My First Car, a Military Jeep -- WWII and Military Jeep Stories

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3], 4, 5, 6, 7 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 15:17:13 01/31/06 Tue
Author: B.J. McCord
Subject:

My First Car, a Military Jeep

My First Vehicle, A MILITARY JEEP --
I'd been caught sneaking my parents out of the garage in the middle of nights and 'hot rodding' around, plus having wrecks on my Cushman Eagle (breaking my leg), that by the time I got my Drivers License at age 16, in 1956, my parents had an idea to slow me down and possibly save my life. Thinking back now, it probably did.
They gave me one of my Dads prized possessions to drive, his 1945 Model MB Army Jeep, complete with all the markings, just back from the war. It was 'of course' painted Olive Drab with the old reliable 4 cylinder flathead engine, complete with the carbine carrier, the fold-down windshield, black-out lights, extra gas can carrier on the rear, even the shovel straped to the drivers side, and door straps to HELP hold you in. I believe my Dad paid $250.00 for it, in a crate, with an extra engine, also in a crate. It was completely 'open air', not even a top, much less side curtains.
Boy Howdy, I was as happy as my Dad was sad, knowing all the abuse his beautiful Jeep was sure to endure.
How in the world it didn't turn over making corners at 30 mils per hour, with half the football team and a couple of cheerleaders in it, I don't know. I guess God was my co-pilot. And, I am sure my naked 'girlie' steering (suicide) knob helped me keep it on the road. It would 'top out' at 30 in first gear, 45 in second, and a tad over 60 in high gear, which is pretty dang fast when you can see the pavement whizzing by just outside your left knee cap.
I remember outrunning a rich friends '55 MG he had just got for Christmas, which embarrased him so much he traded it for a faster car.
I guess the parents of the girls I dated didn't think their darling little daughters would date anyone driving a Jeep. Boy, were they wrong, the girls were standing in line to go with me in it. Petticoats flying, we went everywhere.
Even in South Texas (Corpus Christi on the Gulf of Mexico) it gets a tad nippy and messy in January, Februay, and March, but I drove it to school every day, and had dates almost every other night from early 1956 to late 1959, when I bought my Uncles 1947 Mercury 4-Door, and gave the Jeep back to my overjoyed Dad.
The only thing I ever broke on it was Second Gear from 'Speed Shifting'.
We kept the Jeep until 1994 when I let a guy talk me out of it for way too less money, but that's life.
I've been fortunate enough to have owned a couple of hundred vehicles since 1956, but still remember all the fun times my buddies, my girlfriends and I had in this old jeep.
And, I am told it was one of the best lawn trenchers in town. In fact the shovel on the side was used more than once hurrying to get it un-stuck from a teachers or principles front yard.
When we got bored, we would go by my house and pick up my dog 'George' to let him chase cats. George loved the Jeep with the windhield down, and used it for a 'launching pad' to get a running, or flying start, on cats. He would catch up with them normally behind or under a house, and all we'd hear is a "Meeooowwwwwwrrrrrrrrr" I don't think he ever hurt them, but I'm sure he scared hell out of them.
Hope y'all enjoyed my story just half as much as I enjoyed recalling it.
B.J. McCord, Kerrville, Texas

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Re: My First Car, a Military Jeep -- Brian French , 08:29:55 02/20/06 Mon