Bouse, Arizona: Secret Armored Military Tribute

The tanks and monuments are located in the center of town, on a very dusty road. Lots of different placards from different organizations. If you are a WWII buff, this is a nice place to stop for some history that most have never heard of.

Camp Bouse was one of ten camps established by George Patton to train US Army Armored units in the early days of WWII. There are several memorials to units that were stationed there, and also an M60 tank and a mobile howitzer donated by the Patton Museum at Chiriaco Summit, CA.

In the days before World War II, a British naval commander got the idea that a very bright light could confuse enemy tanks at night. He sold the idea to the British War Office, who shared it with the Americans. In 1942-43 a secret camp was established in Bouse to test this theory. The Americans found the light lacking (they were using it wrong) and scrapped the project.

They then swore everyone who knew about it to secrecy for the next 50 years.

Bouse's role in WWII was finally recognized in 2002 with a number of plaques and a couple of Cold War tanks parked by the side of the road. Also: local lore says that General George Patton slept across the street in the A&C Mercantile store.