The Unforeseen Consequences of the U.S. Interstate System-- Part 2: Eisenhower's 1919 Military Convoy

After World War I ended, then Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower took part in a cross-country convoy on the new Lincoln Highway -- the nation's first transcontinental highway from Times Square in New York City to San Francisco. This was partly a celebration of victory and also to show the need for much better roads.  It took his 280 men and 72 vehicles two months to make the trip.

This set the need for what became Eisenhower's interstate system in his mind.

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HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION GETS  FEDERAL SUPPORT

While the states were initially finding the interstate infrastructure projects, there was a growing call for the federal government to step in.  That wouldn't happen until 1944 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal-Aid Highway  Act that outlined a plan to build a 40,000 mile national interstate system of highways.

With World War II raging, however, there was no money available for the project which left everything essentially at a standstill until the 1950s, when the former Army officer Dwight D. Eisenhower took office as U.S. president, just under 7,000 miles of the project had been built.

--RoadDog

2019 MVPA Lincoln Highway Convoy (TMC19)

August 10 to September 14, 2019,  from York. Pennsylvania, to San Francisco, California.  This is the second MVPA convoy  to commemorate the Lincoln Highway.

MVPA stands for Military Vehicle Preservation Association.

Thursday, August 22, they were in Clinton, Iowa, where we saw part of it driving on the Lincoln Highway.  We're thinking it was probably the rear of the convoy as we drove back and didn't see anymore of them.

On Monday, August 26, they were in Woodbine, Iowa, where the main street was blocked off and all the vehicles lines up.

Fourteen hours ago, there was a post on their site from Big Springs, Nebraska.

"Today we passed the Phelps Hotel in Big Springs, NE.  It was built in 1885.  This is a page from  the guest register signed by Lt.Col. D.D. Eisenhower (& wife) on Aug. 6. 1919.  This was while he was on convoy!    Of any  convoy members got a picture of the hotel  on our way by, please post it!  Thank you."

A photo of the page accompanies the post.

Very Interesting.  --RoadEis

Military Convoy Comes to Clinton-- Part 1

From the August 23, 2019, Clinton (Iowa) Herald  "Crowd shows respect for military convoy" by Jake Mosbach.

History came alive in Clinton on Thursday as more than 50 military vehicles of various eras stopped for an hour at the town's riverfront (that'd be the Mississippi River).

They were part of the Military Vehicle Preservation Society and on a break from their coast-to-coast journey and they drew a crowd of onlookers and fielded questions.  They were there for an hour and a half and would drive on to DeWitt, Iowa, where they would spend the night.

York, Pennsylvania's Darryl Bensinger was driving a 1942 three-quarter ton WC-51 weapons carrier.  Talking about his group, he said:  "This is a great group of people that looks out for each other and works together.  Everybody pitches in.  It really promotes a good comaraderie."

Another good thing about the convoy, according to him, is that they are seeing that "small town America is alive and well, despite what we hear all the time."

We were fortunate to see part of this convoy in Clinton.

--RoadBang

An Unexpected Military Convoy in Clinton, Iowa

Back in August, we were at Clinton, Iowa, on Thursday, August 22, to see a Midwest League, Class A baseball game between the Clinton Lumberkings and the Cedar Rapids Kernels and had a bonus, in that we were driving down Lincoln highway south of town and came across a whole bunch of military vehicles.  Some of them looked to be older than ones in current use.

That is when I remembered seeing some posts about a military convoy driving across the country, mostly on the Lincoln Highway to commemorate the 1919 convoy that drove it along with a young officer named Dwight David Eisenhower.

But, I hadn't figured on seeing it as who would expect them to be in Clinton the same time we were (as this was a pre-planned trip for us to also include Galena, Illinois, as this is our 46th wedding anniversary and we were married August 25, 1973, on the Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, Illinois, had our reception there and then drove to Galena for the honeymoon.

But Here We Were.  --RoadDog

2019 MVPA Transcontinental Convoy-- Part 2: That's A Long Way

The convoy will follow the original Lincoln Highway as much as possible.  The old road crosses all of or part of eleven states going to San Francisco and the convoy will be joining it at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  The route begins in the lowlands of  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 into Lake Tahoe, and ends up in the splendor of California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

This is a convoy of historic military vehicles of all eras, from World War II to current.  The vehicle roster making the trip includes cargo trucks, through to Harley-Davidson WLA motorcycles, staff cars, jeeps,  to later model  M913 5-ton cargo trucks.  The Convoys' many daily stopping spots include many of the same ones used by the historic 1919 Convoy.

--RoadVoy

Some of the Upcoming MVPA Stops in 2019 Motor Convoy

They were in Clinton, Iowa, on August 22 and are following the Lincoln Highway, as did the 1919 U.S. Army Convoy.

AUGUST 31--  Laramie, Wyoming

September 2--  Rowling, Wyoming

September 5--  Tooele, Utah

September 9--  Austin, Nevada

September 12--  Fallon, Nevada

September 14--  Stockton, California

September 15--  USS Hornet Museum   Alameda, California    End of the convoy.

--RoadVoy

Military Convoy Completes Re-enactment on the Bankhead Highway Last Saturday

From the October 17, 2015, San Diego (Cal.) Union-Tribune "Vintage military vehicles reenact 1920 convoy" by Maureen Magee.

A U.S. Army convoy of vintage vehicles concluded a 3,400 mile trip from the White House to Balboa Park in San Diego this past Saturday.  The original one was to promote the need for a reliable road for commerce and military transportation across the United states.  An earlier one had taken place on the Lincoln Highway, but this one took the southern route.

The 2015 convoy consisted of restored Jeeps, trucks and motorcycles.  They reached the Cabrillo National Monument after a one month journey and followed the country's second transcontinental road, the Bankhead Highway.  They followed the old road as much as possible.

Back in 1920, this road was still under construction.  It took the original convoy 116 days to do it.

--RoadDog

Military Caravan to Honor the Alaska Highway's 70th Anniversary

From the August 2nd Alaska Public Radio "Historic Military Convoy Celebrates the Alaska Highway's 70th Anniversary" by Lori Townsend.

About 200 participants associated with  the Military Vehicle Preservation Society will kickoff a drive on the Alaska Highway Saturday (the 4th) to commemorate its 70th birthday.  This group had preciously driven the Lincoln Highway a few years back to commemorate the 90th anniversary of that first transcontinental military convoy.

There was a big kickoff on August 2nd at MM Zero at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and plan to travel 4100 miles in 27 days.  (Wonder if they had passports or fought their way across the border?)

Seventy-seven vehicles are making the trip: 33 World War II era, 11 Korean War, 17 Vietnam and 14 Desert Storm.  Sixty veterans and 46 women are along for the ride.

They plan on ending up at Delta Junction.

Looking at the 1942 date, I'd say the Alaska Highway had something to do with World War II.

Congratulations to the Alaska Highway,   --RoadDog