HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009 Supply Line article
MVPA
June / July 2009
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T e dry ground shook and the throaty xhaust rumble of powerful engines pene ated the clear air March 20-21 in College ;
Station, Texas as an army of historic military
vehicles took the field for a historic military vehi n fir''
cle show, swap meet and battle reenactment. w
This enormous effort goes forth in support of, ` a Y
and to raise funds for, the Museum of the
American GI. The 2009 showing was the tenth F l e i
edition of this annual event. The Museum of the
American Gxl.is a living history museum preserv-
ing the equipment, uniforms and memories of the American Serviceman. The centerpiece of the museum's Iwo Jima (LPH-2). Iwo Jima was the first vessel purposely built
collection is the island from the former Amphibious Assault Ship as an amphibious assault ship. One of the most notable
moments in the ship's history was the recovery of the
F~ s three astronauts of the ill-fated Apollo 13 on 17 April,
1970. Iwo Jima saw combat in the first Persian Gulf
r. „ s War, before being stricken and scrapped in 1993.
Continued on Page 12
' fi i tye ` j ti Lt a Photo Top: Gunsmoke clouds the battlefield during the reenactment
t the Museum of the American GI. From left to right are an M 18
5 t R \ , 1 Ry Hellcat owned by Bill Bauer, and an M24, M5A I and M8 armored car,
A from the collection of Brent Mullins.
Photo Above: Although the battle reenactment was WWII-themed,
Liistoric military vehicles of all eras could be found on display, includ-
u ng this Engineer Contact Maintenance Truck on 5 ton M944 extra
w ong wheelbase 6x6 chassis.
Photo Lek: Iwo Jima veteran Edwin Eyre proudly poses next to a
I---- .4 r
super-scarce M3 Gun Motor Carriage. Mr. Eyre championed the
restoration of this vehicle, the only operational example of the type
known to exist.
SUPPLY LINE June/July 2009 11
Museum of the American Gd.
Continued
However, the bulk of the military
•
vehicles on the scene were of a
i'h
somewhat more conventional nature,
even though many were uncommon.
Taking to the field during the
Saturday reenactment were a pair of
M18 Hellcat destroyers, an M24'
Chaffee, an M4A3E8 Sherman,
M5A1 Stuart, and a range of wheeled .
and halftracked vehicles. Notable
among the later category is the sole
operational M3 gun motor carriage in
s -
the world, a type widely used by the
Marine Corps in the Pacific. The example shown in College Station is
even more notable in that Iwo Jima
veteran Edwin Eyre spearheaded its
restoration, and operates the vehicle
during the reenactment. Photo Above: A handful of the approximately 50 historic military vehicles that were
Among the vehicles on static dis- on site for the I Oth annual open house in College Station,Texas
play was a reproduction of Patton's In the vendor stalls, trading was brisk with vendors from At
command van, owned by Denny Hair, who also turned in a stel- essentially coast to coast (and even Canada) selling their wares ce
lar performance as the General himself. "General Patton" also alongside a healthy contingent of local enthusiasts. M'
served as the announcer during the reenactment, describing the M
scenario and equipment to the throng of onlookers. The repro- Check Online at www.mullinsjeepparts.com/Open+House Lo
duction van was built by Denny with help from a wide range of for the dates of the 11th annual event in 2010. Lo
friends as outlined in Army Motors issue 127. fro
To,
used on Cold War and Vietnam-era military for
vehicles. The Boyertown Museum of Historic
Vehicles was founded by the late Paul Hafer prE
F, V in 1965. Hafer served as President of wh
Boyertown Auto Body Works from 1934 gat
through 1978, considered the firm's heyday. up
During WWII, among the products of dot
. Boyertown Auto Body Works was the body the
_ w used by the USMC on their International sin
Field Ambulance. The collection the muse gro
um includes one of two known survivors of sta
71 this type, making this off-the beaten path eac
facility an ideal Short Stop for MVPA mem- nigl
bers.
Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles
85 South Walnut Street
(Third & Walnut Streets)
Boyertown, PA 19512 z`
On a side street in an unassuming older building in the berg of 610-367-2090
Boyertown, PA is the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles.
Boyertown is 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia, in a region Hours 9:30-4:00 Tuesday through Sunday year round, except Y
whose automotive heritage includes being home of such mar- major holidays. Free parking. Admission: $6 adults - $5 seniors
quees as "Fleetwood,", "Duryea," and "Daniels". But it is or AAA - $4 students.
Boyertown itself that is the name familiar to those who collect
some esoteric military vehicles.
Boyertown was the home of the Boyertown Auto Body
Works. Boyertown, which closed in 1990, just shy of its 118th Short Stops is a regular feature devoted to museums not
birthday, was a manufacturer of custom commercial truck bod- normally thought of as "military vehicle museums, "yet with a
ies and produced many of the shop and expansible van bodies significant military vehicle presence.
12 SUPPLY LINE June/July 2009 SUP