By 1942, the US Army had established multiple training facilities in the desert southwest. Within months the army would land in North Africa and it would be critical for the armored units to have real desert experience. A series of these training camps would dot the Mojave Desert through much of the eastern California. One of the more active camps would be Camp IBIS. Camp IBIS would host a variety of armored units associated with the 11th Armored Division.
In the late Summer and Fall of 1942, it was not unusual for squadrons of Lee-Grant and Stuart tanks to criss-cross the desert area around Camp IBIS. Many a US tanker would recall their training when they finally found themselves in Tunisia facing the veterans of the Afrika Korps.
Camps like IBIS would continue to train future tankers until the end of the war.
Camp IBIS was located in one of the more remote regions of the Mojave Desert and was adjacent to the Dead Mountain Wilderness. An area with a long history of unusual occurrences.
The Mojave Indians had been in the area for a century or more and the Dead Mountain Wilderness was a place of ancient burial grounds. It was considered sacred land and only tribal Shamans would journey there to seek wisdom from their ancestors.
For the average Mojave, the area was a source of dread. Tales of strange creatures akin to the Navajo Skin Walkers were attributed to the area and it was said among the Mojave that the dead walked the desert floor at night.
The Mojave had warned US Army Contractors that the Dead Mountain Wilderness was sacred to them and should be avoided if at all possible. With so much desert to work with, the US Army agreed and performed its various exercises to the south of the Dead Mountain Wilderness.
Over time, with so many young men in the camp, it was inevitable that some would venture into the off-limits area to see what Indian relics they could find. MP's did their best to keep the young recruits out of the area, but a few intrepid souls ventured out at night to explore. Without fail, they would return frightened out of their minds by encounters with creatures and "dead Indians". At first, these stories would be laughed at as the men were assigned KP duties for having gone into off-limit areas. But eventually, the frequency of the same stories would lead the camp commander to enforce a very serious ban into the area. Transgressors were not only punished but transferred out of the camps with some actually being imprisoned at Ft. Leavenworth.
As more stringent measures were employed, the unauthorized visits into the Dead Mountain Wilderness ceased. And for a time, the ghosty stories began to fade as the recruits came and went from Camp IBIS.
But despite the best intentions...it would prove impossible to prevent an accidental excursion into the Dead Mountain Wilderness. On August 13th, 1943- a squadron of Stuart Tanks accompanied by a Lee-Grant Tank and three half-tracks of armored infantry had gone out on a long range patrol exercise. Poor map reading skills would cause the group to become disoriented and instead of heading south, they had headed north and as they did so, the sun began to set. As it set, they realized their error and made for the hills directly to the west. Behind these hills was Camp IBIS and home.
But as they headed for the west, it became pitch black in the desert and the vehicles were all low on fuel. Then in the darkness...strange sights and sounds began to occur around the small column. Weird Indian chants and guttural growls filled the desert night. What happened next would be classified to this very day. What is known is that something terrifying occurred and as the sun came up the next morning...only a single tank with terrified men clinging to it arrived back at the camp. The remaining men estimated at over 50 would never be seen or accounted for again.
Here below is the only publicly released document pertaining to the incident. All other possible documents relating to Mojave Madness are still classified Top Secret with no future expiration date for that status.
Camp IBIS is deserted today and the approaches to the Dead Mountain Wilderness are closed to the public..ostensibly to protect sacred Indian Land and archaeology.
Only the Mojave Indians know what truly lives in the Dead Mountain Wilderness and they are keeping the story to themselves.
This Grumble Jones Halloween Scenario GJ075 - Mojave Madness will be available in October.
Will you survive the desert night?
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