Preserving US Army Transportation History

Apr 1, 2022 | Defense Transportation Journal, DTJ Online

The Barge Amphibious Resupply Cargo, better known as the BARC (pictured at top), is one of the nearly 100 macro artifacts at the Army Transportation Museum at Fort Eustis, Virginia.  

The Korean War identified the need for an improved amphibious vehicle.  General Frank Besson, a Transportation Legend, advocated for large-capacity vehicles capable of operating in inclement weather.  Pacific Car and Founder Company teamed with LeTourneau Inc. to build the first prototypes in the early 1950s.

The BARC could carry sixty tons, a forty-foot container, or 125 fully equipped service.  Later designs were designated the LARC-LX, (Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo).  The LARC-LX saw service in Vietnam.  The last LARC LXs were retired with the inactivation of the 309th Transportation (LARC LX) Company, 11th Transportation Battalion, on 15 October 2001. 

The US Army Transportation Museum is the only museum dedicated to preserving the history of US Army Transportation.  From horse-drawn wagons of the Revolutionary War to armored vehicles being used today, the story of the Army’s Transportation Corps is told through exhibits, models, and dioramas.  The museum is visited by over 90,000 visitors, students, and historians each year and hosts reunions and military ceremonies to maintain the history and culture of Army Transportation.

The BARC and many of the other, almost 7,000 historic artifacts at the Army Transportation Museum need renovation and preservation.  If you are interested in contributing to this noble effort, please visit www.atmfoundation.org.

By BG Gil Harper, USA (Ret.)

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