Guests at Marietta’s Aviation History and Technology Center were treated to four additional exhibits Saturday during a visit from the Georgia Chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association.
In addition to viewing the center’s various military planes and fighter jets, the price of admission also included an up-close look at four authentic military motor vehicles owned by members of the association.
Members of the MVPA brought their vintage cars and trucks to the center for the organization’s annual homecoming display, where guests could observe and ask questions about their history.
What sets these vehicles apart, according to association President Robert Brough, is they are all still fully operational. Some group members will regularly use their specialty cars to participate in events for the city of Marietta, including the annual Fourth of July parade.
“It’s history in motion,” Brough said. “They’re not static displays, they’re not museum pieces, they’re not trailer queens.”
The Military Vehicle Preservation Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting, storing and preserving military vehicles from every era, from World War I to the present day.
Brough said the purpose of the homecoming display is to educate guests on the history of these vehicles and their importance to military efforts.
“I’m not a veteran, but I’m a firm believer that these military vehicles were,” Brough said. “They not only deserve to be respected for the service that they provided but I think they’ve got a story to tell … We are very interested in educating the general public and allowing these vehicles to tell their stories.”
The biggest vehicle brought to the show was a 5-ton 1958 Diamond T truck, owned by association member and west Cobb resident Mark Elrod.
According to Elrod, the vehicle was in regular use during the Vietnam War and soldiers, supplies or other cargo could be loaded up and lugged around from base to base. In total, the vehicle can carry around 80,000 pounds.
Elrod has owned the truck for last 21 years after buying it from a private dealer. On an information board in front of the vehicle, Elrod explains his love for all things trucks: “Some guys never grow up, and Mark… still plays with trucks.”
Elrod echoed Brough’s sentiments about the importance of remembering the service from both veterans and the vehicles they used.
“Part of what we miss with the aircraft or the trucks is that they’re veterans also,” Elrod said. “Yes, it’s a piece of mechanical hardware, but if it didn’t do it’s job, then the troops couldn’t do their jobs.”
Fellow west Cobb resident and MVPA member Bill Beaudin displayed his 1946 CJ-2A Jeep, which he bought off of eBay in 2005. Although the history behind his particular vehicle is unknown, Beaudin said these types of Jeeps were regularly used on Navy ships during the Korean War during which sailors would drive them around the flight decks to their stations.
Beaudin said his favorite aspect of his vehicle is its historical significance.
“I like going through parades. Everyone likes to look at it and hear the stories,” he said.
The third vehicle was an authentic 1943 Ford GPW Jeep. Owned by Covington resident Jim Goodwin, the vehicle was modified to be used as an ambulance during World War II.
Unlike a lot of the other vehicles in the lot, Goodwin was able to track down the exact history of his particular Jeep. After buying the vehicle from a friend in Indiana, he dug into military records and found that his vehicle was used at Marine bases on the islands of Saipan and Iwo Jima.
“Guys ask me about (the Jeep), and I say, ‘How many hours do you have?’” Goodwin said. “I could spend hours talking about this Jeep.”
The oldest vehicle in the lot was Brough’s 1917 Ford Model T vehicle, dating back to the World War I-era. The vehicle is just one of 18 he owns in a private collection, which he has been building since 2006.
According to Brough, due to the rarity of motor vehicles in the days of the First World War, they were mainly used as ambulances as they could transfer injured soldiers to safety faster.
In addition to being fully operational, Brough’s ambulance comes with a working horn and siren, as well as authentic, era-appropriate medical supplies.
Brough said he collects these specialty vehicles due to their ability to draw a connection to veterans who may have worked in these same vehicles.
“If our vehicle means something to you, if it rehashes a memory … if it reminds you of the service that you or a family member provided to this country, then that’s why I do what I do.”
