Honoring the Proud American Gun Truck

[wadefreedomvehicles]

This is all great information, sounds like there are so many fun stories about the Proud that we will continue to tell.
I will agree riding forward in the Gun Box is fun.

 

[AMGeneral]

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No Brandon, we clocked her at 62 when we went to the Guntruck Gathering in PA. We were being followed by two "chase cars" and one of my guys had a GPS. When I saw her reach 62 I called the chase car and verified it.....then I tapped Tony's shoulder and told him to back off to 55. Never pushed her that hard again and no, we had already dropped off the other 5ton.

Also...the thrill of riding down the Interstate standing forward in the gunbox quickly fades after you get up to about 40mph...LOL

Now....for the "multimix" mentioned above...we did that ONCE trying to be cheap on one of her trips to the Georgia Rally. She didn't like it and she let us know!! She really didn't even want to keep up with the deuces that trip. Nothing but clean, straight, at the pump #2 diesel and a little "Lucas additive" has been burned since.

I honestly didn't think I would feel THIS bad letting her go to a new home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10-4 Papabear, I guess my memory failed me that time.

 

[wadefreedomvehicles]

Took the proud American through a parade today, here is video and some pictures:
https://youtu.be/f4N8QyhNRG0

 

[zout]

Seems Proud found a great home....that means Vinny and Angello from Ga Mafia can rest easy. Thx for the pics.

 

[papabear]

Good job troops....keep her rolling!!

 

[wadefreedomvehicles]

The Proud American was on display being honored and helping teach about the sacrifice of the Proud American Gun Crew this last weekend at Orem, Summer-fest in Orem, UT.
Here are some pictures:

 

[papabear]

You guys have done more with her in a month than we did since last November. Thanks for "keeping up the fire".

 

[wadefreedomvehicles]

The Freedom Vehicles Military Outpost was a great event this year and the Proud American Gun Truck contributed to it being such an awesome event.
Here are some pictures of the gun crew right after the Parade in Provo Utah on the fourth. She even had to tow a truck back.

 

[Another Ahab]

The Freedom Vehicles Military Outpost was a great event this year and the Proud American Gun Truck contributed to it being such an awesome event.

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You made a great tribute with the Proud American, God bless the memory of the Fallen.

It's just me, I guess, but it rubs me the wrong way to see youth (children) dressed for combat.

But to them it seems romantic and appealing, I suppose. That's our world.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

You made a great tribute with the Proud American, God bless the memory of the Fallen.

It's just me, I guess, but it rubs me the wrong way to see youth (children) dressed for combat.

But to them it seems romantic and appealing, I suppose. That's our world.

Ahab,
Your discomfort about the children wearing combat gear is understandable.
I'd like to encourage you to look at it not as being groomed for battle, but as a LIVING HISTORY experience. Giving them a grasp of the weight of a steel pot helmet, an ammo belt or pack, the smell of the canvas and the workings of the various clasps and fasteners. They will come away with a new and clearer appreciation of the price paid by those who didn't just wear the gear, but also had to fight as the risk of life and limb for the freedoms we now enjoy.
The long lasting perspective gained by those exposed to hands-on learning is proven to be far more memorable than book-study alone. The tone with which the experience is presented will foster whether the nature and nurture result will be one of a future combatant, or one of respect for our heritage. In that, I pray the mindset of the presenters is the more favorable.

 

[Another Ahab]

The long lasting perspective gained by those exposed to hand-on learning is proven to be far more memorable than book-study alone. The tone with which the experience is presented will foster whether the nature and nurture result will be one of a future combatant, or one of respect for our heritage. In that, I pray the mindset of the presenters is the more favorable.

Chaplain, this world would be a lesser place without you.

I can never thank you enough for your thoughtfulness among us all here.

And to your comment above:

- Amen

 

[Tinwoodsman]

This will be the first time in seven years I come to Columbus and the bay that held Proud will be empty but she is getting all the attention you could ask for.
Outstanding job.

 

[papabear]

Can I have her back?? God....I miss that truck.

Just kidding...(sorta)

 

[Tinwoodsman]

I can't imagine how you and the guys feel but she is getting good visibility. I assume you still have the WC-22 and the K-18 so life goes on.

 

[jeffhuey1n]

After building War Wagon (still am for that matter) I've been looking at my other trucks, trying to decide if I really need a second gun truck. No such thing as overkill, lol! If my War Wagon were to leave me, I'd put another truck together rikitiky!

 

[vtdeucedriver]

Ya, the way we diagnosed it was when you take the cap off the Master Cylinder and press the brake peddle, little bubbles should form, and there were none, so we took it off and checked it again, and then determined it needed rebuild or replacement, but since we didn't have the time to wait for a rebuild kit, we replaced it.
So far we like this mack engine compared to the multifuel, it is quieter and does have a lot of power.

Now you know why they were preferred in Vietnam over the MF.

 

[vtdeucedriver]

This is all great information, sounds like there are so many fun stories about the Proud that we will continue to tell.
I will agree riding forward in the Gun Box is fun.

Glad to see that it went to a good home and it continues to preserve the history. I know Proud American was on the road a short time and was well thought of in its unit and those that were lost. Its kind of humbling to know that my M-54A1 actually served in Vietnam and was built 11 trucks ahead of the original Proud American Gun Truck.

 

[papabear]

Glad to see that it went to a good home and it continues to preserve the history. I know Proud American was on the road a short time and was well thought of in its unit and those that were lost. Its kind of humbling to know that my M-54A1 actually served in Vietnam and was built 11 trucks ahead of the original Proud American Gun Truck.

Wouldn't it be something if these ole trucks could talk and tell us of some of their actual experiences?

 

[wadefreedomvehicles]

Thats pretty remarkable. I know there are lots of people who say trucks never came back from serving over there, but in our collection we have at least 3 trucks that we are pretty darn sure were in country, and of not, at least over seas.

 

[vtdeucedriver]

Thats pretty remarkable. I know there are lots of people who say trucks never came back from serving over there, but in our collection we have at least 3 trucks that we are pretty darn sure were in country, and of not, at least over seas.

I am more than darn sure mine was there. Not only is it between 2 known GT's but it was a Taiwan depot rebuild in 1974. Been noting a lot of them now, mostly trucks in the north east.