Military Vehicle show a boom – literally – for Clay County
Three-day show includes re-enactments, exhibits and blasts from 155mm ‘Long Tom’
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – World War II-era tanks were on the ready along the east end of a battlefield as part of last weekend’s Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s Fall Rally next to the …
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Military Vehicle show a boom – literally – for Clay County
Three-day show includes re-enactments, exhibits and blasts from 155mm ‘Long Tom’
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – World War II-era tanks were on the ready along the east end of a battlefield as part of last weekend’s Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s Fall Rally next to the Military Museum of North Florida.
Moments later, the sky was filled with smoke and ear-shattering noise.
Soldiers, some dressed in the hot olive-green and others wearing Nazi gray, mingled with spectators who were capturing the festivities on their cell phones.
The three-day event was staged at Reynolds Industrial Park, on a site where World War II pilots trained to land on aircraft carriers and runways.
The rally featured about 50 military vehicles from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm wars, including Sherman and Hellcat tanks, two Autocar M15 Halftracks, jeeps, Humvees, troop carriers, ambulances and a German Kubelwagen sedan.
Spectators were allowed to walk through a maze of military vehicles that also came with their war stories.
Along with the five tanks, a 155mm field gun – “Long Tom” – stole the show with several muzzle flashes Friday and Saturday nights. The blasts were so lurid – and convincing – they could be heard 10 miles away on Fleming Island.
The tanks were part of an re-enactments on Saturday and Sunday of a World War II battle. Following a 19-second tank artillery barrage, soldiers marched with the tanks to take out a German bunker.
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