Trivia 4-26-17 Gettysburg Tree

[lelliott19]

The "Eisenhower Memorial Pine Tree" was planted in 1954 to honor Dwight D Eisenhower and marks the site of Camp Colt, birthplace of the Tank Corps of the US Army. Camp Colt was established in 1917, and opened at Gettysburg National Military Park in March, 1918 as the first post to train soldiers to use tanks during World War I. The main section of the camp was in the fields made famous 55 years before, by Pickett's Charge. The commander of Camp Colt was Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower would earn the rank of Major, and the Distinguished Service Medal for his efforts at Camp Colt.

What was unusual about its planting? The tree was planted using a pound of soil from each state. As the national adjutant of the Tank Corps Association called the roll of states and described where each pound of soil was obtained, members of the association from the various states came forward to place the soil around the tree. http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/error-camp-colt-marker/

 

[JOHN42768]

The marker we want to show you was dedicated to a World War I era tank post called Camp Colt. We first visited the marker to Camp Colt in 2008. It's located under this pine tree along the Emmitsburg Road. The pine tree goes along with the marker. When it was dedicated, the men from the World Wars Tankers Assocation called it the "Eisenhower Memorial Pine Tree." Camp Colt, Dedicated to the Tank Corp. from 1917 WW1 to present. The unusual point is the wrong date is entered on the marker

 

[ErnieMac]

A training camp for US soldiers was established in May, 1917, shortly after the American entry into WWI. The following year the camp was named Camp Colt and was used as the first training site for the Tank Corps under the command of Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower. The camp was closed after the War, but camp veterans held reunions at the site beginning in 1932. At the 1954 reunion the Pine Tree was planted.

Edit - I don't see an answer to the part of the question that asked what was unusual about the planting.

Hoosier

 

[DBF]

In the sentence "they used soil from the 48 states" , I should have added " in the planting of the pine tree", so my answer is clearer does not muddy the water (so to speak).

 

[GELongstreet]

The establishment of Camp Colt at the spot of its headquarters; where the original Tank Corps had trained for World War I under command of then-Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower. I think the unusual thing might be that it was planted directly beside a marker (which btw contains an error).

 

[sarladaise]

The pine tree was planted to commemorate Camp Colt, established 1917 as the first post to train soldiers
to use tanks during WWI. It's main section was in the fields of Pickett's Charge. The tree-planting took
place during a reunion of WW Tankers Association in August 1954 at Eisenhower's HQ, then commander
of Camp Colt, where each of the 48 states as well as Alaska and Hawaii contributed a pound of soil from
a battlefield . A marker commemorating this event was placed beneath the tree.

 

[JOHN42768]

Additionally it is unusual to have an honorary other then a Civil War battle, state or person that were involved in the Civil War. This has no direct connection.

 

[FarawayFriend]

With only limited time on the internet while on the cruise ship I guess the answer is Camp Colt, a training facility for Tank Corps recruit training.

UnfortunateI will lose signal any second so the second part of the question will escape me.
Good luck everybody!

 

[amweiner]

The Memorial Pine Tree was planted at the site of Dwight Eisenhower's HQ for Camp Colt, a tank training center first established in 1917. The tree was planted with great ceremony in 1954 at a reunion (which Eisenhower did not attend), and one of the things that makes it unusual is that soil from all 48 states (pre-AK and HI) was used in its planting. Another unusual aspect is that the accompanying marker has the wrong date for Eisenhower's inauguration.
http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/error-camp-colt-marker/

 

[hoosier]

The pine tree was commemorating the establishment of Camp Colt, a training facility for tanks established during the First World War. The United States' involvement in that war began in 1917. The tree was planted in 1954, by which time the commander of Camp Colt, one Dwight Eisenhower, had become President of the United States.

There may be a number of answers to the question of what was so unusual about its planting. My guess is that the desired answer is the fact that the plaque placed next to the tree misidentifies the date of Eisenhower's inauguration, stating that he was inaugurated on Jan. 2, 1953, when in fact he was inaugurated on Jan. 20 of that year.

 

[ami]

Answer. The Pine Tree was commemorating Camp Colt, a WWI tank training site commanded by no other than Dwight Eisenhower.

The Pine Tree was planted using soil from each of the 48 states in 1954.

http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/a-correction-and-camp-colt/

Edit - The fact that soil from each of the 48 states was used is probably the best answer to the part of the question that asked what was unusual about the planting.

However, the only place where this fact appears in the link presented in support of the official answer is on the photograph of the marker, and the incorrect date of Eisenhower's inauguration appears in that same photograph.

Therefore, I will also accept as a correct answer the fact that the marker shows the incorrect date.

Hoosier