Military Vehicles, May 1997,: Re: [MV] DUKW info
Re: [MV] DUKW info
GIjeeps@aol.com
Tue, 6 May 1997 02:47:00 -0400 (EDT)
I don't have a great deal of DUKW info for you but I can tell you that it has
always been one of my favorite vehicles because my grandfather drove a DUKW
in WWII. The vehicle was named "The Ruptured DUKW" and served on Eniwetok and
Okinawa during the war. Interestingly enough my grandpa told me that they
used them for off-shore patrol duty around the Pacific islands. He was
standing on the deck of the DUKW with an M-1 Carbine and a searchlight
(standard equipment for a DUKW?) during a night patrol when he saw three
Japanese soldiers on the beach only a few hundred yards away. Needless to say
Granddpa and the DUKW and the japs were all terrified to see each other. My
grandfather couldn't decide if he should jump in the DUKW, jump off the DUKW,
or just plain DUKW (duck). He eventually remembered that it was among his
various responsibilities to shoot such japs and raised his carbine to do just
that. Now, it has often been said that japanese soldiers in WWII were
generally ignorant and so severely disciplined and trained that they lacked
initiative and individual decision making ability. Not so these japs, they
had long since disapppeared into the jungle without orders from their
superiors or further prompting from Grandpa. Grandpa later decided that he
was quite pleased with the way that the whole thing turned out and is glad he
never had to fire a shot in anger. I am glad the japs didn't fire a shot or
two myself as I might not be writing this otherwise. (They were probably
filling canteens or gathering coconuts or something and didn't have their
rifles handy)
Just thought that everyone might enjoy this brief, true, DUKW tale and
perhaps appreciate some insight into this tiny little incident, a fraction of
an instant some fifty three years ago, that was one of the billions of tiny
little incidents that made up the most incredible war in the history of
mankind.
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