Trans Continental Motor Convoy

Retracing the Route of the first US ARMY Transcontinental Motor accross the United States along the Lincoln HighWay

MVPA 2009

13 June 2009 to 8 July, 2009

The Military Vehicle Preservation Association announces plans to conduct a 90th Anniversary Convoy across the United States in 2009 with as many as 150 Historic Military Vehicles retracing the original 1919 US Army’s Transcontinental Motor Convoy route – along the famed Lincoln Highway and in conjunction with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, celebrating the 200th birthday of our 16th President in June/July 2009.

The MVPA 2009 Transcontinental Motor Convoy will launch from Washington, DC on 13 June, 2009 and arrive in San Francisco, CA some 26 days later, on 8 July, 2009. One of the highlights of the trip will be when the Convoy joins the Lincoln Highway Association’s 2009 Annual Conference in South Bend, IN on June 19.

We are expecting over 50 Historic Military Vehicles to travel the entire 3,200+ mile coast-to-coast route with over 100 more vehicles joining in to drive a portion of the trip.

The Convoy will follow the original Lincoln Highway route as closely as possible.

The route crosses all or part of 11 states from Washington, DC to San Francisco, joining the Lincoln Highway at Gettysburg, PA.  The route begins on the lowlands of the eastern seaboard, traverses the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, travels the lush farmlands of the Midwest, crosses the high plains, dips into the Great Salt Lake Basin in Utah, crosses the Nevada Desert, climbs the Sierra Nevada and descends to Lake Tahoe, and ends in the splendor of California and the San Francisco Bay area.

This is a Convoy of Historic Military Vehicles – of all eras, from WWI through to current-issue military vehicles. The vehicle roster currently includes WWI “FWD” cargo trucks, through to Harley Davidson WLA motorcycles, staff cars and jeeps to later model M813 5-ton cargo trucks. The Convoy daily stopping points will be many of the same locations as the 1919 Convoy.

The Convoy welcomes the public to witness this historic journey across the U.S. by coming out to meet the Convoy as it travels through their area. As the Convoy passes through the cities and towns along this highway, the MVPA intends, with the cooperation of the Lincoln Highway Association, to draw attention to this early road system.

Additionally the MVPA will present both the historical significance of the original 1919 Convoy and the historical significance of the military vehicles present on the 2009 Convoy. Finally, as this 2009 Convoy passes through the many towns along this route, the MVPA will take every opportunity to also say “thanks” to our Veterans in a most patriotic way!

Background

In 1919, the US ARMY decided to plan and execute a motor Convoy of various vehicles across the country, on the newly-formed Lincoln Highway. In general, the route began at the White House, in Washington, DC and ended at Lincoln Park, in San Francisco, CA – some 3,250 miles and 62 days later. This would be the first motor transport Convoy – ever – to cross the US.

The Convoy had the following objectives:

• Put the equipment through as grueling a trial as could be devised.
• Study how the varying road conditions affected each branch of the service.
• A transcontinental recruiting drive for the Army.
• Demonstrate the need for good roads.
• … and the unwritten objective was … to say “thanks” to the American people for their support during WWI.

The Convoy left Washington, DC on 7 July, 1919 and arrived in San Francisco on 6 September, 1919. At that time, the Lincoln “Highway” was a series of roads with conditions that ranged from poured concrete to tracks across quicksand, tracks across alkali mud and across bridges that gave way under the weight of these vehicles. The trip was grueling and the daily average was 59 miles per day and about 6 miles per hour!

This Convoy consisted of 81 Army vehicles, with 37 officers (including a young officer, Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower) and 258 enlisted men. These vehicles included the following: 46 trucks, 5 ambulances, 11 passenger cars, 9 motorcycles, 1 Maxwell caterpillar tractor, 2 ambulance trailers, 4 kitchen trailers, 1 pontoon trailer, 1 mobile searchlight … and the MILITOR (a huge recovery vehicle)

The 1919 Convoy was staffed with 37 officers and 258 enlisted men – including then Lt Col Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Convoy was comprised of 81 Army vehicles.

Keep 'em Rolling!