did USMC ever use the M35A2

[M813rc]

Here are a couple of pictures I took in March of the M109 in the museum on Camp Pendleton.
This one has the markings up high on the box rear, which appears to have been most common, but I have also seen them with the markings down near the bottom of the box.

Front bumper markings for the all-green period are USMC (no dots between letters) on one side and the six-digit hood number on the other. The USMC is usually on the drivers side front and rear, but I have seen many with the USMC on the passenger side front, and the numbers on the drivers side.
You will note that this one has nothing on the front bumper at all!

Most Marine trucks have the air pressure marked as "50 PSI", but some, like this one, are marked "TP50" (insert numbers appropriate to your vehicle).

Hope this helps. The fire truck I added as a bonus because it was so cool!

Cheers

.

 

[RodUSMC1962]

We had gasser m-35 duece trucks till early 1965 when they were replaced with multi fuel 5 tons. The wreckers were also dueces.

 

[silverstate55]

I was in the Marine Corps from 1985-92, as a tank crewman...I was at Camp Pendleton from 1985-88. By then (the mid-80s), the yellow lettering/numbering had been largely replaced with black lettering. NO unit markings were generally present on vehicles assigned to combat units, but there might have been some assigned to permanent base units (base maintenance, MPs, errand-running for the CG's wife, etc...) that might have still had the yellow identifiers/lettering. But for the large part, most MV lettering had switched to flat black by then.

Very rarely did we see M35s by the mid-1980s...our mechanics had a few repair trucks with M109-type van bodies on the backs, but for the most part the M939-series 5-tons were coming online and even replacing the 800-series 5-ton trucks that were in widespread use. The artillery Marines were using 800-series 5-ton trucks to tow their M198 155mm howitzers, and quickly switched to the M939-series. As I remember, the M35-series trucks were largely left to permanent base personnel use, very very few of the line units were using them after the mid-1980s.

Paint schemes as I remember were the 3-color MERDC for continental units (1st & 2nd Marine Divisions), but when we went to Japan & Okinawa, our 3rd Marine Division vehicles there were painted in 2-color Asian theater camoflage: Marine OD Green & Flat Black (2 colors only).

HTH, good luck! Remember, it's your truck, you can do to it what you want!

 

[silverstate55]

IIRC, the thought process of the USMC in the late 70s/early 80s was to try to standardize as much as possible, since the Corps was so small and had such limited resources, we wanted to standardize our gear as much as possible to make it easier to deploy on short notice. And with the advent of the MPP ships, there was only so much room for our gear, so it was easier to standardize with the 5-tons and phase out the Deuces. Now with the MTVR, it's rated as a 7-ton for the modern-day Marines.

So yes, they did use M35A2s, but by the 1980s they were largely being phased out.

Is that your truck in your avatar?

 

[emr]

Sure did from the beginning. to the end, and still do in places.

 

[oifvet]

I know this is an old thread, but it reminded me of my years in the Marine Corps (1981-1985).

When I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan from 1983-1984, I/we rode back and forth from MCAS Futenma to the rifle range on the northern end of the island in a M32A2 driven by a young Marine from Kentucky known only (to me) as "PFC Walls", but those who knew him well called him, "Balls-to-the-Walls, Walls!" (He got the name from the way he drove!) He was smooth and could make a deuce-and-half do tricks!

We had to get to chow in a hurry one day and we could either go down a long concrete stairway, or drive all the way around the base and not have time to eat. We ate.

PFC Walls went home on leave later that year, but did not return to Okinawa. He was the passenger in a car driven by his girlfriend and he was killed by a drunk driver.

 

[silverstate55]

That's a real shame about PFC Walls. Sorry to hear that.

 

[RodUSMC1962]

Semper fi!

 

[F18hornetM]

We used M35's in 29 palms, Ca. I worked for the unit that conducted the live fire training. -[84-86] Later we turned those in and got new M923's. We also used M151's. MRC-109's, MRC-110's. After I left they got Hummers.

 

[sandcobra164]

I work at the Depot at MCLB Albany, they have no Deuces anymore but they have 3 M109's that were refurbished around 1995 or so. They are still N/A with the small stacks and the sun has been rough on the paint but they look OK overall. None of them will slave off but they will turn over when trying to slave off. Likely still have the same fuel from 1995 in them. When they do go to auction one of these years, I've picked mine out and I'll figure out what it costs to drop the tank, have it steamed and re-sealed, and flush out some lines. I think it'll be allright and the USMC numbers on these trucks start with 353, XXX so they must be pretty old pieces. The Marines seemed partial to the 5 Tons, both 800 and 900 series albeit, they never seemed to sport the 900A2's. NHC-250 was what they seemed to like and it powered many a Marine truck. They also used lockers at about a 50% ratio.

 

[M813rc]

I agree with what Silverstate55 said, matches my observations.

I saw my first M939 series trucks in 1984, and do not recall seeing any M35's after that time period (though the M109/M185 box trucks were around for a little while longer).
That is also when the vehicles started switching over from the 4-colour MERDC camo to the 3-colour 383 for CONUS vehicles.
Most 1st MarDiv tactical vehicles were painted in the Winter-Verdant scheme (green/brown/sand/black). I saw some in Panama that had the Summer-Verdant scheme (lt green/dk green/sand/black). I don't recall ever seeing the Tropics scheme with another green replacing the sand.
All had black markings.

Non-tactical vehicles (vans, buses, cars, etc.) were still painted glossy Marine green with yellow markings.

All the above are observations of a ground-pounder Marine and later an Air Winger who was interested in vehicles, I was never Motor T. The only vehicles I drove regularly were the M151A2 and M880 series.

I reeeeeally wish I had taken more pictures. I have few, and the ones in my head become a bit blurry at times.
My son is with 1st CEB in Afghanistan now, he is sending home lots of pictures. Hurrah for digital cameras!

Cheers

 

[Katahdin]

A cousin of mine was deployed with the Marines to Somalia in 1993. He told me they had a M35A2 that they used for dump runs, he was one of a few in his unit who could drive it since most couldn't operate a manual transmission.

 

[LostTrails]

I know this is really, really old. But this thread has been most helpful for me in all my research. I was never a Marine, but I played with them often enough through military school, the US Navy Sea Cadet Corp out of El Toro and then later as a Coastie. Even now, most of my closest friends are Marines. My truck I'm researching for right now, haven't even bought yet is going to be a tribute to my friends - USAF, MARINES, NAVY, ARMY, and CG.

heck, it was a trip to Joshua Tree from El Toro in I believe a Deuce that got me started in wanting these trucks to begin with! I don't know what she was, I can't remember well enough, I was 13 at the time, so 1996. But man that was a blast riding in the back of that beast!

anyways, to all of you

Semper Fi from a Semper Pi my brothers and sisters

 

[Al Harvey]

Yes this has been a helpful thread. I'm currently planning on painting one of my dueces in MC green to support my Grandfather's Marine Corps League. They do the toys for tots and the veterans day parade every year and we usually drive the M151A2 in it but we want to get something that is MC green for them. Another thing to remember (from an Army guy) is that anything the Army has had or used was probably also used (a.k.a. stolen lol) from the Army by the Marines. They are the best at um aquiring equipment when they need it. lol I still give mad props to the Marines, my unit had the pleasure of direct support to a Marine element in Iraq and enjoyed working with the guys from another branch.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Another thing to remember (from an Army guy) is that anything the Army has had or used was probably also used (a.k.a. stolen lol) from the Army by the Marines. They are the best at um aquiring equipment when they need it. lol I still give mad props to the Marines, my unit had the pleasure of direct support to a Marine element in Iraq and enjoyed working with the guys from another branch.

Inter-Service rivalry is fun but when it all said and done, we all drank out of the same canteen.

 

[LostTrails]

Al Harvey,
you aren't getting the acronym and it's full phrasing right. If I remember correctly it's termed "Strategically Transport Equipment to Another Location."

Inter-Service rivalry is fun but when it all said and done, we all drank out of the same canteen.

I couldn't have said it better myself. At the University I went to after getting out, I enjoyed giving the ROTC kids wake-up calls when they got too thick into it. It was hilarious when I always saw the looks on their faces when I told them I was Coast Guard too. One actually had the gall to tell me "well then, what the *#$% would you know?!" and needless to say, I took him up to visit his "Old Man."

My truck is going to actually have tributes to all five branches, as I've lost friends from all five. But since my love of the truck came from my time being mentored by some good 3AW Marines, I want the basic truck to look like one of theirs.

 

[shannondeese]

My squadron had an M35A2 in Al-Asad Iraq in 2004 and 2005. It was painted desert tan, soft top, no rear canvas. It had the HMM-264 logo on the hood and doors. I don't have any pictures of it though. The front bumper numbers were 00 with HMM-264 on the other side. 00 is called double nuts which is traditionally the C.O.'s aircraft. When we arrived we took the truck over from the departing Marine squadron and then gave it to the incoming squadron when we left. We used it for transportation from the barracks to work and to haul gear from the work spaces out to the flight line.

 

[kdaniels]

The Marines with 2nd LAAMB used the 35A2's in the mid-late 70's at MCAS YUMA....saw them up close and personal on a few occasions moving in and out of the airfield.


SEMPER FI !!

keith

 

[M813rc]

anything the Army has had or used was probably also used (a.k.a. stolen lol) from the Army by the Marines. They are the best at um aquiring equipment when they need it.

We Marines preferred the terminology "reallocating Government resources".

And yes, we were pretty good at it. The Army always had really cool new gear, and we saw an inter-service BnFx as a great opportunity to reallocate as much of it as possible!
Poncho liners were a particularly desirable item, and they were not issued to Marines during my time.

Government issued gear though, not personal items. Not to say it didn't happen, but it was heavily frowned on, and many Marines got thumped by their peers for stealing some Army guy's personal belongings. If we could figure out who it belonged to, we tried to return it. It was an honour thing.

Cheers

 

[rustystud]

We Marines preferred the terminology "reallocating Government resources".

And yes, we were pretty good at it. The Army always had really cool new gear, and we saw an inter-service BnFx as a great opportunity to reallocate as much of it as possible!
Poncho liners were a particularly desirable item, and they were not issued to Marines during my time.

Government issued gear though, not personal items. Not to say it didn't happen, but it was heavily frowned on, and many Marines got thumped by their peers for stealing some Army guy's personal belongings. If we could figure out who it belonged to, we tried to return it. It was an honour thing.

Cheers

That's right. Thief's where usually taught a "rough" lesson ! Of course it is "not" stealing if it's from Uncle Sugar ! I always loved going to the Army's personnel store. They had the best stuff ! Poncho liners ! Brand new !!! Of course the guys back at the barracks might get sticky fingers when it came to those ! When it came time for me personally to "acquire" some gear from some other branch I would usually ask the Sargent in charge or Chief. They almost always gave it to me since I actually asked for it ! I think it was the "shock" factor ! One time my Captain told me to "get" some welding rod. I asked who would have some and he told me the nearest Coast Guard unit might have some. When I got there I asked the nearest enlisted guy who was in charge of supplies. He sent me over to this particular Chief. After telling him what I needed he went and got four Chiefs and an Officer. They all listened to me ask for the welding rod. I think they where stunned I actually asked ! They did let me take it though.
When I got back to base I told the Captain I had the welding rod. He asked how I got it. I told him I "asked" for it. He actually said "They let you take it ? " and I replied " Yes, I just asked for it and they let me take it" .