IOWA ANG CCKW

[RANGER]

I used to get a kick out of the Iowa ANG OD colored LWB Open Cab CCKW that the Dow Field Softball team used to transport their men to the Fifth St. Jr. High School Softball Field.(1952) It had "FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY" in white 1" stencil under the doorway cut out.

Little did I realize back then that a P-51 Armorer from that unit and I would be designing and surveying highways a dozen or so years later. I remember the afternoon when their aircraft flew into Dow, 16 Mustangs in perfect formation. They were part of the 174th Fighter Bomber Wing and had been recently Federalized during the Korean conflict. Their ramp was aout 1000' up beyond the Main Gate and the propellers sticking up beside the coal pile next to Hanger#1 were a familiar sight for nearly two years. They were on 24 hour alert with a couple constantly in the air at all times for a period.