RE: [MV] Moron Alert!

Frank Robertson (tankdriv@gte.net)
Wed, 14 Jul 1999 14:56:33 -0500

Well let me talk first hand knowledge. I stored my M20 at Woodland Hills
Country Club for a number of years. I would get it out of their garage and
drive where I need to go for a show. After 2 years of this I started hauling
it on a trailer, less wear and tear, and just easier on me. Well last year a
event come up and me and a buddy took it out of the garage and up the hill
in front of the grand ball room to wait on my other buddy to show up with
the trailer. After a couple of hours it would seem he was not coming(he was
at the emergency room). So I turn the M20 around with the .50 mounted and
pointing forward like it should be, and guess what I ran out of gas(tank had
pin hole). My buddy goes to pick up 5 gals. of gas and I sit and talk to the
people leaving the ballroom where a local Baptist pastor was having a
birthday party. He is Adrian Rodgers of Bellevue Baptist Church probably the
largest church in Memphis(who has had death threats against him unknown to
me). Some one inside calls the Shelby County Sheriff Dept and tells them, "a
man in a tank is there with the gun pointed at the glass ballroom". I don't
know this. I'm standing in the ring mount facing the back so when I get the
gas I can pour it in. I start hearing sirens off in the distance LOT OF
THEM, coming my way and I don't know why but I think "they're coming here".
They keep getting louder and finally shut them off at the end of the street
and I think "they're here". I think, "I'm going to be shot by some rookie
who will shoot first and ask question later". So to be sure I place both
hands on the ring mount and make sure they are in sight. Eight squad cars
pull up with spot lights on me. About that time the manger comes out and ask
"Frank why are you scaring our guests". I told him I'm just setting here. He
explains to the cops that it is OK, but I've always wondered how close I
come to getting wasted. At the event the next day several Deputies come over
and say "look it's the guy they were talking about last night" So the story
got around rather quickly. I now cover the .50 on the M20 and the cannon and
machine guns on the M5A1 with the military covers even on the trailer when I
haul them. It helps protect them and looks pretty good anyway. Also better
safe then sorry.

Frank Robertson
Memphis, TN. USA
"Miss Dixie" "Tha Thing"
_______ ______
___| (.o.) |___ _/______\
|___|___n___|___| _/|_______|\_
|\ /| / [___][___] \
|_\[o]o____[o]/_| /\_ [o] [o] _/\
|w||_________||w| |w||_________||w|
|w||u_______u||w| |w|\u u/|w|
|w| |w| |w| \_______/ |w|
[w] [w]
M5A1 Stuart Light Tank M20 Armored Car
Tankdriv@gte.net
http://home1.gte.net/tankdriv/index.html

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-Mil-Veh@skylee.com [mailto:owner-Mil-Veh@skylee.com]On
Behalf Of William R. Benson
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 1999 9:19 AM
To: SBJohnston@aol.com
Cc: Mil-Veh@skylee.com
Subject: Re: [MV] Moron Alert!

In answer: Yes (depending on where you are at).

Remember, we KNOW why we are tooling around in vehicles originally designed
to give their crews an advantage on the battlefield. In our hearts we are
100% positive that we mean no harm to anyone, and we spend our days talking
to other folks who are just as committed to the peaceful pursuit of
collecting, restoring, and educating about our big green beasties.
The police, on the other hand, spend their time "in the trenches", and are
focused on the fact that they are out gunned and outnumbered. Their lives
depend on being able to gain the upper hand in any situation. Obviously
they cannot be confidant that they will be able to do so against an armored
MV, and this injects that nasty "get him before he gets me" instinct.
Hence, while that North Carolina State Troopoer may pull you over simply
because he wants to check out this neat looking piece of hardware, that
California Highway Patrolman may remember when some fool stole an M60 MBT
from a National Guard Armory, and drove it through a couple of moterhomes
before high centering it on a highway divider.
We can "soothe" and "reassure" our law enforcement officers by being
responsible, trailing our guns, and putting forth as benign a posture as
possible until we get to a site where it is understood that big green
beasties are going to show their fangs.
My .02.

Bill

(By the by, to whom it may concern: I spent too much time putting my butt
on the line for God, Corps, Country, Mom, and Apple Pie... If you are
going to administer to an organization that brings to life the equipment
that myself and my fellow vets rode, fought, lived and died on, you'd DAMN
WELL better be allowing for the swift and democratic redress of
grievances.)

SBJohnston@aol.com on 07/13/99 06:13:01 PM

Please respond to SBJohnston@aol.com

To: Mil-Veh@skylee.com

cc: (bcc: William R. Benson/PLG)

Subject: Re: [MV] Moron Alert!

Bill wrote:

>dismount or lock down in trail (transport)
>configuration our supplementary weapons systems

That's a good idea just for the preservation of the expensive hardware! No
use having it banging around...

>He assures me that there could possibly be a
>"shoot first, ask questions later scenario"

I find this worrisome... are the law-enforcement personnel you describe so
afraid that they would start firing their weapon at someone who (A) is not
threatening them and (B) has something mounted on their vehicle that merely
looks like a weapon? If they are that insecure they should be in another
line of work.

Steve Johnston

sbjohnston@aol.com

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