From: ddoyle9570@aol.com
Date: Wed Dec 25 2002 - 17:02:15 PST
In a message dated 12/25/2002 6:18:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, jenjas@cox.net writes:
> That appears to be an M34 , not a M35, gas model truck.
> Made by either
> Studebaker or Reo.
99% of the time, Jason's answer above would be dead on, but, this time we know a little more....
Thanks to my 28.8 connection speed, it took me 45 minutes to see this 1 minute video...and even at that I couldn't save it. Nevertheless, the truck show is M34 registration number 41087260. She is one of the pilot models built by Reo, and was Reo's "Star" truck. I have some still photos in my collection. One of these photos appears on page 88 of Military Vehicles number 93, another, of her staring in a Reo ad, appears in Army Motors 101, page 45. She was featured in many contemporary ads, and magazine articles. Interestingly, I have AM General literature printed in the 80s that still shows good ol' 7260's fording stunts.
Clues that it is a preproduction model....it has "combat" wheels with the bolt on ring, the hood latches are attached "upside down" (the movable portion is attached to the grill, the fixed part to the hood....BTW, the early 5 tons are that way too, Ft. Eustis has preserved outdoors one of the M54 pilots with the same type hood latch), and the lifting shackles are flat, like the ones on a M135.
The Mermaids, by the way, came with the territory, in the late 40s early 50's Rainbow Springs was quiet the tourist attraction. It changed hands a few times, was under control of Holiday Inn briefly, closed and decayed a few years before being bought by the state 20 years or so ago, and becoming a state park....now without mermaids.
Sure would like to find 41087260 and add her to my collection.
Merry Christmas all,
David Doyle
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