At this time its still breaking news, so the details are not known.

First, our hearts and prayers go out to the families of servicemembers who were killed or injured at Ft. Hood. 

Next, may swift and sure justice fall upon those who perpetrated this.  Whatever their reasons,  this is an intolerable assault on America’s finest.

Editor

UPDATE:  Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley — Well Done!

One of the most widely used items of surplus military equipment is the humble ammo can.  Since WW II, many millions of these sturdy cans have found their way into garages and workshops, used for just about anything that fits.

A new section of Olive-Drab.com tells the story, with individual pages of info and photos on the most common kinds:

• Ammo Cans / Boxes

An Olive-Drab.com visitor writes:

How can I tell if a Dodge M37 is a Canadian Model or a U.S. model? I have heard that the Canadian models had a metal cab roof and came with a heater and a larger engine. But hard tops can be added and so can heaters. There is no outward difference in the engines. One has 230 cid and the other 245 cid. but they look the same.
Can anyone shed any light on this? Is there a sure way to tell by VIN or some other sure fire way ?
Thank you.

ANSWER:

The M37CDN were separately manufactured using components from Dodge in
Detroit, but assembled in Canada.  Most of the components were the
same except for the 250,6 cu in engine, transmission, and PTO which
were produced in Canada.

In addition to the M37CDN Cargo truck (with and without winch), three
other models were produced:

-  M56 cab and chassis
-  M43CDN ambulance
-  M152CDN panel truck

The M42CDN was made from an M37CDN with a kit, same as the US version.

As far as I know, there were no external differences between the US and CDN models, except for the panel truck which had a different window style. The dataplate would identity the truck as M37CDN and there was a different serial number sequence.  The serial number can be found on the dash dataplate, if still intact, or on the side of the
left frame rail, near the top, just forward of the front axle.  The CDN vehicles ran from 91,400,001 to 91, 404,524 for a total of 4524 vehicles.  The month and year of production can be determined from the s/n.

There is a small book titled “TM 9-1840C M37 – The Production Story” from the IPC Research Department (John Zentmyer), published in 1987. It has all of the above information and much more.  It is out of print but you may be able to pick one up from Adirondack Parts or other sources:

http://www.adirondackdodgeparts.com/prod2.htm

I also recommend you get involved with one of the M37 oriented forums, available via links on this page:

http://www.olive-drab.com/od_mvg_listserver.php3

Good luck with your project.  I hope this helps.
Chuck

Chuck Chriss
Editor
Olive-Drab.com LLC

Since the iPhone is the hottest thing right now, the folks at the Military Boots Blog have published a list of the top military iPhone Apps. You can find it at this link:

http://www.militaryboots.com/blog/military-iphone-apps/

In the history of warfare, the role of horses, mules and other pack animals or cavalry mounts cannot be overestimated.  But with the advent of mechanization in the 20th century they all but disappeared.

A new section has been added to Olive-Drab.com with details on the use of animals in the U.S. military as well as the story of how mechanizaion was introduced.  The modern role of the few remaining animals is also covered, stimulated by the horse soldiers in Afghanistan in 2001 (mounted SOF riding with the Northern Alliance).

The Military Horses and Mules section starts at the linked page.

An Olive-Drab.com visitor asks:

• Were Dodge sedans used by any branch as staff cars during WWII?

Answer:

Dodge of course built many 4×4 light trucks during WWII, including the WC series Command Cars, but the civilian-type Staff Car is less clear.

When civilian vehicle production ended in early 1942, the U.S. military scooped up many miscellaneous vehicles from the civilian market. Some of these purchases were made by the QM Corps on a national, standardized basis, but others were strictly local.   In addition, car companies in Allied countries made vehicles that were used by the U.S. as well.

The September 1943 War Department manual TM 9-2800 (“Standard Military Motor Vehicles”) lists two 5-Passenger 4×2 sedan models:

• Light:  Manufactured by Chevrolet, Ford, Plymouth
• Heavy:  Manufactured by Buick, Packard

These were civilian cars — not built to full military specs — just stripped of chrome, painted OD and maybe a few other cosmetic changes.   Since the Dodge D12 is actually a Plymouth, some of the Plymouth staff cars may have been Dodge vehicles retrofitted for the Army contract.

Long way around to say that some Dodge sedans were certainly used as Staff Cars during WW II, but they were not in the standardized group.  There is relatively little info.    A few have survived and can occasionally be found at MV shows, for example:

http://www.sierramadrenews.net/4thofjuly/2k8/2k8parade1.htm  (See Pearl Harbor image)
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1333

Additional pages have been added in the section covering Soldier’s uniforms and weather protection from 1980 forward.  The new pages include:

• Parka & Trousers, Wet Weather
• Improved Rain Suit (IRS)
• Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS)
• All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS)

The ECWCS page has its own subsection for Gen I, Gen II, and Gen III, of ECWCS.

An Olive-Drab.com visitor asks:

 i am looking to begin a fire contract business with wildland forest fires. i need a water truck, 6×6, basically with the most water i can carry with the ability to get into and out of mountain terrain with varying degrees of incline. as i am jsut starting out i dont have tons of cash to buy a new truck nor do i really want a new truck, not really my style. i have discovered the m-50, seen it out on the line as well as around the country and am wondering if this is the best truck for my needs?  is the m-50 the rigth truck for my expectations? is there another model i should be looking at? what should i expect with the m-50? does it need to be trailered from fire to fire or is driving what could be multi state distance a viable option?

Answer:

I suggest  you review this website and perhaps contact the people there:

• Roscommon Equipment Center

They are the experts in conversion of ex-mil trucks for fire protection usage.  The website has a huge library of pertinent material and ideas.

Frank Buckles, the last known U.S. military veteran of World War I, has his 108th birthday  today.  His life story is fascinating, a journey across history,  including recollections of his grandmother who was born in 1817, life as a seaman, imprisonment by the Japanese during WW II, and a long retirement in West Virginia.  You can read an excellent account here:

• ‘Our last living link’ to WWI

Frank has his own web site here:

• FrankBuckles.org

Frank has been honored for his service and his portrait hangs in the Pentagon, but there is still no memorial in Washington, DC for WW I vets.  See his website for more information.

A new page has been added to the WW II War Stories section with the history of the Doolittle Raid, 18 April 1942:

• Doolittle Raid

Lt. Col. Doolittle launched B-25B bombers  from an aircraft carrier to bomb Tokyo and Nagoya.  This near-impossible feat was the first U.S. attack on an enemy power in WW II, coming at a time when all the other news was bad.  The American public, still reeling from the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941, cheered the news.

In addition to the text and photos, be sure to watch some of the video, including original War Department footage and the trailer from the movie “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.”