Quote Originally Posted by KaiserM715 View Post
Yeah, I'm thinking it may have seen some air time ...
I am somewhat embarrassed to say that at age 21, whilst a SP4, 1969 in Blanding, UT, I decided to take our M725 for a ride out on the mesa. Most of the area was dirt roads with an occasional "wash" where the water from thunderstorms would drain off of the mesa. So, I am going along and come to a wash. Just a dip in the road. Well, went down in the wash and came back up on the other side. Mind you, the wash was only about as wide as the M725 was long. Of course, I didn't let off of the gas. As I exited the wash, I went airborne. The M725 flew up in the air and came down on the front axle. The litters came loose in the back and one started to short the batteries. I quickly stopped that fireworks. (Remember, 21 years old) When I got back and parked the thing, I noticed that oil was running out of the front differential in the middle. I thought that maybe the cover was loose. I tried to tighten it. No joy.

Later, I got really scared. So, I loosened the cover, let all of the oil out and when it stopped dripping, I tightened the bolts. We were in a very dusty red clay area so all oil leaks looked like rust! I tossed a handful of that loose dust on the cover. It looked like it had been oily forever.

We drove that truck for almost another year until it started to give some problems. What had happened was that the differential split in the middle ever so slightly. Yeah, it was dumb. Yeah, it cost the US Army some money (as well as us citizens).

So, that said, I can identify with being airborne and we ain't talking 101st or 82nd...