At the time, it was hoped the tank would be completed and shipped to the Collec- tion in time for the twentieth anniversary of the Thunder Runs. Unfortunately, several unexpected events occurred that delayed and put the entire project at risk. Upon A11’s arrival at Aberdeen, it was discov- ered that Sierra Army Depot, without notifying the Collection, had removed the main gun and sent it for rebuild for continued service. Worse, the tank’s “ANSWER TO THIS” name was now gone as well, further damaging the original history of the tank. Though not ideal, Aberdeen was able to source another main gun, and work began on removing hazardous and classified material. By the summer of 2023, A11 only required touch up painting when further issues arose. The Aberdeen employee oversee- ing A11 left his position for another job without passing on the project and without notifying the Collection. By the time contact was reestablished, the fund- ing for A11 had expired and the tank spent the winter of 2023-24 exposed to the ele- ments in a corner lot at Aberdeen, still unfinished.
Faced with these challenges, The Armor & Cavalry Collection made difficult de- cisions to preserve A11. First, it was determined that A11 would need to be fully repainted. With the tank’s main gun replaced and exposure to winter elements at Aberdeen, repainting will be required to prevent further corrosion issues and return A11 to its 2003 appearance. Second, because of the number of delays and issues that occurred, it was decided to ship A11 from Aberdeen in “as is” con- dition and conduct work in the Collec- tion’s own restoration shop. With this course of action selected, A11 finally left Aberdeen for the Collection in July 2024. Upon arrival, it was immediately placed in one of the restoration shop’s bays, the first time the tank had been indoors since before the Thunder Runs.
Preserving Armor History for the Future The arrival of A11 to the Armor & Cavalry Collection is the culmination of fifteen years of effort, but there is much more work to be done to preserve the tank properly. With the support of the National Armor & Cavalry Heritage Foundation, an eighteen-month plan has been mapped out.
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Task Force 1-64 Armor in a desert lager prior to the invasion. A11 is in center.
A11 in the field during Operation Desert Spring
The M1A1 tanks of First Platoon, A Compa- ny, 1-64 Armor prior to the invasion. A11’s original nickname marking, “ANSWER TO THIS,” can be seen on the gun tube.
First Lieutenant Robert Ball in the commander’s hatch of A11.
First, research is being conducted to re- cord and measure the original markings on A11. While most of the APS-5 and tactical marking stenciling is still visible, some have faded away due to environ- mental exposure over the last 21 years. Furthermore, the tank is covered in num- erous smaller markings as it went through inspections and storage at Sierra Army Depot. There are also several examples of combat damage on the tank. These will
be preserved and left unrepaired during the restoration as they tell the story of the tank. Once this information is recorded, A11 will be repainted, and the proper 2003 markings will be recreated. At this point, A11 will be presentable for display, but work will continue to replicate the theater -made storage rack extensions and then finally dress the tank out with correct items like spare parts, camouflage nets, rations, and crew items. With our own
CAVALRY & ARMOR JOURNAL Fall 2024
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