Memorial Day is a time for honoring the brave men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, and to celebrate living active duty soldiers and veterans who have made sacrifices on behalf of this country.
To all those who have served or who continue to serve, thank you. We are indebted to you.
In recognition of how important Memorial Day is to many of our readers, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate the U.S. military’s storied heritage. One huge part of that heritage centers around the many vehicles that have been used to support servicemen and servicewomen in operations around the globe.
Luckily, OnAllCylinders recently had an opportunity to photograph several of such vehicles displayed by the Ohio Motorpool, a Military Vehicle Preservation Association affiliate dedicated to collecting and restoring historic military vehicles. Here are a few of our favorites.
1944 M29C Studebaker Weasel
Studebaker built approximately 15,000 of these units during World War II for the purpose of transporting small groups of soldiers in snowy conditions.
1981 Chenowth Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV)
Built by Chenowth Racing Products, this high-speed, sandrail-like military vehicle was the first such vehicle to be based on the VW Beetle. You might say it’s a bug that stings.
1989 AM General M998 HMMWV
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, colloquially referred to as the Humvee, was first used by the U.S. military in 1989 during Operation Just Cause.
1945 Dodge WC Series Weapons Carrier
Between 1942 and 1945, Dodge supplied more than 59,000 Weapons Carrier vehicles to the U.S. military.
1942 Willys MB ‘Slat Grille’ Jeep Chassis & Engine
One of the first mass-produced light utility U.S. military vehicles, the Willys MB is the original Jeep brand 4×4. According to builder Kevin Hess, this particular one was a pre-production World War II model.
M22 Locust
One of the smallest tanks ever built by the U.S., this (relatively) tiny weapon of war still managed to fit a crew of three.
1989 Southwest Mobile Systems SEGPRSM
The Shop Equipment, General Purpose Repair, Semi-Trailer Mounted machinist van is used to repair and maintain mechanical equipment in the field. This one, built in 1989, includes features such as a drill press, grinder, industrial honing machine, a lathe, and more.
1969 Kaiser Jeep XM-818
The XM-818 was an early prototype of the better known M-818 “Tractor” made by Kaiser Jeep Corp. to haul heavy military equipment.
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