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Army to mark 70th Anniversary of Transportation Corps
WHAT STATE IS THE FORT IN???
The first three words say “FORT EUSTIS, Va”
This is all well and good, but recent developments in the Army are to abolish the branches of Ordnance, Quartermaster, Transportation and Chemical, and combine them into a Support Services Branch. So, if the Transportation Corps is marking its 70th birthday, it may be its last milestone. Already the Army is combining Ordnance and QM by moving the Ordnance schools and museum from Aberdeen Proving Ground to Fort Lee, VA heretofore the home of Quartermaster. The Transportation Corps was an offshoot of QM, and was largely established with troops seen as unfit for frontline duty. Over the years neither QM nor Transportation units were highly regarded, although Ordnance was. Now they will all be “mushed” into a single branch of service with no traditions or real reputation.
One can only wonder why there is any hooplah about this anniversary in a shrinking and steadily less-colorful Army.
Excellent! When I enlisted in 1958 I wanted to join the TC’s Military Railway Service. The recruiting sergeant flat-out nixed that and put me in air defense missile maintenance instead. No regrets, but I still wonder how military railroading might have turned out for me.
Spent two weeks of Army Reserve summer training in August 1956 at Eustis, after an eight week stint as a gandy dancer with D&H out of Mechanicville, NY. Spent a few hours in familiarization walk throughs of various pieces of railroad equipment, and many hours on the “Front Gate & Back” - the training run. Did the two week tour with 729th TC Bn (RWY operating), mostly New Haven RR folks. Stood inspection on a Saturday so that the CEO from a midwest RR, (MoPac?) who was a Brigadier General in the Army Reserve, could walk through our barracks and say a few words. An interesting time.
Vietnamchoochoo
Fort Eustis is next door to Yorktown, VA just up from Chesapeake Bay. The Museum is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. It’s been a few years since I was there, but I recall they had a WWII Jeep converted to a railcar (I think they could move a typical 4-wheeled French boxcar with it), and a steam train from Germany that was used to transport people from West Germany through East Germany to West Berlin.