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I responded to a local ad for a "military jeep transmission and transfer case / $400 obo". The seller thought it was from the early 50s, so I went to have a look. Everything I saw told me it was correct for an M38(a1?); correct shift tower, T90A1 with a 1952 build date, crossmember and military skid plate still bolted to the combo, etc.
Here is where the story comes in. The seller was a retired logger who had worked for the Montana DNRC (state agency) most of his life. He explained that one of his tasks from time to time was to "dispose" of surplus military items the state no longer had a use for. Apparently the state would not or could not sell surplus military items to the general public. This included military jeeps used for firefighting. And I quote, "I would dig a ditch and flatten the jeeps as best I could with a D6 dozer; then I would push them into the ditch and bury everything." He had lost count of how many firefighting jeeps he had "disposed" of. Along the way, one transmission/tc combo found its way into the back of his truck.
I took him to be an honest person and don't doubt his story. I just wonder how many willys jeeps he laid to rest.
Here in MA at Camp Edwards on Cape Cod there are a lot of stories like that. However, they usually weren't flattened, just buried. Two years ago we pulled the hull of an old tank out of the ground. I forget the tank but it had been there at least 30-40 years.
What a waste.
As a retired state employee I completely believe his account. Early in my carreer we incountered similar problems in disposing of surplus military gear. We could not sell military items at the general public auctions. Nor could we sell a complete vehicle. Many were disassembled and sold to local fire depts, rescue squads, etc. In 1973 we aquired 3 M38s and 3 M38A1s from the military through the Dept. of Civil Defense. I still have the bill of sales with the hood numbers. Our Dept. used them for Radio jeeps and search and rescue work for many years until we cannibalized some to keep the others running. We sold the remains to a couple of salvage yards that suprizingly still have a some of the old bodies. Pretty rough last time I looked at them. By 1992 our Dept. had one M38 left in service that was cared for by a very competent team. I found out about it and started inquiring what they were going to do with it. I was told that it would be surplused when they were able to replace it with a John Deere Gator. In 2008 they got their Gator and the M38 was put up for auction. By then the rules had changed and the M38 was left intact. I was able to buy that jeep and today it is one of my wife and I prized possessions. My grandson loves it! Sorry about the long post but this thread stirred up a lot of memories.
way to go toojeeps!! my brother was on a "salvage" ship off the
coast of vn in the late 60's. according to my bro, the navys
definition of salvage was "strip any electronics, avionics or
armament and winch the hulks over the side into the sea".
mutts, hueys, you name it. it really got to him.
keep 'em rollin'
RICKG MC 51986 DOD 01-52, '50 CJ3a
In 1999, I was fighting forest fires (state lands jusridiction) in Montana and was based for 2 weeks east of Missoula near the road that forks off to the north toward Seeley Lake. We camped at a DNR fire station very near the junction. The station had an M-38 there. It had been painted yellow- it looked good- a good paint job, etc. Obviously it had not been used much, as I recall, mileage was under 20000, just about all the parts were there, etc. A very nice jeep overall that would go for mnimum $6000. It would have made about as easy a restoration as any of us could imagine.
I talked with a DNR employee at length about it (typical stuff- are they going to auction it, etc). I thought seriously of getting on a mailing list for state auctions.
I went on that year to have a rip-roaring fire season lasting into November (I was permanently based out of the forest near San Diego at the time; we had just gone up to MT for the fire bust) and sort of put the jeep out of my mind.
Crying shame it might have been destroyed. I had harbored dark thoughts of liberating that jeep from the state of Montana, hooking it up behind the crew carrier and towing it down to S Diego.
I dug out some old records from April of 1973 that some might be interested in. KY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, Division of Law Enforcement received 3 M38s Hood numbers 20905342, 20905347 (Mine) and 20905288. We also recieved 3 M38A1s with hood numbers 2A3378, 20994864 and 20985655. The M38s were valued at $2004.00 each and the M38A1s were valued at $2614.00 each. The transfer order was signed by Hess Henson the Director of Law Enforcement and a Mr. Buchanan with Civil Defense. I inherited the old records and have held on to them because of the information on my M38.
He had lost count of how many firefighting jeeps he had "disposed" of. Along the way, one transmission/tc combo found its way into the back of his truck.
