From: jhooah (jhooah@mindspring.com)
Date: Wed Jan 12 2005 - 08:30:21 PST
Last year we held the 2d Annual "Gathering" where many of the Vietnam guntruck vets came together, etc. This year they will hold an off-site in Indiana or such, and return in '06.
Fort Eustis sponsored us (Virginia Military Preservation Association) and we conducted trail rides, and other Mil Vehicle activities.
There were 4 repro Guntrucks in attendance (outside) one was a deuce the rest 5 Tonners.
Other vehicles included my TOW MUTT (Late Vietnam), some standard 60's Deuces and Mules and Mutts.
Reenactors put up a hooch and had an excellent display.
The Museum has added a wing, and is concentrating on "transportation history" now and tucked away many unique items like the Flying Saucer (in bad need of repair, it resides out at the airfield now while being worked over) The 4 leg experimental crawler (Land Walker) is still there, but many of the funny looking and dangerous concept vehicles are stored away to allow the history theme to stand out.
Fort Eustis Historian Rich Kilbane is attempting to capture any and all Gun trucks and their crews names, and has traveled over to theater just for that purpose at least once.
>From my memory, Eve of Destruction was the ONLY guntruck to be brought home alive as we pulled out of Vietnam, and she was brought toEustis directly off the boat in the early seventies. (possibly parked by the crew as stated earlier, but definitely not as late as 1996...)
This Summer we will host another "Gathering", but it will be ALL Wars, and we anticipate a vehicle rally and trail drive/ cookout swapmeet, etc. on the grounds of the museums railroad lot.
Keep an eye out on www.vmpa.us for more info, and if you look around there, you may see pics of the event held last year.
Regards
W Winget MVPA 7119
william.winget@jtfcs.northcom.mil
WWW.VMPA.US (See us in spaces S&R 19 end of row at Aberdeen)
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