A veterans jeep story

Post your jeep photos, Pre or Post restoration. Bragging Photos etc. Also LIFE jeep photos.
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D_Conrad
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A veterans jeep story

Post by D_Conrad » Tue May 10, 2022 9:36 pm

Not sure where to put this, as we no longer have a general discussion board. So I'll leave it here! This is a portion of a story from a WWII 100th infantry veteran as part of my WWII veterans project. This section reguards his jeep, which he named Sally B after his girlfriend back home. Kind of long, but a neat story.

I picked up my jeep at Marseilles. It was made by Willys in Toledo, OH and went all through the war with normal maintenance and only two war wounds. A piece of shrapnel hit and ruined the spare tire and metal wheel. It also took a hit in the five gallon ‘jerry’ can filled with my spare tank of gas – luckily it did not start a fire. I was able to replace the wounded parts at our company’s maintenance. Early on, I found it difficult to drive and look for mines etc. so I got Sgt. Wiese in maintenance to drill two holes in the windshield frame. I installed two French vacuum windshield wipers. If you look at the front of the jeep you will see my air-raid camouflage net tow-rope and a mine ‘spider’. The upright steel post was higher but I ran into a German piano wire device they had stretched across the road and the rod bent back to the windshield. I tried to pull it back up but it broke at the weld. Division maintenance squad put one on all the combat jeeps to keep the Germans from beheading us, I guess.

 

            The mine spider and night reflector were so Lt. Lockman could find it, and on one of our “hurry up and jump outs” I cut my left arm on a piece of metal on the left side. I thought maybe that would earn me the Purple Heart, and more ‘points’ to get home early, but the Lt. did not think it warranted a Purple Heart. I still have a three inch scar so it wasn’t just a scratch. I drove the jeep over 20,000 miles from Oct. 12th 1944 until the allied government took it away from me about Sept. 20th 1945. Without wheels I was destitute.

 

            The jeep as a small carrier was okay but in war was too small. You could get four people in, but many times I carried five, six, or seven soldiers all with rifles etc. it was very very crowded. I picked up a small German trailer which I hauled across Europe, but I pulled it only when we were moving from one place to another. When we stopped for any length of time I parked it. Most of my driving was off road or on dirt roads or trails, seldom on paved roads except when we changed locations. I took a compass from a German vehicle, without it we would not have survived. As I mentioned, the Lt. could not read maps and seldom gave me the chance to read the map unless I was alone in the jeep. Staff Sgt. Gebhardt was able to read maps and did so much of the time; most of our maps were 1914 vintage French maps. We had very few American printed maps and the French maps appeared to be equal to or better than our American maps.

 

            Another problem I had was that my wrist-watch quit so I found it very difficult meeting rendezvous on time. So I found a clock in, I think, a French car that I kept at my side of the jeep. I had sandbags on the floor for protection for both the Lt. and I, but I don’t think they would have made a difference if we hit a mine; it just made it more difficult to use the brake and clutch. I drove many people many places during combat, etc., delivering or picking up papers, between our company, battalion, regimental headquarters and other companies; also squads and soldiers, whatever was needed. I really never fully slept many nights as I did a lot of delivering guys to and from guard posts. Sometimes things were done in a hurry so I usually slept with my combat boots on. It made for a crowded and sometimes muddy sleeping bag, but that’s how we did it. We all slept fully clothed. I don’t remember ever taking my clothes off in combat except the time I took a bath with a old lady’s help in Lemberg just before we moved to Enchenberg.
Daniel

1943 Willys MB (slow restoration in progress)
viewtopic.php?t=273387

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D_Conrad
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by D_Conrad » Tue May 10, 2022 9:37 pm

His photo. Him and his jeep
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Daniel

1943 Willys MB (slow restoration in progress)
viewtopic.php?t=273387

Buy my book! Http://www.throughtheireyesbooks.org

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Klaas
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by Klaas » Tue May 10, 2022 11:01 pm

Great story. Thanks for posting, Daniel!
Klaas
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Tim Shanteler
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by Tim Shanteler » Wed May 11, 2022 4:41 am

Neat story....
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by FredRG » Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:13 pm

That's a good read! Thank you for sharing

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D_Conrad
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by D_Conrad » Mon Aug 08, 2022 8:04 pm

Absolutely!
Daniel

1943 Willys MB (slow restoration in progress)
viewtopic.php?t=273387

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DogDoc
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by DogDoc » Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:43 am

Thank you for sharing that!
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JAB
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by JAB » Sun Aug 14, 2022 3:17 pm

Wow! The details that we take for granted. Not changing clothes for...how long? Sand bag "armor". No compass, clock, maps.. Just Wow.
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HankII
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by HankII » Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:37 am

I drove the jeep over 20,000 miles from Oct. 12th 1944 until the allied government took it away from me about Sept. 20th 1945.

Agreed. NEAT Story! Curious why/reason allied govt took Jeep away. ?
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Is old Jeeps tuned good & Firm Feelin women

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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by HamFab » Sat Oct 08, 2022 7:47 am

Reading this story, it jumps around a bit as if parts are missing from the veteran's story.
Is this the case? If so, where can his entire "interview" be found?

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D_Conrad
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Re: A veterans jeep story

Post by D_Conrad » Mon Aug 21, 2023 5:25 pm

Sorry i never got notifactions of these posts!

It is two seterate sections of his story. His full story will be published in my next book!
Daniel

1943 Willys MB (slow restoration in progress)
viewtopic.php?t=273387

Buy my book! Http://www.throughtheireyesbooks.org


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