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« Friday, September 3rd »
About two years ago it was announced that the MVPA (Military Vehicle Preservation Association) was planning a Transcontinental Convoy that would retrace the route that the U.S. Army traveled in 1919 by way of the Lincoln Highway from zero mile marker in Washington D.C. to San Francisco, CA. The group made the journey with 81 new vehicles. The Army convoy set out to achieve five goals: evaluate the difficulties in mobilizing and sending troops from the east coast to the west coast of the United States, test the various vehicles performances over different terrain, demonstrate the need for good roads, recruit new members into the motor transport corps, and demonstrate to the American people the importance of motor vehicles in winning wars.
Ninety years later the 2009 MVPA Transcontinental Convoy would attempt to retrace this historic journey with much improved roads, but older vehicles. The 2009 convoy set out to achieve its own set of goals: honor those brave men who took this historic journey 90 years before us, test the performance of our older military vehicles, to recruit new members to join the MVPA, show the importance of preserving history, and to say thank you to our Veterans.
As enthused military historians, Mike and I thought we should participate in the convoy. Our sideline mission for the past two years has been to restore our M1010 ambulance and take part in the convoy. Our restoration consisted of: new brakes, tires, radiator, heater, exhaust, hoses, belts, batteries and of course fresh paint. The hardest part we encountered was finding flat red paint for the Geneva Convention crosses; we ended up concocting our own home brew of Regal Red Rustoleum and 8 ounces of baby powder! The crosses were the final piece of the restoration and were completed only a week before the convoy.
Our journey began at mile marker zero in front of the White House. The convoy vehicles lined Constitution Avenue and a ceremony was held near the zero mile marker. General Anderson and Capt. Johns and the President of the Lincoln Highway, Bob Dieterich were there to express their appreciation and best wishes for our safe journey. General Anderson taught us the power of the word HOOAH!, which I think is the only thing that helped propel the three-quarter ton Dodges over the Pennsylvania mountains.
Under police escort the convoy paraded up Connecticut Avenue through Washington, D.C. making us feel like VIPs; it was the part I looked forward to the most; but that part became less significant to me as we traveled. The convoy took I-495, to I-270 to US-15, and finally made it to US-30, The Lincoln Highway, outside of Gettysburg. People came out of their houses, stopped mowing their lawns, stopped their cars to use their camera phones as the convoy unexpectedly traveled through small town America. Special moments were seeing the proud veteran in Thurmont, MD waving his Airborne flag, and the folks of Everett, PA who seemed to have gathered the whole town to the square to wave the American flag; their display of American pride brought tears to my eyes as well as many other drivers. All along the way the towns rolled out the red carpet with veterans groups serving us breakfasts, lunches, dinners and refreshments. There was even a gun salute at the Old Bedford Village with Civil War muskets and M1903 drill rifles. The support of small town America is something that touched all our hearts and an experience that I will never forget.
For us the journey ended in Greensburg, PA. Our goal was to see our friends through our beautiful state and send them off to Ohio. Our convoy friends came from all over the country: Washington, Texas, California, Oregon, Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Puerto Rico and France. My hope is that ten years from now there will be a 100th anniversary of the Transcontinental Convoy and we’ll be able to go all the way. I recommend the experience to any of you who own a military vehicle. It was an unforgettable journey.
If the convoy is headed your way I hope that you will take time to go see it and show your support.
The Transcontinental Convoy’s progress can be traced through the MVPA website www.mvpa.org.
Special thanks to Terry Shelswell, the MVPA and the Lincoln Highway Association for organizing and planning our route, the State Police and Fire Departments for their traffic control, the veterans groups and towns people for their hospitality. May God Bless you and may God Bless America!
