Tucked behind the main gate of Camp Roberts near San Miguel sits what the curator calls the largest Army museum complex in the western United States.
The Camp Roberts Historical Museum spans two buildings and a sprawling vehicle annex, housing more than four decades of collected and donated history.
Camp Roberts opened in 1941, built in just nine months by 9,000 construction workers. It’s named for Corporal Harold Roberts, a 22-year-old from San Francisco who volunteered as a tank driver in World War I. During the Argonne Offensive, the bloodiest battle in American history, his tank plunged into a flooded artillery crater. He made a split-second choice.
“Couldn't back it out, water rushing in. Before they both drowned, he pushed his fellow crewmate out and he drowned in doing so,” explained Gary McMaster, Camp Roberts Historical Museum Curator.
Roberts was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and today, Camp Roberts is the only major Army installation named for a non-commissioned officer.
At its peak, the base trained nearly half a million soldiers for World War II and a quarter million more for Korea. It also drew some of Hollywood’s biggest names, such as Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, even Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who performed for crowds of up to 20,000 troops at the on-base Soldier Bowl Amphitheater.
Take a tour of the Camp Roberts Historical Museum:
“The military is what’s kept this country free over the years, so I think it's an important time to recognize the military and give thanks," McMaster said.
Unlike many museums, this one encourages visitors to touch, even climb inside tanks, helicopters, and self-propelled howitzers.
The museum is run entirely by volunteers and funded through private donations. It’s normally free to the public and open every Thursday and Saturday, but right now, a heightened security level has temporarily closed the base itself to the general public.
It’s the first time in 40 years the museum has had to shut down, but they hope to open again soon.
Check the Camp Roberts Historical Museum website for updates on its reopening and visiting hours.
