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Hi List,
My Dad's veteran's group (New Fairfield Veterans Association) here
in Connecticut, USA has gotten into a vehicle project. The truck is a
1942(?) Dodge WC52 which is the 3/4 ton weapons carrier with a winch on the
front that was donated to the group. The usual magazines will be perused and
a list developed as they work on it.... and they are serious about the work!
Yesterday was the second work day since it arrived a week and a half ago and
there were 11 guys all over the thing. One thing they don't have (or know
where one is) that they could really use is a set of manuals. They currently
have a "truck fund" of $28 USD to spend and some of them were mechanics in
service and civilian life so they know quite a bit but the manual would be
helpful if their memories happen to fail. Does anybody have a greasy old
shop copy they would sell cheap, or loan, to a bunch of old guys having a
GREAT time with their new toy? Also, are there an folks, private or
commercial, that will be coming to Aberdeen with parts to sell for this
truck? The truck's in good shape but service items like gaskets, seals, and
the like will end up on the list they bring with them. If you have or deal
in WC51/52 parts but are not going to Aberdeen I would appreciate contact
info, parts/price lists, whatever so they can have sources to call for
things.
Thanks,
Dennis O'Connor
*****Long Story Warning***** Delete now or read on (no more questions in
story)
"Big Ugly Green Thing" is the current name for this WC52. The truck
did it's time in the US Army and then was sitting in a surplus sale yard on
Long Island in New York state here in the US with a whole lot of other
trucks and stuff. A local gentleman who had a business hauling docks and
boats in and out of the lake here decided a WC52 rigged with gin poles and
such would be just the thing for that job. So off goes the guy with friends
down to the surplus yard. The find a really nice truck with low mileage and
the price is right BUT it's a WC51 (no winch)...arrrrgh! They can't find
what they want so they explain their quandary to the yard manager who points
to the WC52 next to the truck they want and tells them to take what they
want because that truck was headed for the scrap pile. It was also almost
new, the body was destroyed, but the chassis was perfect including the
winch. They have enough tools to get the small bolt on stuff off but no way
to remove the winch and front end. Solution? TWO HACKSAWS! They proceed to
cut the front end of the frame, with winch, off the truck, load everything
in the WC51 and drive home. Truck gets converted (very nice job I should
add) rigged for work and spends from 1946 to about 1997 happily moving docks
and such. Then it got parked next to the garage to rest & wait for the old
guys.
Around the time the truck was retired the local veterans decide to
"un-retire" themselves. They get organized and create a memorial, education
programs in the schools, do their part to spiff up the parades in town,
start to promote recognition of service related events and days, and the
list goes on and on. Almost all of what they receive in donations they give
away to various charitable causes like buying disadvantaged kids school
clothes and winter coats and such. They even formed an honor guard for
funerals of local veterans and were all promptly "drafted" into the National
Guard in the state and designated an official entity! Now they've been
having fun with all their projects but it's getting to be parade season and
several of the guys have been told not to march by doctors (or just plain
life) so they try and plan out who has what vehicles to carry some of them.
"Too bad we don't have one of them old Dodges with the troop seats" says one
guy. Somebody remembers the WC52 and darn if a few days later the owner
doesn't donate it to the group! Somebody else hauls it to the barnyard and
they descend on it! The truck is in great overall shape and was active until
3 years ago. Not many miles, not much damage to anything and the glass is
still 1942 in the windshield - unbroken. The brakes were all replaced not
long ago with modern stuff for safety on the job and it's just about ready
to run again. The guy with the most recent experience in driving one (Korean
War) has already been designated wheel man. If they keep going at the
current rate the truck will be parade worthy in a matter of months!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jun 01 2000 - 22:37:11 PDT