Broad topics I'd like to see addressed:
That short 10 year time period, 1945-1955, where the military transitions from the CCKW, they know it's outdated, they want parts interchangeability, they know they want the M-series watrerproof wiring with circuit tags and every truck's #10 circuit does the same thing, etc. In this short 10 year period, they go from the CCKW to the M135/211 trucks and end up with the Reo M44. I'd like to see the "behind-the-scenes" action, GMC lobbying for their truck, the military opinion of the GMCs and how they ended up choosing the M44.
Early in the M44 series, the military seems very fond of it, to the point that they try to make it do everything (wrecker, crane, tanker, tractor, cargo, shop van, etc.). Eventually they begin moving many if not most of those roles to the 5 ton chassis. I'd like to see some history of what they thought they could do, the issues they encountered and how they ended up giving up and moving those roles to the 5 ton chassis.
Much has been written (some by you) about the multifuel's poor showing in VietNam. I'd like to see some internal military discussion about the engine. If they thought it was a bad design or if they chalked it up to a super strenuous work environment and figured it had done about as well as anything else would have. Obviously after VietNam the multifuel continues to serve for almost 30 years.
I'd like to see something about how the M44 series adapted to different conflicts-think about how the F14 transitions from fleet defender to fighter to bomber/reconnaissance as it serves decade after decade and the threats change. Something like what your DUKW book had about DUKWs in Europe and the Pacific.
This is a small part of the story, but is there any military discussion of the stick shift 6x6s and training? I've read that in modern times, less than 10% of incoming Army trainees know how to drive a stick and the military just considers automatics a requirement at this point. So in 2002, is the Army sending out internal memos saying "We've gotta' get rid of these dinosaurs, these stupid kids can't drive them"?
Obviously AM General wanted to continue selling M44 series trucks just like Grumman would have liked to continue selling or upgrading F14s. Everyone knows the story about then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney ordering the F14 tooling destroyed, thus nearly ensuring Grumman's demise and the demise of the Tomcat and the rise of the Hornet. I want to know that story as it relates to the M44 and it's eventual replacement. Obviously AM General produced the M44A3 in response to the military's modern wishes: automatics, CTIS, power steering, etc. There were several prototypes or concepts (M35E3) with different engines and transmissions, etc. I'd like to read a broad overview of how that transition occurs: AMG knows the M44A2 series is done, the Army wants all this aforementioned stuff, S&S and Oshkosh are producing concepts, everyone wants a piece of this pie and we end up with the MTV series of trucks.
I'd like to read about how the vehicle did in it's operational theaters. VietNam, Panama, Desert Storm, Iraq, etc. Issues, miles driven per labor hour, etc.
Sort of in conjunction with the story about how the M44 was replaced, I'd like to read more about the comparison tests. There was a well known member here on SS who claimed to be a part of the testing and he claimed it was "rigged" in favor of the MTV. He said the test would be set up, they'd do something unorthodox and they'd be remanded "you can't do it that way", leading him to believe the test already had a desired outcome. Sadly, he was killed in a traffic accident, so we can't ask him to produce any stories, documents, etc.
I would love to see production imagery of the assembly lines and how it changed over the years and I'd like to see more info about rebuilding gassers into A1 and A2 models and especially, I'd like to see concrete info about what constituted a refresh, a rebuild, a reset, etc. I'm so sick of these idiots on the internet talking about "MY TRUCK GOT A COMPLETE REBUILD IN 1996 BECAUSE IT HAS A 1996 ENGINE IN IT, DERRRR DERRRRR".
I assume you have pretty concrete info about when the various changes came: sprag to air shift, rear exhaust to stack, box to spring ride, etc., etc?
I am very interested in the 1980s USAF contracts. The USAF ordered all these trucks nearly identical and with some weird requests: wood racks versus fiberglass, pioneer rack and slave ports deleted, practically no winch trucks, all hardtops and of course, dual circuit brakes. Why? What was special about the USAF needs and/or contracts? The story about these "last of the last" M44A2 series trucks really interests me.
Thanks! I'll be the first in line to buy the book when it's available, regardless of the price.
