWII.

It was a nice day of touring around military stuff. The Patton Museum is definitely worth the admission price (free).

And if you need a personal tour guide, my dad is available!