Escapees November-December 2022

skp stops

Traveling east of Palm Springs, Califor nia, along Interstate 10, through Indio and onward about 30 miles, will bring you to Chiriaco Summit. Dramatic and stark desert landscape goes hundreds of miles in each direction, but an oasis of history and tradition can be found at the General George S. Patton Memorial Museum. T his compact, but inclusive museum focuses on the life and times of one of America’s most famed Army generals. For World War II buffs, the museum is a treasure trove of memorabilia, exhibits and photos and its gift shop provides a good collection of books and mementos. At fi rst impression, it’s easy to ask, why this desolate location for the museum? The reason is that the area was home to Camp Young, a vast, desert training area that readied soldiers for battle in North Africa against German General Rommel and his troops. General George Smith Patton, Jr. had been serving as commander of the Army’s First Corps and was ordered to locate, establish and command a training center that would prepare troops for desert warfare. His staff was sent in March, 1942, to survey the area that was to become Camp Young. Patton realized that the terrain and location would be ideal for the training center and armored combat practice, so he established the desert training center later that same month near Shavers Summit, now known as Chiriaco Summit. Camp Young was named in honor of General Samuel Young, the fi rst US Army Chief of Staff. Almost at once, troops began arriving at the huge area of camps in California, Arizona and Nevada, where 20 divisions prepared for war in Europe and Africa. The other camps in the region were named Bouse, Clipper, Coxcomb, Granite, Horn, Hyder, Iron Mountain, Ibis, Laguna, Pilot Knob, and Rice. Camp Young’s mission focused on infantry and tank unit training for the soldiers destined for desert warfare in North Africa. With temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 120 degrees F., the men and women posted to Camp Young had to cope with a place with little water, sparse vegetation, dust storms, high winds and a terrain that ranged from sea level to over 7,000 feet. The training center ultimately covered an area 350 miles wide and 250 miles long. Known as the Califor nia-Arizona Maneuver Area, it consisted of Patton’s administrative headquarters at Camp Young, plus 10 other “tent cities” that were also home to tanks, repair shops, hospitals, aviation facilities and anti-aircraft and fi eld artillery units.

The exterior of The General George S. Patton Museum is dominated by a larger-than-life statue of the General, with his faithful dog Willie by his side. SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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November/December 2022 ESCAPEES Magazine