M109 pilfered at GL Ft. Riley

[Aswayze]

M109 pilfered at GL Ft. Riley

After I got my M35A2 several buddies really liked it and decided to get trucks themselves. The entire process on my truck went fairly well from bidding to driving it home and I really had a pretty positive experience overall.

Not so much for my friend Terry who just won an M109 out at Ft. Riley. After he won the auction we went out there and spent a few hours looking over the truck to decide the best course of action for recovery. Truck fired right up but the brakes were bled down and the engine stop lever was not stopping the engine so we determined that the best plan was to have it towed. Terry only lives like 15 miles away so towing was a fairly cheap option.

Tuesday, he gets up there, meets with the tow truck driver and heads over to the truck only to find that someone has pilfered the gauge cluster out of it. I have read that this sort of thing has happened in the past, has anyone ever gotten any satisfaction from GL over this sort of thing? Is it even worth trying to get somewhere with those guys or would it be less hassle just to grind our teeth and just go buy another set of gauges from someone?

I’ll be helping him work on this thing over the weekend. If someone has M35 parts close to either Kansas City or Junction City we could use the following:

Gauge cluster (Thanks GL)

Both windshields (broken, frames fairly rotted out so prefer windshields with frames)

Passenger window (Terry cracked it when he opened the door and whacked into the mirror)

Everything else just needs elbow grease and a little well overdue PM.

 

[DDoyle]

I appreciate you and your friend Terry's frustration - but he shouldn't be saying "thanks GL" over this, he should be saying "thanks" to the thieving scumbag that took it. If the gauge cluster had been stolen out of his truck while it was parked at your house, he'd not be pissed at you - he'd be (as he should be) pissed at whoever stole it.

I am seemingly increasingly in the minority - but I feel I SHOULD be able to leave my house and vehicles unlocked all the time. I was taught if its not mine don't mess with it. A lot of folks seem to think though if its not locked - and apparently not guarded - its free for the taking (be this a gauge cluster or an automobile.) Now, I don't leave my stuff unlocked, but we as a society need to start placing the blame on the thieves, and the thieves alone.

End of rant.

In your friends case, fortunately everything on your need list is fairly common - and cheap.

Regards,
David Doyle

 

[tsstout]

Oh I know (generally) who to be pissed at... But they won't step into the light...

But I was forced to trust GL's security..thus my attitude toward them....

The thief lurks amongst us, hoping to sell the booty... If by chance someone sees an odometer with 20531 for sale, let me know... I kinda doubt there is another one with that mileage for sale at the moment... and yes I imagine there is a way to reset it... but one can hope they are lacking in brains as they are in morals....

end of my rant...

I'm glad to be a deuce owner and be in such fine company...

Terry

 

[BKubu]

Your friend will receive no proper compensation from GL. At best, they will agree that your friend's claim is valid, but they basically will only allow him to back out of the purchase. If he wants the truck, he is stuck with it (without the missing parts). Their grievance review system sucks IMHO. I've had two grievances with them and received no proper compensation. All they did was tell me I could void the sale if I wanted. That does not help if you want the truck.

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

It is just plain theft and should be filed with the MP's on post let them get a lot of MP reports on stolen equipment and the Post Commander should pay them a visit or send the company an offical reprimand. Do not tolerate it report it and make them pay for their negligence

 

[desertfox]

ARMYMAN-I agree with you 100%. Take it to the MPs. Enough filed theft reports and some action will be taken at post level. I think there is an extra guage cluster in my inventory and I have very little invested in it.

 

[tsstout]

Thanks guys.... We figured they wouldn't do anything, based on the disclaimer every 10 seconds that it is sold AS IS... just an ass cover for this situation.... I would drag the MP's into it if I thought it would do anything contructive... I fear, however, it would only single me out and cause undo stress for furture dealings... So I think I'm gonna melt back into the background...

I'd certainly be interested in a parts deal, Desertfox...Just let me know...

Thanks again...
Terry

 

[BKubu]

Let me tell you what it definitely will do. It will delay your friend's retrieval of the truck thereby subjecting it to the potential for more pilfering. Been there...done that. I had a truck in AL that had over $1,000 worth of parts taken off it. I would never have submitted the claim if I had known they would not have responded in a positive manner. All it really did was delay my taking delivery of the truck by about a month. Who knows what else was taken during that time if anything.

 

[jasonjc]

MP's do some thing, ya right ,all those &*%# can do is give out speeding tickets.
When I was in the army I had my pickup stole off base and the MP's did not a thing. It took 5 call's and 6 hours to get them to come and make out a report. We had a ton of break ins and vandalism. The MP's would just dive past in the middel of the night and see some one under the dash of a car and just kept right on driveing ,not say a word or even stop.

 

[avengeusa]

wow, that sucks, the thief needs to be caught for sure

 

[randyscycle]

Chances are that this is a motor pool theft, or a theft for a friend, that is going on with the knowledge of some higher-ups, and therefore any complaints will most likely fall on deaf ears.

It stinks, but it seems to be a post problem not being addressed rather than GL. I doubt their reps even look at the trucks before or after the sale.

 

[FreightTrain]

DD,The difference here is if the parts were stolen at a friends house the truck was stored there Voluntarily.With GL it is Mandatory that the truck be under their care and security.You cannot move the truck or secure it.Somehow there really needs to be a class action suit about this.How many millions of dollars of equipment have been stolen over the years.If you took your Civy vehicle to a stealership for repairs or a body shop and when you went to pick it up you found your bumpers missing,wheels gone,windshild smashed in,etc who would be responsable?The business owner or their insurance.

 

[DDoyle]

OK FT, you win, we need to stop looking for and prosecuting thieves. Turn out the boys that stole your guns. Instead, we need to sue the people who it is felt are not putting in place strong enough security. You should sue some PD in Alabama over your guns gettign stolen - they are supposed to be providing security for the townfolk. As for trucks, lets see, that means lets sue GL for some gauges stolen at Riley. GL can then sue the freakin' U.S. Army, 'cause they have the GL lot surrounded, and are overall in charge of securing the installation. It is no doubt the fault of the shmos at GL and on post - but darn sure not the fault of whatever low live got in the cab with a screwdriver - no, its not that guy's fault, he shouldn't be blamed or punished.

Why is it that it seems that no one ever gets on here and rails about the other surplus buyers that are most likely stealing this crap???

DD

 

[rumplecat]

I know people will pick up things if available, but I have also seen base maint. people shopping for parts on GL listed vehicles. They are pretty crafty when it comes to free parts.
James G.

 

[wiggall]

Most BASE SECURITY IS RENT-A-COP now! When I was stationed at Great Lakes in 68 we had a rash of student mugging in a dark parking lot payday night. Reports were turned into Base Security. Standered answer WE WILL CHECK INTO IT! Well one night an instructor was mugged! So next payday TWO INSTRUCTORS HID OUT IN THE PARKING LOT, and A THIRD ONE WENT INTO TOWN. HE CAME BACK DARK HOUR IN THE MORNING ACTING DRUNK! SOMEONE GRABED HIM HE YELLED HIS FRIENDS CAME BASE SECURITY WAS CALLED, and THEY FOUND A PERSON BEAT TO WITH IN AN INCH OF HIS LIFE! NO MORE MUGGING!!!! FTG2 Wiggles USS EDSON DD 946 1969-1973

 

[mbwarner]

I recovered my truck from Fort Lewis two months after the auction closed (EUC issues). I was only missing a dash light cover, and since the bulb and threads were clean, I think the taking was relatively recent, though I wasn't smart enough to copy the pics off the listing before GL took them down, so i can't testify to it.

Getting onto the GL yart at Ft. Lewis is about like getting into Fort Knox. The Ft. Lewis yard is at least two hundred yards from the nearest road, and 5-600 yards from the manned gate that gets you there, and that's after clearing base security. The GL folks at Ft. Lewis were courteous and helpful, in spite of the fact the they were running their arses off busy, I had a very trouble free recovery.

Also regarding the GL folks at Ft. Lewis--I recovered an M105 there several years ago, and they got a fork lift big enough to lift it, and put it in the back of an M35 for me.

Sad to say it, but the pilfering is probably by collector folks just like you and me, except for their lack of respect for the property of others.