I was a Field Artillery Battery Commander in Germany a few years back.
My driver and I were coming up behind our convoy which had become
intermixed with elements of another battery. While trying to direct the
seperation of the two elements, my HMMWV was rearended by a 18
wheeler (fuel tanker, at that) while we were traveling about 25-30 mph.
The truck hit us at about 50+ mph, fortunately at a glancing blow. Still,
the left rear portion of the bed was torn completely off, along with the
left rear wheel, geared hub and A-frame. Luckily, my commo specialist
had gotten out of the left rear passenger seat a few minutes earlier at a
stop and into another vehicle. The seat back was pushed up to within
six inches of the front seat. The seat bottom was almost touching the
crossmember that runs behind the front seats. Had anyone been sitting
there, they would have been seriously injured, if not killed. As it turned
out, no one was injured beyond a minor cut I received on my wrist. This
only happened because I was in the process of putting my binoculars
away and was reaching across and under the radio when we were hit.
Overall, the HMMWV was a write-off, but me and my driver simply got in
another vehicle and finished the exercise none the worse for wear.
Of course, being in the military, there has to be a chickens**t side to this
story. The battalion supply officer (S-4) called me on the radio later that
evening to tell me that I could be held liable for the loss of the HMMWV.
He wants me to come to the Battalion Field Train (about 40 km to the rear)
and initiate an investigation and Report of Survey immediately. I told him
what I thought of his idea and where he could put his investigation and
report. Having previousl been a Battalion Supply and Property Book
Officer, I knew he was full of the brown squishy stuff. The battalion
commander was the next to tell the supply officer where he could put
the investigation. The Bn Cdr signed off on the report without a question
and I never signed anything other than the transfer paperwork to turn-in
the wreck and receive another HMMWV. I never heard much from the
supply officer either. How he ever thought that I could be held
personally liable for getting rear-ended while doing my job, I don't know.
The on the spot Line of Duty investigation completed by the Bn Exec
quickly exonerated both my driver and me. Just goes to show, you can
never get away from the silly crap in the Army.
End of my war story.
Jim Rice
>>> <LMuel1323@aol.com> 01/06/97 02:23pm >>>
Hello everybody
My Girl-Friend got rearended in our Pathfinder a couple of weeks ago
and now
she is freaked out to drive. We are looking now for a bigger truck,
especially a Hummer, but who can afford one. Now I am wondering
since the
Hummer is the civilian version of the HMMWV if the military sells those
trucks on auctions or if somebody has one for sale.
I appreciate every help I can get. Thank you.
Please send E-Mail to
lmuel1323@aol.com