M35A2s in Vietnam? what year?

[DDoyle]

Hey guys - this is what I posted earlier on some of these subjects:

The family of vehicles including the M35, M35A1 and M35A2 (and a host of others) are the vehicles from Standard Nomenclature List number G-742. The first G-742 truck was delivered in 1949, it was a M34 (gas, single 11.00-20 tires). This was followed in a matter of months with the first M35. The first of the Multifuel-powered trucks, the M35A1, began to be delivered in 1961, these had the LDS-427 engines. In June 1965 the M35A2 began leaving the assembly line. It was initially powered by the naturally aspirated LD-465. This was later replaced by the turbosupercharged LDT-465 - I think that was in 1969, but this is from memory and I'd not stake my life on it. The last of the M35A2s was built in 1989.

As far as exhaust orientation - the photos I've discovered do show some gassers in Vietnam in the early years. There are also photos of M35A1 in Vietnam, as well as a lot of pix of M35A2 in Vietnam.

The M35A2 trucks include both the horizontal exhaust trucks, and the vertical exhaust trucks.

Here is a photo I posted on another forum. This was taken July 1970 of HHC 65th Eng at FSB Lynch - notice this M35A2 has a vertical exhaust, "west coast" mirrors, and no winch.

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/HHC_65th_Eng_FSB_Lynch_July_70.jpg

And here is another photo, This one taken in July 1970 at Camp Enari. The lead M35A2 has a vertical exhaust, while the second truck has a horizontal exhaust. The second truck is also equipped with a winch, but none of the other trucks in this shot have winches.

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/Camp_Enari_July_1970.jpg

Hope this helps,
David Doyle

 

[KaiserM109]

I was in the 9th ID, 15th Combat Engineers that deployed to Vietnam in June of '67. We had a mixture of old and new equipment. My M37 was a 1950 that had been rebuilt. We had an M109A3 (just like mine today) and it was a multifueler. We had 5 ton bridge trucks that were gassers. We lost 1/2 of them in a mortar attack on our motor pool because of that. In the same attack a D8 (diesel) took an 82mm round in the fuel tank and lived to drive another day with a repaired tank.

All of the deuces in basic training, Ft. Bliss, TX in '67 were whistlers.

When the Army geared up for Nam, a lot of units were sent over with whatever they had. The only exception to that was not many M715s or M725s were sent because of the engines. They rebuilt M37s instead. A lot of units were Reserve and NG with old equipment except that the really bad or really old stuff was replaced. You gotta remember that it was Robert McNamara, formerly of Ford Motor Co., that was running that part of the show.

My truck today is a '66 M109A3 built by Kaiser Jeep. It is all original with an LD-465-1 non-turbo engine and a side exhaust. It didn't go to Nam, but it did do a year in Iraq with the Arkansas NG.

My guess is also that there could be overlaps because different branches and even different divisions had leway in their purchases.

 

[J2H]

Yeah heard some of them Air Force trucks had pillowtop mattresses in them. LOL

 

[KaiserM109]

Yeah heard some of them Air Force trucks had pillowtop mattresses in them. LOL

Cup holders, too, for the lattes.

 

[KaiserM109]

Hey guys - this is what I posted earlier on some of these subjects:

...

And here is another photo, This one taken in July 1970 at Camp Enari. The lead M35A2 has a vertical exhaust, while the second truck has a horizontal exhaust. The second truck is also equipped with a winch, but none of the other trucks in this shot have winches.

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/data/500/Camp_Enari_July_1970.jpg

Hope this helps,
David Doyle

I believe that, except for the first truck, that is an ARVN (Army Republic of Viet Nam) convoy. They often had newer and better trucks than we did.

Arlyn

 

[DDoyle]

I believe that, except for the first truck, that is an ARVN (Army Republic of Viet Nam) convoy. They often had newer and better trucks than we did.

Arlyn

You are correct, that is an ARVN truck. Info I gave was quoting the Signal Corps caption, which is obviously not complete.

Good catch.

DD

 

[DDoyle]

Checkout this picture reported to be from Phu-Loi in 1970. Fender pipe, factory painted registration number, dropside bed, upper placed headlights, fresh 24087 paint under the road dust, is it a new M35A2?

Original link here, note contains some hippy and religious material.

That is a 1969 Kaiser-Jeep M35A2.

Regards,
David Doyle

 

[ida34]

Beat me to it David. To elaborate the photo Katahdin posted had a registration number ending in 69. This dates it as a 69 as David pointed out above.