From: Richard Lathrop (lathrrs@snip.net)
Date: Thu May 09 2002 - 08:20:46 PDT
It might be going to a Reserve unit that is getting ready to convert to a heavy arty unit or it may be going out to familiarize a unit that is getting ready to go to training.
In the early 90's the US army shipped a T62 from Aberdeen to a local NG unit in NJ for familarisation before they were to act as OPFOR units with thier M60's.
Rick
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Steve Grammont <islander@midmaine.com>
Date: Thu, 9 May 2002 11:04:08 -0400
>Hi John,
>
>>Although it would be nice to think that some collector was having that M109
>>moved, I suspect that it was just the Army. I think that we would all be
>>amazed at the amount of money that the military spends each year on civilian
>>transport of heavy equipment.
>
>I can buy that, but where was it going? Maine has almost no Army
>presence worth speaking of. There are no large Army bases either. We
>are way out of the way of everything, so what was it doing coming up here?
>
>>In September of 2000 I saw two M60 tanks, on
>>civilian tractor/trailer rigs, heading west through Pennsylvania. I assumed
>>then, and still believe, that they were US government property. That
>>is...unless somebody is aware of the government selling M60's to the public.
>
>Er... they have :-) Jaques Littlefield owns, IIRC, 5 variants of the
>M60. I also have seen several in private museums. In fact, there is a
>small military museum down the road from me a bit which has a M60 sitting
>on a pedastal to attract visitors driving by on the highway. My gut
>feeling is that this M109 is going to that very same museum.
>
>>The "road rage" sign was a nice touch, but I wonder if the tractor/trailer
>>driver might have put it there? As to what one M109 was doing on its way to
>>Maine...who knows. It could very well be on its way to an Artillery unit up
>>there.
>
>As far as I know, we do not have any heavy units in Maine. We have some
>guard units, for sure, but I am pretty sure it is just towed stuff. I'll
>see reps from this unit in July so I can ask them. The M109 is a fairly
>special vehicle which I doubt they hand out to any hillbilly cannon
>cocker unit :-)
>
>>It might have been on its way to some VFW post, for use as a
>>monument.
>
>Knowing how many teeth a local VFW had to pull to get an old towed 105...
>I doubt it :-)
>
>>We can all dream, and I wouldn't mind waking up on day to find that I was
>>the owner of an M109, but I believe that what you saw was not a privately
>>owned piece of armor. I'm sure that somebody will correct me if I am wrong,
>>but I don't think that the government will allow something like an M109 to
>>be sold to the public.
>
>My guess is that it is going to a museum. It is the ONLY thing that
>makes complete and total sense. I could, of course, be quite wrong about
>that, but overall I still think that is the best guess. I'll try and
>contact the museum next month when they are open for the season again and
>see if they know anything. If I find out anything, I will post here.
>
>Steve
>
>
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