The Convoy Comes To Marshalltown

Today the 2009 reenactment of the Transcontinental Military Convoy came to Marshalltown, Iowa. In recreating the 1919 convoy, their trip across the country started on June 13th in Washington DC. Approximately 150 vehicles - some traveling the entire route, some joining in for short distances -- is following, as closely as possible, the original route along the Lincoln Highway. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association website, www.MVPA.org/ states the vehicles must be in "excellent mechanical condition' and can be "any restored military vehicle from a Model T to a HumVee."

After WWI, the military realized it had not been prepared when it WWI came along. Use of motor vehicles was new, not only to the military but to the world. The Army activated the Motor Transport Corps and this new Army on Wheels had to prove/show that motorized vehicles could replace horses! And be ready to be on both coasts for the nation’s security.

The Lincoln Highway, started in 1913, the first transcontinental highway, from New York City to San Francisco, was not as we see roads today. Much of the travelway in 1919 was gravel, pounded mud, tire ruts in mud and sand, oxen/wagon trails, and cattle trails. The convoy would test the ability of the military vehicles to make it to the west coast. Some of the trials and disasters of this first convoy are mentioned on the MVPA.ORG website……

“The Lincoln Highway presented a roadway "damaged or destroyed" over much of its length. Besides plowing through mud holes and continually getting stuck in sand, vehicles fell through 100 bridges which could not stand the strain and often had to be rebuilt or repaired by Army Engineers as the convoy was underway. Over 230 road accidents, such as vehicles sinking in quicksand or mud, running off the road or over embankments, or overturning, were recorded. Sleep was limited to about five and one-half hours per day. According to one report, much hardship was experienced due to the excessive amount of strenuous work, lack of shelter, ration difficulties, lack of bathing facilities, and at times the scarcity of even drinking water. The Ordnance Observer reported that during the early weeks discipline among the enlisted men was "conspicuous by its absence." Eisenhower was to state in his own report to the Chief of the Motor Transportation Corps that "This lack of discipline was largely due to inexperienced, and poor type of officers. It resulted in excessive speeding of trucks; unauthorized halts; unseemly conduct, and poor handling of trucks in convoy." Adding to the frustrations of the trip was the fact that although all drivers had claimed to be experienced, Ike suspected that they had never handled anything more advanced than a Model T: "Most colored the air with expressions in starting and stopping that indicated a longer association with teams of horses than internal combustion engines."

This morning the convoy left Cedar Rapids Iowa, arrived in Marshalltown for lunch at the fair grounds and will proceed to Jefferson Iowa for the night..about 175 miles. I suppose I should mention, the line of pick-ups, RVs and Motor Homes following the convoy was probably longer than the convoy!! I guess they aren’t setting up camp quite like the 1919 convoy did!

The convoy is scheduled to arrive in San Francisco July 8...
11 states, 3300 miles in 26 days.
God Speed Convoy!