Lone Star MVPA

[Barrman]

Those of us that have been to an FE or just been around 2 or more Zoners at one time know how we have so many similar interest it is just weird. Those same people are also some of the most selfless and helpfull people I have ever known.

I met with a group just like us last night. Sarge from here way back when and SS invited me to come over to the big town of Austin for the Lone Star MVPA Christmas party a few weeks ago. It is 70 miles or so from my house to Camp Mabry where the meeting would be held. I didn't really want to spend the fuel money until he said Colton could come along and that they use the Texas Military Vehicle Museum for their meetings. My only exposure to MVPA stuff was word of mouth about National level snobbery and election hyjinx. But, I figured it would be a good excuse to take the M715 out for a run.

The last time I was on Camp Mabry was in November of 1988 and I was sent there as a PFC in the TXNG for a weekend of training. The place has changed a little. I kept telling Colton that the building the museum uses sure looked familiar. When I saw the huge arched double door entrance I recognized it. It was a barracks way back then and I had slept in it. Colton thought that was cool. But, once he saw the line up of tanks, trucks and artillery outside the building, he was instantly in hyper mode. Then when we got inside and planes, helicoptors, tanks, trucks, Panzers were seen, he couldn't talk straight. He tried to be everywhere at once. "Dad, look, Dad, look, Dad, look was heard by all." The hit of the evening was a F-16 cockpit simulator. I am pretty sure he was looking at it thinking how we could get it in the back of the M715 for a while.

Boy was my presumtion of how the people would be wrong. It was like being at an FE except I didn't know anybody yet. "Hey, that truck sounds good, that 230 isn't worth keeping" or "I like those big tires on there, they sure look better than those itty bitty 9.00's." Were a few of the comments I heard before I even got out of the truck. People talking about the best kind of carry pistol to get their wife for a present and stuff like that.

Overall, it was a great evening with a great bunch of people. Tim T had a similar report after going to his local MVPA chapter a few months ago. Some of you that had the same presumtions about the MVPA might want to find a local group. You might be as suprised as I was at how at home you feel with them.


Now, they had a 1968 M715 W/W in the museum. I couldn't see the number because the lights were off. I will get it the next time we go. One of the members is a Marine and he told me that he saw USMC M715's in active service with the same tires I have on mine. His words "Don't let anybody give you any lip about those tires. We used them that way." He even has pictures at home of a M715 and a M726 on the beach in Belgium with the big tires from an exercise he participated in at one time.

I got a lot of pictures, be didn't get home to around midnight and they are still on my camera since I had to get up this morning to go to work.

[Binford]

Did those "big tires" exist back when he would have seen them? Or is he just talking about some other sort of 11.00x16 or so tire available to the military back then?

Yes, the local MVPA guys are a neat bunch. While Zoners seem to be mostly in the upper-30s to 40s range in age, the MVPA guys around here are considerably older for the most part. A few younger than me, but we have several Korea and WWII vets! REALLY neat talking with those guys! And GREAT to have Nick and Nathan with me to hear some of their stories!

None have M715s, nor apparently much interest in them. Nearly all of them have MBs or GPWs. Quite a few M37s too.

We had a gathering at the local municipal airport last fall and one of the older members brought this tracked vehicle. No idea what it is though. Anyone know?



Friendly group though, and great to expose to kids to! I agree with Tim B. in recommending you check out your local MVPA chapter.

[Barrman]

Studebaker Weasel. They had one of those at the museum last night.

Another cool thing I saw was a M211 kitchen truck. Basically just a Duece with a bunch of cooking stuff in the back. But, they had a rain fly/cover extending out on one side. Kind of where the serving line would be. What I thought was cool was that they turned the drivers side troop seat around so the seat folded away from the bed. The legs hooked on the outside of the bed so the seat was level. This made a shoulder high tray slide just like the waist high ones every school in this country has.

Would be kind of cool too for parades. Turn the seats around and tie the people on. They would be hanging out over the pavement and facing the crowds.

[george walker]

That is an m29 weasel made by studebaker,they came in plain an ambhib versions during WWII. I have belonged to the MVCC (now MVPA) since 1980 it is a very large international org. Their members over the years have done alot to bring about the interest and perservation of all kinds of MV's. Many surplus vendors are members who took up the business in support of the hobby.Alot of the members are older but its their financial abilitys that have helped perserve some of the most expensive MV's, as much as many here have spent on 715's can you imagine the cost of restoring an transporting a GMC DUKW, or a sherman tank? A friend of mine once had 2 M-123 10 ton trucks

[k8icu]

Generally you will find the local chapters have the best people in them. The MVPA is as stated international and very involved in things from legislation to the history channel. Not much different than the NRA in that aspect. I have met some very nice people at the national meets over the years, but it's the local folks that really make it happen. Think of this way here on the zone are great and some are well not...just like the MVPA.

[Barrman]

I got the pictures downloaded.

Here is Colton playing in the F-16 cockpit display.


Here he is next to a Hiller that he really, really wanted to get just a little closer to.


Here is the single M715 in the place.


This fits in the "you have to be tired" catagory. He slept for most of the 1.5 hour ride home.


The flash didn't even wake him up or make him stur is how tired he was.

[brute4c]

Great stuff Tim...I love it!!

[Binford]

I just showed those pictures to Nick and he couldn't believe how big Colton looks now! "Man! He looks like a teenager now!" he said when he saw that first shot of him in the plane.

Nick has grown a lot since the FE too. We just went through all 232 pictures I took of that event.

[kwai]

But the bridge plate on the 715 is wrong. Should be a 04.

[pistolnut]

Colton must have had a growth spurt--he looks like about 15 in the first picture! Great stuff Tim. The 715 and the M-37 look a little dusty. The museum looks really cool. I'll have to check it out next time I'm out that way.

Years ago, I called somebody with that group because I lived in the area and owned and M-715. I don't recall the guy's name, but he was very friendly and invited me out to visit their group. At the time, they did re-enactments pretty regularly. I never went, but now I wish I had.