FIT FOR A GENERAL OR FIVE OR SIX

Post your jeep photos, Pre or Post restoration. Bragging Photos etc. Also LIFE jeep photos.
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Joe Gopan
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FIT FOR A GENERAL OR FIVE OR SIX

Post by Joe Gopan » Mon Oct 03, 2016 7:24 pm

General Yeager was guest of honor back in August 1996 at the Bangor ANG Base (DOW FIELD). I was asked to provide a Jeep for use in escorting General Yeager at the air show. Here is B/Gen. Yeager in my 1944 MB in 1996 and the same Jeep exactly 20 years later. I waited over 45 years to meet General Yeager.
Attachments
DSCN1501.JPG
DSCN1501.JPG (126.72 KiB) Viewed 3979 times
Chuck_Yeager_001[1].jpg
Chuck_Yeager_001[1].jpg (65.11 KiB) Viewed 3980 times
Last edited by Joe Gopan on Sun Nov 18, 2018 1:59 am, edited 7 times in total.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO


Mark Jesic
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Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL

Post by Mark Jesic » Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:19 am

Fit for a King, Ben.

Joe Gopan
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Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL

Post by Joe Gopan » Wed Oct 05, 2016 5:40 am

Thanks, and I got some good comments from the General after he peeked under the hood and flipped the ignition switch remarking that the gas gage worked and that the gages on the Jeeps he used to hunt rabbits in back at Edwards did not.. General Yeager is a true gentleman, he discussed flying current P-51's while seated in the Jeep and sure perked up the folks at the ANG facility and the airshow crowd. The air show attendance was in the thousands and just about every other attendee had a 1947 aviation periodical or one of the Yeager books to sign. I put one of the Merle Olmstead 357th Fighter Group books in the jeep tool box and sheepishly got the General to sign it.
The Air Guard put a lot of planning in this and I did a little research over the phone with Merle Olmstead and Joe DeShay, both members of the wartime 357th. They sent me a couple photos of typical 357th FG marked trucks to copy. The day before the event he took General Wilfred Hessert the CG of the ANG Wing up for a short P-51 ride and performed an aerial ballet over the facility, it was like watching a falling leaf. Three hours went fast.
Last edited by Joe Gopan on Sun Apr 16, 2017 12:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL

Post by Joe Gopan » Sat Apr 15, 2017 11:59 pm

Coincidence, my MB is now the same age as the General was when his photo was taken 31 years ago.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL OR THREE OR FOUR

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Jun 08, 2018 3:43 pm

MEMORIAL DAY 2018
IMG_0187.jpg
IMG_0187.jpg (118.78 KiB) Viewed 3097 times
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IMG_0190.jpg (113.18 KiB) Viewed 3097 times
Last edited by Joe Gopan on Sun Nov 18, 2018 1:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

OldPappy
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Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL OR TWO OR THREE

Post by OldPappy » Fri Jun 22, 2018 7:58 am

Hey Ben Dover, are you one of the guys pictured?

I think yours is a beautiful Jeep, and hope you don't mind that I have pirated a picture you posted of this Jeep and use it as the screensaver on my laptop. Sort of inspiration for my current project.

I am built like the fellow in the last photo, and a bit bigger around the middle since I last fooled around with these little Jeeps, glad to see he fits, because I was worried about having room between the steering wheel, and seat to accommodate for my current configuration. With the overstuffed seats in the CJ2A I have now, I feel a little cramped.

Ever since I was a kid and reading about the X-15, I have been a fan of Chuck Yeager. Read his autobiography a number of years ago, and seeing those pictures makes me think about reading it again.
A.C.Fults
East Tennessee
Shade Tree Mechanic more than 50 years.
None of us are as smart as we pretend to be.

Joe Gopan
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Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL OR TWO OR THREE

Post by Joe Gopan » Fri Jun 22, 2018 9:22 am

They are General Yeager, an Adjutant General and Refueling Wing Commander. They all are friends who like old Army Jeeps.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

OldPappy
G-Second Lieutenant
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Posts: 532
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Location: USA - East Tennessee

Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL OR TWO OR THREE

Post by OldPappy » Fri Jun 22, 2018 11:28 am

Chuck Yeager was an American hero, and a true Icon. You are very fortunate to be able to call him "friend", I would have certainly been thrilled to have met the man.

His service to our country is second to none, and what I find amazing is something I just read from Wikipedia:

"On October 14, 2012, on the 65th anniversary of breaking the sound barrier, Yeager did it again at the age of 89, riding in a McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle piloted by Captain David Vincent out of Nellis Air Force Base."

Most folks that age wouldn't hold up to that kind of ride.

Looks like he made it to 95, which is a good run for anyone, but he was one of the real "tough guys" in my book.

Cool story you posted about him taking someone up in a P-51, which Yeager was an ace with.

I love the WW2 fighter planes. Usually every Summer there are a couple of P-47 Thunderbolts flying around here. They come into town for a festival we have, and fly out of a small airport across the river from my place, which is way out in the country. Didn't see them this year, but in previous years they would often fly over my little farm at tree top level, and once I was working the back pasture on a tractor, and they were so low I could see the pilots, so I waved, and they circled around, came in low, and gave me a wave of their wings. Really tickled me.
A.C.Fults
East Tennessee
Shade Tree Mechanic more than 50 years.
None of us are as smart as we pretend to be.

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL OR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR

Post by Joe Gopan » Thu Aug 30, 2018 1:27 am

And I almost forgot, B/Gen Millie Hedberg, Retired US Army Adjutant General and at one time, the nations senior female officer, was the Memorial Day Parade Marshall and requested my M-38A1 less top for the 1997 parade. She owned a CJ-3A Jeep that was used for hunting and fishing at her summer camp up here. They did not come any finer than General Hedberg. General Hedberg passed away in 2017, she was my friend.
Will post her photo in my M-38A1 when I find it.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

Joe Gopan
Jeep Heaven
Posts: 49841
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: Proving Ground

Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL OR FIVE OR SIX

Post by Joe Gopan » Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:05 pm

Got one more General who was "Parade Marshall" in my M-38A1 for the 1997 Memorial Day Parade. BG/Millie Hedberg was one of the first female US Army Generals and served as Adjutant General.
Will post pics in the near future.
2011 MVPA PIONEER AWARD - MVPA #1064
HONOR GRAD-WHEELED VEHICLE MECHANIC SCHOOL 1960 - US ARMY ORDNANCE SCHOOL(MACHINIST) ABERDEEN PG 1962 - O-1 BIRD DOG CREWCHIEF - 300,000+TROUBLE FREE M-38A1 MILES
LIFE MEMBER AM LEGION-40/8-DAV
7 MIL SPEC MAINTAINED MV'S
COL. BRUNO BROOKS (ARMY MOTORS) IS MY HERO

gpwmke
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Re: FIT FOR A GENERAL OR FIVE OR SIX

Post by gpwmke » Wed Apr 28, 2021 7:58 pm

Great Jeep and Great Generals. Thanks for sharing.


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