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From tanks to dune buggies

In my quest to find the lesser-known Quartzsite, I have been picking the brains of people who have been coming here for years.

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One person told me of “Patton’s tanks”.   Apparently southern California and parts of western Arizona were used by General Patton to train soldiers the skills of desert warfare with tanks, in the WW II era.   I picked up Mike, Tracy, and Jim and we headed up the Plomosa Road to see if we could find them.

We were thinking we’d find a rusting old hulk of a tank abandoned in the desert somewhere, but the only ones we spotted were on display in the center of the little town of Bouse, about 20 miles from Quartzite to the northeast.   There are a few plaques there commemorating the heroic exploits of the 739th tank battalion, the 554th ordnance heavy maintenance company (tank mechanics), the 701st tank battalion, the 740th tank battalion, and other companies organized out of Camp Bouse.   No mention of Patton at all.

quartzsite-plomosa-rd-dips.jpgThe drive over wasn’t a waste at all.   The history of these tank battalions was interesting (lots of action in Europe during WWII), and Plomosa Rd from Rt 95 to Bouse reveals a lot of great boondocking spots.   This is a boondocker’s paradise, in fact, if you want to get away from crowds.   Nearly all of it is BLM land with free camping for up to 14 days, and there are primitive   roads that will get you into some very secluded and lovely desert spots.

Along the way we spotted these rocks with natural “windows” eroded into them by the wind.   Mike and I couldn’t resist, so we pulled over and hiked about 1/4 mile to them, then climbed to the top and cooled off in the strong breeze through the window.

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The “window”; Mike lays in the window to take a photo  

Back in Quartzsite, Mike showed me a hidden neighborhood where people have been creating “glass gardens”. The owners of the houses weren’t home, so I couldn’t ask how they got started.   Several of these gardens exist in Quartzsite, and you might find one if you hunt around carefully.

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People are doing all sorts of things here, but you’ve got to look beyond the many flea markets and swap meets to find them.   For example, I keep seeing these crazy dune buggy enthusiasts on- and off-road.   They look like something out of the movie “Mad Max” and they seem to be having a lot of fun.

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I also browsed yet another flea market in the afternoon.   No doubt about it, this is an off year.   Everyone’s business is slow.   The question is whether this is a fluke caused by the recent spikes in fuel prices, or a trend?   There’s evidence that it’s a trend caused by some political and economic changes happening in Quartzsite, but it’s too soon to be sure.

quartzsite-jim-cooking.jpgMy last stop this evening was over at Jim’s place.   He invited over a few other Airstreamers for pad thai, which means I got another interview in addition to a free dinner. (By the way, the Trader Joe’s pad thai dinner is darned good.)

The other Airstream guests have been coming to Quartzsite for 13 years, so they had some good information for me about how this place is changing.   I hope to catch up with them at their trailer tomorrow to get pictures of them in it.   They’ll make interesting photographic subjects — that’s all I’ll say.

I think I have almost all the material I need for my article.   One more day of research ought to do it.   I’ve got a couple of appointments   on Tuesday, and then I’ll head out on Wednesday.

Solar report:   at 8 a.m., batteries were -68 amps.   At 4   p.m. power was – 35 amps, for a net gain of 33 amps today.   That’s a little less than yesterday despite equally sunny skies, because I used some power during the day for the laptop.   Still, I’m about holding steady. I can have a blow-out night tomorrow, with lots of lights and web surfing if I want to, since I’m leaving on Wednesday anyway.

6 Responses to “From tanks to dune buggies”

  1. Mike Young Says:

    During WWII my father was in the 8th Infantry Division (“Pathfinders”) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where owing to a lack of equipment they trained with broom sticks. Apparently the training was adequate enough for the task of securing the coast from attacks by German U-boats.

    The 8th was so successful that it was sent to Tennessee and then to Missouri for further training. Then, with the war stalling in North Africa, the 8th was sent to the Mohave Desert to train for desert tank and anti-tank operations. Well, the North African campaign ended before the 8th could be sent into battle so their mission was changed to river crossing missions with the Rhine as the ultimate target. My father has very funny stories about endlessly crossing and recrossing the Colorado River and the silliness of military life in the desert.

    The 7th Infantry Division also trained in the Mohave Desert for the same missions. Unlike the 8th that always seemed to be late to the party, the 7th was deployed to counter the Japanese threat in the Aleutian Islands. From the Mohave Desert to Attu and Kiska Islands. No wonder so many died from the elements rather than from combat. War may be hell, but it is often made even more so by the stupidity of its commanders.

  2. Margaret Reed Says:

    My father was in the 701st Tank battalion, he did train in the deserts, and
    Patton was there for a time, he spoke to my father about having his tanks
    all lined up in a row….”Lt. is this the way you plan on fighting overseas?”

    Needless to say my dad moved his tanks….

  3. Donna Tudor Says:

    My father was in the 701st Tank Battalion too and has vivid memories of the journey from Kentucky to Bouse to England to Utah Beach and to The Battle of the Bulge where he was wounded. He is still alive at 86. We are blessed to have him. Both our parents live in Orlando. They have gone to the 701 Tank Battalion reunions in the past. They still keep in touch with a few of them. I am intrigued more and more by the heroes of WWII and their stories. Thank God for them. Is your father still alive?

  4. Darcy Stewart Says:

    My father is Carl Stewart and was a Master/Tech Sergeant in the 701st Maintenance Company and trained in the desert around Bouse two different times — one while attached to the 741st and then later with the 701st. He remembers a lot of the desert maneuvers and we have found some of his landmarks on the map. He remembers when Carol Lombard’s plane went down about 4 or 5 miles from where they trained (but not while they were there). He is now 90 and is in remarkably good shape. He has attended quite a few 741st and 701st reunions.

  5. Joseph Vormittag C/O James W. McQuillan 701st Tank BN Says:

    Hello everyone, my grandfather, James W. McQuillan was in the 701st Tank BN, he was in Bouse, then England, then France, and Germany. He is 85 years old, and in great shape! He has told me alot about when he was in the Army, about the ” Gizmo’s” (the lights which were mounted on the Lee/Grant tank, designed for night fighting in the desserts of Africa), about his time in Bouse, and Europe. He attended several of the 701 Reunions as well. If anyone would like to contact me, or him, my E-mail is: Joe5220@yahoo.com Put 701st Tank BN in the Subject, so i dont think its spam.

  6. Greg Bohm Says:

    Greetings to all-
    My father, Staff Sgt Fred W Bohm, was in the 701st-I believe in the Service Company. He had originally been in the 741st Tank BN and was transferred to the 701st when it was formed.
    My father passed away in 1979 and I am just starting to research his WWII service for my family archives. I have some documents and pictures that my father saved, as well as the recollections of our conversations prior to his death.
    Hopefully we can share information to the benefit of all.
    About 10 years ago I met a veteran of the the 741st (who has since passed away) and attended one of their reunions. I was not aware that the 701st had an association until I just read about it in the postings above
    Please feel free to e-mail me at: gb6355@yahoo.com
    Thank you