Site of the United States WWI Centennial Commission, and the Doughboy Foundation, building the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C. Weak bridges were reinforced or repaired, sometimes after a truck fell through them. 3, March 1910, pp. Met and escorted through South Bend by Major [sic] F.R. [5][14] The 81 total vehicles and trailers included "34 heavy cargo trucks, 4 light delivery trucks", 2 mobile machine shops, 1 blacksmith shop, and 1 wrecking truck,[15] actually a Millitor "Artillery Wheeled Tractor"[16] that once towed 9 trucks at once and was equipped with a power winch. Included in this count were: motorcycles, ambulances, an officer’s work The 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy was a long distance convoy (described as a Motor Truck Trip with a "Truck Train"[1]) carried out by the U.S. Army Motor Transport Corps that drove over 3,000 mi (4,800 km) on the historic Lincoln Highway from Washington, D.C., to Oakland, California and then by ferry over to end in San Francisco. Both Lt. Jackson and Lt. Both Eisenhower and Jackson reported that organization and discipline improved over the course of the expedition. INDUSTRY -- In 1919, the U.S. Army drove a convoy of motorized vehicles across the country for the first time, traveling mainly along the fledgling Lincoln Highway from Washington, D.C., to … [2] Although some "were really competent drivers" by the end, the majority of soldiers were "raw recruits with little or no military training"; and except for the Motor Supply Company E commander (1st Lt Daniel H. Martin), troop officers had "meager knowledge" of "handling men in the field". [5]:2 To the next control point, the convoy travelled 166 miles (267 km) instead of the planned 88 and used extra camps at Echo, Utah (17/18), and Ogden, Utah (18/19); arriving at Salt Lake City on the 19th (vice the 14th). "Ike's Road Trip" by Kevin L. Cook, The Quarterly Journal of Military History, Spring 2001, pp 68-7. Most of the failures that were not caused by operator error (primarily poor lubrication and over-revving on downgrades) were due to the effects of the constant dust, vibration and pounding on the carburetors, ignition systems, bushings, fasteners and bearings. “Army Truck is Try-Out For Equipment.” The South Bend News Times, 20 July 1919, p. 10. Lt. Jackson, the Ordnance Department Observer, submitted a detailed report on the performance of all of the convoy's vehicles. Their goal was 6000 recruits. [DDE's Records as President, President's Personal File, Box 967, 1075 Greany Maj. William C.; NAID #1055071], Report, "Principal Facts Concerning the First Transcontinental Army Motor Transport Expedition, Washington to San Francisco, July 7 to September 6, 1919." [5] The heavy trucks included three examples of each of three wartime commercial models in the 3 to 5-1/2 ton range being considered for continued service (FWD, Mack and Riker) along with eleven 1-1/2 ton trucks from Garford, GMC, Packard and White. Members of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association will drive vintage and modern trucks following the route of the old Lincoln Highway, now U.S. 30, to mark the pioneering trek’s 90th anniversary. As an observer for the War Department, Lt. Col. Eisenhower learned first-hand of the difficulties faced in traveling great distances on roads that were impassable, and that resulted in frequent breakdowns of the military vehicles. One of … The military officers carried orders not to deviate from the route Ostermann had established prior to the summer of 1919. In the summer of 1919, a young Lieutenant Colonel named Dwight D. Eisenhower participated in the first Army transcontinental motor convoy. Public Domain. It left Washington D.C. on July 7 and arrived in San Francisco on Sept. 6, 1919. The soldiers had spent 11 hours on the road that day, traveling from Kimball, Neb., to Cheyenne. This article deals specifically with the U.S. Army's 1919 transcontinental Motor Transport Corps convoy. Archival footage from the 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy visit to the Firestone Homestead. Some of the participants also posted updates. The retracing of the 1919 military convoy route made headlines at it crossed the U.S. the past month. He noted that the convoy commander was not given time to train his men and recommended that "...the M.T.C. ", This page was last edited on 27 October 2020, at 17:06. The Denison Review, 2 July 1919, p. 1. should pay more attention to disciplinary drills for officers and men, and that all should be intelligent, snappy soldiers before giving them the responsibility of operating trucks." The convoy was to test the mobility of the military during wartime conditions. The Transcontinental Motor Truck Convoy entered the city on the Lincoln Highway during an evening thunderstorm. Inexperience caused a great deal of unnecessary delays and breakdowns in the early going. The expedition consisted of 81 motorized Army vehicles that crossed the United States from Washington, DC, to San Francisco, a venture covering a distance of 3,251 miles in 62 days. [5]:24, In the course of its journey, the convoy broke and repaired[19] dozens of wooden bridges[2]:10 (14 in Wyoming alone) [20] and "practically" all roadways were unpaved from Illinois through Nevada. With the end of World War I the United States Army was eager to par- ticipate. The 1919 convoy by the Army's young Motor Transport Corps took 62 days, from July 7 to September 6. “In general, the route began at the Ellipse, in Washington, DC and ended at Lincoln Park, in San Francisco, CA – some 3,250 miles and 62 days later.” “In 1919 the US Army decided to plan and execute a motor convoy of various military vehicles across the country on the newly formed Lincoln Highway,” the MVPA says. The various trailers were also evaluated (most received failing grades) and the graphite grease was determined to provide significant benefits. 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., August - May The other motorcycles were used to carry messages up and down the length of the convoy. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s 100th anniversary recreation of the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy will pass through Fremont Tuesday morning. The route the convoy would take was mostly along the Lincoln Highway, the first major transcontinental motor route. The convoy was proceeded by a publicity officer travelling one day ahead by automobile to prepare for the arrival of the main body. For the price of a three-year military committment these recruits learned valuable skills that would serve them well in the upcoming automotive age. 3 ton Class B Standardized Military "Liberty" trucks, "Principal Facts Concerning the First Transcontinental Army Motor Transport Expedition", https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TdslAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZvwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6343,3546033&dq=1919+convoy+gettysburg&hl=en, (also published in Mechanical Eng., vol. Eisenhower also dedicated much of his report to a detailed summary of road conditions in each of the states that the convoy traversed, followed by general observations on proper road construction and maintenance, observing that some of the good roads were too narrow and some formerly excellent roads had been allowed to deteriorate without maintenance, stating "In such cases it seems evident that a very small amount of money spent at the proper time would have kept the road in good condition."[31]. Open Daily The convoy remained 7 days behind schedule through Oakland, California, where it arrived 5 September at 4 pm (v. the 29th). Bridges too small or weak for the Mack had to be bypassed. Commemorative Program, "A California Dinner in Honor of the Officers and Men Who Made up the First Transcontinental Convoy of the Motor Transport Corps, U.S. Army over the Lincoln Highway, Washington to San Francisco, July 7 - September 7, 1919" [U.S. Army, Transport Corps, Transcontinental Convoy: Records, 1919, Box 1; NAID #12165975], Memorandum from Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower to the Chief, Motor Transport Corps, with attached report on the Trans-Continental Trip, November 3, 1919. In addition to transporting New York's Medal of Joan of Arc[27] for San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts,[28] the convoy had four objectives; and Ordnance Department[5] and Tank Corps observers[1] completed their reports in October. The convoy travelled up to 32 mph (51 km/h),[11] and the schedule was for 18 mph (29 km/h)[21]:111 to average 15 mph (24 km/h). At many stops along the way the convoy was escorted into town by local dignitaries and feted with church bells, parades, concerts, picnics, dances and banquets. As an observer for the War Department, Lt. Col. Eisenhower learned first-hand of the difficulties faced in traveling great distances on roads that were impassable and resulted in frequent breakdowns of the military vehicles. [18] Six vehicles were chosen to evaluate Dixon's Graphite Grease to see if it provided worthwhile benefits. The 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy was a "Truck Train" of the US Army Motor Transport Corps that drove over 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from Washington, D.C. (departing July 7 and arriving September 6), to Oakland, California, and ferried to San Francisco. Jackson (Ordnance Observer) to Col. L.B. The convoy traveled from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco in 62 days. The White, GMC, Riker, Packard and Mack trucks also proved satisfactory, though the latter's chain drive rendered them unsuitable for poor roads, and the larger motorcycles would have benefitted from more robust tires. Despite travelling on 24 August rest day, the convoy fell behind an additional day using 4 travel days instead of the 2 scheduled travel days from Orr's Ranch, Utah, through the Great Salt Lake Desert to Ely, Nevada; where the convoy arrived on the 24th (v. [5]:5 Eisenhower later said he joined the convoy partly for a lark, and partly to learn. [22] The actual average for the 3,250 mi (5,230 km) covered in 573.5 hours[23] was 5.65 mph (9.09 km/h) over the 56 travel days for an average of 10.24 hours per travel day. [U.S. Army, Transport Corps, Transcontinental Convoy: Records, 1919, Box 1, Report on first transcontinental motor convoy] [U.S. Army, Transport Corps, Transcontinental Convoy: Records, 1919, Box 1, Report on first transcontinental motor convoy; NAID #12165976], "Daily Log of the First Transcontinental Motor Convoy, Washington, DC to San Francisco, Cal., July 7th to Sept. 6th, 1919" [U.S. Army, Transport Corps, Transcontinental Convoy: Records, 1919, Box 1, Daily log of the first transcontinental motor convoy (typewritten copy); NAID #12166042]. In western Wyoming Eisenhower and a companion convinced the convoy that an Indian attack was imminent. After a few weeks on the road the most skilled and responsible men were assigned as drivers or co-drivers of specific vehicles with full responsibility for their operations and maintenance and a preventative maintenance routine of evening servicing and morning inspections was instituted to reduce preventable breakdowns. The shortest driving periods between control points were from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Omaha, Nebraska (2 hrs for 5 mi) and Delphos, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana (6 hrs for 51 mi), while 4 days had average speeds over 9 mph (14 km/h): E Palestine OH to Wooster OH (9 hr for 83 mi), South Bend IN to Chicago Heights Il (8​3⁄4 hr for 80 mi), Jefferson IA to Denison IA (7​1⁄2 hr for 68 mi), and Anderson's Ranch NV to Ely NV (8 hr for 77 mi).[23]. The MVPA convoy will leave Washington, D.C., on June 13 and plans to … [1]:4 Dust was a constant problem. On Wednesday, August 28, 2019 the MVPA will travel through Kearney as they retrace the original 1919 US Army’s First Transcontinental Motor Convoy route, on the famed Lincoln Highway. These early experiences influenced his later decisions concerning the building of the interstate highway system during his presidential administration. Eisenhower. Carson, Chief of Policy [sic] Peter Kline, Fire Chief I.A. The Tank Corps Observer noted that "the light truck is so far superior to the heavy [which] should be confined to ... hard surfaced roads; and ... short hauls. On Aug. 8, 1919, young Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in Cheyenne with a long line of military cars, trucks and motorcycles. They had to stop a telegram being sent to the War Office reporting an encounter with hostile Indians. The officers and men of the Engineer, Medical and Ordinance (maintenance) detachments were described as more experienced and better trained. The objectives were: Lt. [4] Official observers included those from the Air Service, A.S.A.P.,[specify] Coast and Field Artillery, Medical Corps, Ordnance, Signal Corps and Tank Corps including the then Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Two junior officers scouted ahead of the main body on motorcycles, signaling the route to the rest of the convoy using a simple but effective system of blue paper triangles tacked to trees and fences. [11] In addition to 230 road incidents[12] (stops for adjustments, extrications, breakdowns, & accidents) resulting in 9 vehicles retiring,[2] the convoy of "24 expeditionary officers, 15 War Department staff observation officers, and 258 enlisted men" had 21 injured en route who did not complete the trip. One pedestrian was struck, non-fatally, in Valparaiso, Indiana. The expedition consisted of 81 motorized Army vehicles that crossed the United States from Washington, DC, to San Francisco, a venture covering a distance of 3,251 miles in 62 days. The 1919 convoy started in Washington, D.C., and reached its destination at Lincoln Park in San Francisco. More than 50 historical military vehicles will travel the entire route from Washington to … [6], The Signal Corps filmed convoy events;[7] and the civilians of the Goodyear band were transported from Chicago in one of the trucks. [5]:6,10, In addition to engineer and quartermaster units; the convoy had 2 truck companies of the 433rd Motor Supply Train;[5]:6 a medical unit with surgeon, medical, and dental officers; and a Field Artillery Detachment which provided the Maxwell crawler tractor[13] operated by a civilian. [5]:18,23 Additional vehicle manufacturers included Cadillac, Dodge, F.W.D., Garford, Harley-Davidson & Indian (motorcycles), Liberty (trucks & a 2-wheel kitchen cart), Mack, Packard, Riker, Standardized, Trailmobile (two 4-wheel kitchen trailers), and White. 42, no. The Ordinance detachment brought up the rear, repairing or towing disabled vehicles as necessary. The 1919 Motor Transport Corps Convoy Promotes Good Roads In the summer of 1919, the United States Army Motor Transport Corps (MTC) deployed a convoy Six rest days without convoy travel were at East Palestine, Ohio; Chicago Heights, Illinois; Denison, Iowa; North Platte, Nebraska; Laramie, Wyoming; and Carson City, Nevada. 18th). The expedition was manned by 24 officers and 258 enlisted men. The convoy's daily stopping points will be many of the same locations as the 1919 81-vehicle convoy, which averaged 6 mph and 59 miles a day. The expedition was manned by 24 officers and 258 enlisted men. Lt. Col. Charles W. McClure and Capt. of prominent citizens, 3 Fire Companies and two bands, furnished by the Chamber of Commerce and the Goodrich Company." Trucks, jeeps and cars driven by members of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association follow Grant Line Road through Tracy on Saturday morning as they retrace the cross-country route of a historic convoy in 1919. F. Kelley, Reception Comm. Abilene, KS 67410 Forgoing a rest day originally scheduled for the day after arriving in Oakland, the convoy instead ferried to San Francisco[26] the next morning 6 days behind schedule and parked at the Presidio of San Francisco.[5]:4. In the summer of 1919, a young Lieutenant Colonel named Dwight D. Eisenhower participated in the first Army transcontinental motor convoy. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association is retracing the route of the first U.S. Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy along the historical Lincoln Highway in … Lt. Jackson also noted "The maintenance work was considerably hampered by the necessity of carrying spare parts for so many different makes of trucks" and "better tools should be furnished to the mechanics". The 1919 convoy included 81 vehicles, 37 officers and 258 enlisted men. In addition to transporting New York's Medal of Joan of Arc for San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts, the convoy had four objectives; and Ordnance Department and Tank Corps observers completed their reports in October. The Cadillac and Dodge passenger cars and light trucks were found to be generally satisfactory, though the hood latches on the Dodge proved insufficiently durable. [5]:4 An extra travel day on "mining roads"[25] was used between Ely and Austin, Nevada; where the convoy arrived on the 27th (v. 20th), 348 mi (560 km) short of the scheduled point for the 27th (Sacramento). When the generals and politicians fin- ished talking at Zero Milestone near the White House on July 7, 1919… Dealers en route supplied gasoline and tires to the convoy and the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company provided 2 trucks (Packard & White, each 2-ton) fitted with "giant cord pneumatic" tires that carried spare standard tires. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association will conduct a 90th-anniversary convoy across the United States to retrace the 1919 Army’s Transcontinental Motor Route, and Greensburg will be among its first stops. The tour commemorated the 90th anniversary of the first transcontinental U.S. Army motor transport convoy, most of it along the Lincoln Highway. This is the association’s fifth convoy and the second one to retrace the 1919 military convoy route. [8] The Publicity Officer (Lt William B Doron)[9] rode with Ostermann 2–10 days ahead of the main body,[10] while the Recruiting Officer (Capt Murphy) was 1–2 days ahead, and the Cook and Mess units were several hours ahead,[11] Two motorcycles scouted about ​1⁄2 hour ahead to report conditions and place markers. 1919 U.S. Army Convoy. The Ordnance Department notes "great interest in the, Procure "recruits for ... the Motor Transport Corps": enlistment through the convoy was sparse, Exhibit "to the public ... the motor vehicle for military purposes": In the course of the journey, the convoy "passed through 350 communities, and it was estimated that more than 3,000,000 people (perhaps 3,250,000), Study & observe "the terrain and standard army vehicles": . The centennial of a 1919 U.S. military convoy that traveled across the country on largely unpaved roads will be celebrated August 31-September 16 when the Lincoln Highway Association stages the 2019 Military Convoy Centennial Tour, which will retrace the so-called Eisenhower route. Sorbell, Secretary Chamber of Commerce Jos. The original 1919 convoy was actually designed to test “new” military vehicles and “new” auto roads for the effectiveness of moving troops in America. [DDE's Records as President, President's Personal File, Box 967, 1075 Greany Maj. William C.; NAID #12005074], Report, from 1st Lt. E.R. The objectives were: 8 a.m. - 5:45 p.m., June - July, Memorandum from Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower to the Chief, "Daily Log of the First Transcontinental Motor Convoy, Washington, DC to San Francisco, Cal., July 7th to Sept. 6th, 1919". “Billion Urged For National Road System.” Oakland Tribune, 7 September 1919, p. 4. September 6, 1919 The U.S. Army’s Cross-Country Motor Transport Train arrived in San Francisco, completing a transcontinental trip of 3,251 miles (5,232 kilometers) that began on July 7 in Washington, D.C. On the evening of September 6, convoy commander Lieutenant Charles W. McClure formally confirmed the end of this historic journey in a telegram that… Of the transport trucks, the FWD proved the most satisfactory and the Garford the least, the former due to its mechanical reliability and all wheel drive and the latter due to a fragile cooling system, though the Standard B "Liberty" trucks were actually the most towed trucks in the convoy. Marilyn Boots reported on her travels with Dennis… The engineers were responsible for inspecting each bridge as the convoy came to it. The four "light delivery trucks" were 3/4 ton Dodges and the remainder were 3 ton Class B Standardized Military "Liberty" trucks. The Mack had to be bypassed arrival of the 1919 convoy included 81,. 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