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- Location
- Custer, South Dakota/Black Hills
In the 60s the color of vehicles was mostly determined by which major air command they were assigned to. Almost all commands except Tactical Air Commands vehicles were strata blue. Tactical Air Commands tactical vehicles were for the most part Army OD or even Marine Corps OD. Marine Corps OD was used on ground power equipment (AGE) for many years.
I was assigned to Tactical Air Command in 64-65 and was assigned to the 507th Comm Group. at Shaw AFB. I was sent by them to Fort Benning PCS and assigned permanently to the Tactical Air Control Party ( TACP) for direct air support for the 2nd Inf Div and later the 1st Air Cavalry.. All the 507th tactical vehicles were OD as were the ones we had at the TACP in Benning. Our radio jeeps were OD as well as our deuce. And the deuce was a gasser. The AF in the early 60s tactical vehicles were a mess. Poorly maintained etc and were not in good shape. Whenever we had to take our maintenance van for calibration we would borrow a M35A1 from the Army to transport it.
As a matter of fact our M38A1 VC-104 radio jeeps were procured by the Marine Corps. And one was still Marine OD in color. As we lived, ate, did everything the Army did we had to look like them in the field. You lived longer that way. The AF troops assigned today to the TACPs still look like Army people pretty much, but with AF stripes. Close air support is still important to the Army folks.
So I would say paint your truck to the color of the Major Command you want to mark it for. All commands had a few tactical vehicles.
P.S. In my 28 year involvement with the AF I never did see a strata blue truck with a white star on it. There might have been some but I never saw one. As a mater of fact I never saw a white star on any AF vehicle.
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/airforce/a/aftacp.htm
I was assigned to Tactical Air Command in 64-65 and was assigned to the 507th Comm Group. at Shaw AFB. I was sent by them to Fort Benning PCS and assigned permanently to the Tactical Air Control Party ( TACP) for direct air support for the 2nd Inf Div and later the 1st Air Cavalry.. All the 507th tactical vehicles were OD as were the ones we had at the TACP in Benning. Our radio jeeps were OD as well as our deuce. And the deuce was a gasser. The AF in the early 60s tactical vehicles were a mess. Poorly maintained etc and were not in good shape. Whenever we had to take our maintenance van for calibration we would borrow a M35A1 from the Army to transport it.
As a matter of fact our M38A1 VC-104 radio jeeps were procured by the Marine Corps. And one was still Marine OD in color. As we lived, ate, did everything the Army did we had to look like them in the field. You lived longer that way. The AF troops assigned today to the TACPs still look like Army people pretty much, but with AF stripes. Close air support is still important to the Army folks.
So I would say paint your truck to the color of the Major Command you want to mark it for. All commands had a few tactical vehicles.
P.S. In my 28 year involvement with the AF I never did see a strata blue truck with a white star on it. There might have been some but I never saw one. As a mater of fact I never saw a white star on any AF vehicle.
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/airforce/a/aftacp.htm
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