Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Military Vehicles

Most common vehicles in the historic military vehicle (HMV) hobby have at least three types of filters to protect their engines and other mechanical components: oil filters, air filters, and fuel filters. In Military Vehicles Magazine issue no. 205, we learned how to service and maintain oil filters (“Bypass or Full Flow: Servicing Your HMV Oil Filter,” pp. 22-27, October 2019). This article will deal with air filters. Some vehicle service and maintenance tasks are so mundane, boring, or dirty that we often neglect them. Examples are lube jobs, checking and/or changing the gear oil in transmissions, transfer cases and axles, and draining, flushing, and renewing engine coolant, as well as brake fluid. Ironically, while these chores can be dirty, and boring, relatively simple maintenance do the most for keeping…

“Pershing Pulling” is how PS Magazine described the role of the M656 5-ton cargo truck. Other than during prototype testing, the 8x8 truck was never going to brave the surf driving off a landing craft, be airdropped into battle, or run at high speed across some distant desert. Instead, it was destined to haul the Pershing 1-A guided ballistic missile on the back roads in Germany. Unfortunately, this high-tech thoroughbred truck was put out to pasture way before its time. Developed from scratch and built to military specifications by Ford Motor Company in the 1960s, the truck was prematurely designated the standard Army 5-ton cargo truck. There had been a lot of attention paid to performance, fording and swimming, high mobility off road, minimal maintenance, and maximize reliability. These were…

In mid-September 2019, Sergeant Robert J. Contini, New York Army National Guard joined French reenactors in the Parroy Forest in the Province of Lorraine, France. The French were dedicating memorials to honor those American soldiers who sacrificed their lives to liberate the area 75 years ago. The monuments honor the fallen of the 79th Infantry Division, the 749th Tank Battalion, the 773th Tank Destroyer Battalion and the 106th Cavalry Group. Robert was there to sound Taps. Depicting US troops, the French reenactors traveled from as far away as Toulouse and brought a variety of WWII vehicles that included several MBs, a WC-57 Command Car, WC-51 and WC-62 troop carriers, and some CCKW cargo trucks. The crowd-pleasers, though, were a half-track with an operational quad-fifty and a Willys Jeep in French…

Military Vehicles Magazine named 2020 the “Year of Military General Motors.” We invite you to share photos and stories of your General Motors military vehicle, whether a Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, Pontiac, GMC, or other GM subsidiary. Send high-resolution photos of your military General Motors vehicle for us to share in the magazine, on Facebook, and maybe even in our annual calendar. Send to jadams-graf@aimmedia.com or mail to: MVM/ YOGM, John Adams-Graf, 901 Fourth St., Suite 50, Hudson, Wisc. 54016 Steve Keith wrote, “On the right is my 1943 CCKW-353 that I have owned for 40 years. I paid $500 for it and have driven it for over 60,000 miles since then! It has a steel cargo body and a rare M32 gun mount sporting a replica .50 cal MG. This truck…

After I pushed the final button, I wasn’t completely sure what I had done. Maybe I could blame it on “chemobrain” from my health-related treatments. Regardless, I had just placed an online bid on surplus military vehicle. Though it took just a moment to hit “enter,” it was the beginning of a long journey. EARLY URGES In the fall of 1995, I realized my 1973 Ford pickup was on its last legs. We needed a different truck. About that time, my wife, Sundi, had become enamored of the newly-available-to-the-public civilian model of the military HMMWV, the Hummer. While on a quest for a new vehicle, she demanded we look at the “local” Hummer dealer — a mere 225 miles off. So being relatively newly wed, down the road we went…

On the grounds of the Motorama Museum and nestled in a wooded clearing near the Eau Claire River outside the small town of Aniwa (18 miles east of Wausau), the Wisconsin Military Show held its third annual show. Located on dozens of Northwoods acreage, it offers riverfront camping, several miles of trails, a European-type forest setting for reenactors, a pond for floating amphibious vehicles, designated show and swap grounds, a food court, shade trees and Wisconsin’s largest auto museum, all within 600 feet or so of the main hall. Shuttles from parking provided easy access for the several thousand visitors. Another shuttle team ferried large purchases back to the parking lot. The organizers emphasize that, by far, the show’s number one goal is to increase awareness and funding for the…

Military Vehicles Magazine welcomes correspondence from readers. Letters and e-mail must include a name and regular mail return address. Published letters reflect the opinions of the writers. Military Vehicles Magazine reserves the right to edit all letters for clarity, brevity, and other purposes. Address all correspondence to: Editor, Military Vehicles Magazine, 5225 Joerns Drive, Suite 2, Stevens Point, WI 54481, or e-mail to: jadams-graf@aimmedia.com. NOT ALL M37s ARE “OD IN THE DARK!” Editor’s Note: Benjamin Franklin once quipped, “All cats are gray in the dark.” Well, I will alter that for my defense, “All M37s look alike on deadline day!” In the December 2019 issue of MVM, I published a photo of an M37 with a caption about a different truck! Here is the truck I had INTENDED to print:…

I am the proud owner of a 1968 American General M35A2. I want to share a rather strange occurrence that occurred after going to a car show that was a benefit for the Wounded Warriors Project. To date, I have not participated in a military vehicle show. I have, however, participated in quite a few regular car and truck shows. When I arrived at the Wounded Warrior show, my friend Vinnie was taking pictures of all the entrants as they stood alongside their vehicle. After Vinnie had taken my picture, I gave him my email address and asked him to send me a copy. A few days letter, I received an email from him with the picture attached. As I looked over the picture (which I thought was really nice),…

The Marine Corps ’ Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is officially ready to deploy and support missions of the naval expeditionary force-in-readiness worldwide. Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Combat Development and Integration declared the JLTV program — part of the Light Tactical Vehicle portfolio at Program Executive Officer Land Systems — reached initial operational capability, or IOC, on Aug. 2, nearly a year ahead of schedule. “Congratulations to the combined JLTV Team for acting with a sense of urgency and reaching IOC early,” said Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts. “Changing the speed in which we deliver, combined with coming in under cost and meeting all performance requirements, is a fine example of increasing Marine Corps capabilities at the speed of relevance which enables our…

Responding to the demand for light, versatile vehicles that could be equipped with a variety of weapon systems for the modern battlefield, the Strasbourg-based company LOHR unveiled the VPX 5000 at the 1981 SATORY Defence Exhibition in France. At the time, it attracted a great deal of interest, but by the mid-1990s, LOHR had only produced ten prototype vehicles. Measuring 4.2m in length, 1.6m in height, and an overall width of 2m exactly, the VPX 5000 was one of the most compact AFVs to be developed during the Cold War to meet a multiple range of roles on the battlefield. Capable of being equipped to carry a variety of weaponry from 7.62mm caliber machine guns through to anti-tank missiles, the VPX 5000 was a versatile weapons platform. Weighing only 4.6…

NEW FROM ARMY JEEP PARTS Army Jeep Parts (AJP) recently announced two new items to complete your accurate Jeep restoration. The first new part is an exact copy of the M38 and M38A1 horn switch assembly. AJP announced the switch with an introductory pricing of $45.00. The second is something that has not been available for some time: Shock absorber washers. AJP had them made in the US. They are perfect to the original specs. AJP sells them individually or in sets of 8. The washers will fit WWII and early CJ Jeeps. At the time of going to press, AJP had just send the washers out for plating. They suggest that you call for availability. More info: Army Jeep Parts, 6500 Beaver Dam Rd., Unit B, Tell them, “I…