From: Carol Kenyon (Da-Kenyons@webtv.net)
Date: Sat Jul 13 2002 - 09:32:37 PDT
Guys, it's been a long four years... Four years
ago I bought a big panel truck after finding it in a local wrecking
yard.
The 1.5 ton Ford had been converted for a specific purpose, but for
what and by whom?
I wasted an entire year annoying Phone Company Retirees to see if this
was one of theirs.
It wasn't.
I then bothered Power Company employees and California State
(Caltrans) employees to see if they'd claim it. They woudn't!
I was left with the suspicion of a US Army
use possibility.
I wrote Fred Crismon. James K Wagner, EVERY old truck magazine. and
joined the MVPA and this on-line group.
Except for Mr. Everette Doyle, NO ONE had
ever seen such an animal.
Everette saw one as a child in Walnut Ridge
Arkansas about 1948?
About three years ago my father handed me an old book of photographs
"Year Magazine".
In this book was a picture of two 1939 Ford Army Ambulances carting off
dead Nazi spies.
Although I was interested, I couldn't at the time reconcile my
utility-converted panel with ambulances.
If I'd only paid more attention to that picture, I would've saved
everyone about two years of research.
You see, I'd found evidence that Todd Shipyards in San Pedro, CA had
owned it. And
later found their name etched by time into the
panel's sheetmetal in several areas.
Why couldn't I have figured it out then? Pigheadedness, I guess.
Anyway, here's the begining of the final chapter:
US Army War Dept contracts with Ford Motor
Company to produce a small amount of 1.5 ton
NOT 4WD ambulances in 1939. The previous (and most other vehicle
contracts) were handled by General Motors. Why Ford got this
contract is a mystery to me. A glimpse into the
late 30's US Army life through unit yearbooks
and the like show multitudes of Chevies. Dodges, GMCs, but no Fords!
My truck's War Dept registration (W) number
is USA W-7755. All these old military ambulances began with the number
7. The four
digit number shows just how few the
US Army had bought up until that time. Compare that to Jeep W numbers!
These new new '39 ambulances were dispersed throughout the country as
needed.
The "Year Magazine" anbulances were used by the US Army Medical
Department (AMC).
I don't yet know what unit first had my truck, but I'm pretty sure
they were in So. Cal.
After Pearl Harbor, military units were deployed left and right. My
poor panel was temporarily without an owner until the 7th Rgt of the
Californa State Guard used her. The Cal
State Guard vehicles had TWO insignia on them. The Great Seal of the
State of
California AND the Regimental DUI.
Now you know why I pissed off CA State
Officials with my insistance that this truck was
used by them. It just wasn't Caltrans...
After WWII, a new unit of the 40th Division
was formed. It was the 223rd Inf Rgt. Another
SoCal outfit. These folks had my ambulance
until AFTER the Korean War.
Todd Shipyards, San Pedro (Los Angeles) obtained the truck in 1954
(engine block stamped DMV 8 54) and MOST LIKELY THEY
CONVERTED AMBULANCE TO ROLLING
TOOL CABINET or whatever it is now!
As soon as I can get some specs for these very, very rare ambulances
I'll restore mine.
Don Kenyon
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