ARMYDRIVER- LESSON IN "BS 101"

[RANGER]

Did this ever happen to you?

Not everyone is Ben Hur, and able to drive more than one MV at a time. I have solicited drivers for my MB and M-38 Jeeps several times over the years. The typical answer is "Hey, I drove them in the Army"

The nightmare then starts at my barn door when I drive out the Jeep and ask the driver to take me for spin around the yard just to make sure he has the Jeep all figured out. "Do you want me to drive this damned thing or not" is the response. The driver then gets in, "hmmm where is the key?, OK, now where is the starter button? Ours had buttons. Is this where 1st is?" It goes on like that for a few minutes or two and he leaves in a jerky manner for the parade.
This has happened to me one time too many, I have had two clutches and parking brakes ruined in one mile long parades.
Nobody ever marched or had KP in the Army, they all "drove Jeeps". - BS!
Driving the MVs are fun, making them run like the factory meant them to is even more fun. The MV experience is lost when you have a better idea than the Army did.

No more BS artist drivers for me, the extras stay parked in the barn where they will live longer.
Not even God gets to drive my CCKW.

[FrankUSMC]

Ranger
Not even God gets to drive my CCKW...
Remember, they bragged that "Not even God could sink the Titanic"
I hope a storm tonight does not drop the barn down on your CCKW.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

[RANGER]

Curtiss Lemay, "It wouldn't dare".

[Robbo]

Not even God gets to drive my CCKW...

How about "Durable Jones" then although he would make even Ranger look like a slacker on PM.

I doubt if old "Durable Jones" ever made it home, his colleagues would probably have arranged a little accident for him because he made them all look so bad at maintaining their vehicles.

[RANGER]

Durable Jones, my hero!
I follow his advice to the T, we must have had the same instructor.
The soundtrack of the idling CCKW reminds me of my CCKW.
Think I will dig him out if it rains tomorrow.

[RANGER]

Has anyone seen the Vintage Video filmstrips with Durable Jones? Best avice in the world on how to operate your MV, plenty of USA numbers, and shots of intact closed cabs inside and out.

[Ken J]

I tried to find "Durable Jones" on the Net and came up with nothing ("Durable Jones Army", "Durable Jones movie", "Durable Jones maintenance", "Durable Jones truck").

???????

[RANGER]

Durable Jones is the star of an early WWII Training Film on CCKW PM. Plenty of early CCKW views and sound. WWII CCKW and WC Training Films are availible from Vintage Video. They are well worth the price. The Red Ball Express film will shed light on all the hype on pundits tall tales of CCKW use.

[Robbo]

http://vintagevideo.com/

VHS168 - FIRST ECHELON MAINTENANCE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

Also good for early CCKW's are:

VHS111 - MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVER

VHS128 - MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVER - DIFFICULT DRIVING

[RANGER]

The soundtrack of the Motor Vehicle Driver includes an idling CCKW which most winch equipped CCKW owners can relate to as it has that characteristic "fly in the bottle" sound made by the meshing of the PTO and the reverse idler gear.

[Robbo]

Had another look at the Motor Vehicle Driver films last night - how nice it would have been to have been issued with those shiny new GMC's - CCKWX's judging by their numbers. Hard to beat that new truck smell and that dark early OD paint. Also apparent were the King Bee HyPower reflectors and their early placement.

With "acting" as bad as the enlisted men used as extra's, it wasn't hard for the trucks to be the stars of the films.

[RANGER]

That was the style of basic Army Training Films during early WWII. I have sat thru dozens of these in my Army days, loved them all. Even saw these WWII Training Films during Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic School which was instructing me on M-Series. Never once dozed off. Remember they were just gearing up and were meant for young Depression era GIs right out of school with no automotive experience, the trucks were new to the Army, Instructors were in short supply, thousands of new trucks were being issued to Army posts world wide before drivers and mechanics were adequately trained. It worked. Next step would be a trip to the Motorpool for a "walk around". Much of the instruction was goven by Civilian Advisors recruited from the auto manufacturers. It got better as time went on. The CCKW films from vintage Video are good reference to the "factory look" lots of shots showing clean cab interiors and intact trucks. Good chance to study factory font and accessory installation. I gotta dig mine out, haven't watched them for 10 years.

[Robbo]

Pity they aren't compulsory viewing for modern CCKW owners and drivers.

As the Sergeant says, "DON'T SLOUCH STRICKLAND"

[RANGER]

It is more comfortable to watch them in HBTs.

[RANGER]

Has anyone met DURABLE JONES, yet?