Army 2nd Armored Division tank crew (watch the film’s trailer at top). Why are we bringing this up now? Because recently, Tankers, GijOE fans and amateur military historians have all begun to discuss the impending release of a new “tank-centric” motion picture called, “ Fury,” which depicts the WWII exploits of a battle-hardened U.S. Not surprisingly then, films about tanks are almost invariably larger than life, exciting- and FUN.īattle of the Bulge (1965), starring film icon Henry Fonda was good-but not great. Wherever they’re deployed, tanks often prove to be THE deciding factor between a battlefield victory-or ignominious defeat. Many Tankers are also big military history buffs that can wax rhapsodic for hours about WWII’s Montgomery and Patton, recount battlefield strategies, the proper deployment of tanks during a “Blitzkrieg,” the rise and fall of Rommel’s vaunted Afrika Korps, clashes between SS Panzer Divisions and Russian Red Army T-34s at Stalingrad and Kursk, the pivotal Battle of the Bulge, the use of tanks in the Pacific theater against Japan, North Korea, North Vietnam, and most recently, in Iraq and Afghanistan. From the smallest Kettenkrad tractor to the largest modern Abrams M1A2 (and everything else in-between) their knowledge- is unassailable.
We’re referring, of course, to those ardent armor aficionados appropriately (and affectionately) known as, “Tankers.” If you’ve never heard of, or used this particular appellation before, Tankers are those zealous individuals who can accurately recite the names, weaponry, and firepower stats of practically anything heavily armored or tracked. Tank (1984), starring James Garner was an enjoyable “tank fantasy.” (Photo: IMDb)Īmong the vast pantheon of GIjOE collectors, there’s a die-hard subset of fans who also know a great deal about military history and the mighty armored tanks that command such a prominent role on the battlefield.
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