4th Fort Hood Mounted Warfare Vehicle Rally
Memorial Day Weekend (Thurs, 24 May; Fri, 25 May; Sat, 26 May)
Roster as of 17 May 2012:
|
44 Willys MB -- D Martin
42 Ford GPW -- R. Kalisewski 51 M38 -- K. Smith 42 Ford GPW -- R. May M38 -- R. Claus 42 WLA motorcycle -- K. Chipman 75 M35A2 -- A. Zapolski |
44 Willys MB-- B. Shaw
59 Ferret MK 1-- W. Myers M1009 -- S. Randall (t) 61 M35A2 -- M. Eckertt 43 Ford GPW -- T. Essary M3A1 Scout Car -- M. Gamble 42 Ford GPW -- A. Dorres |
42 Ford GPW -- J. Gardner
42 M3 Halftrack -- M. Nethercutt 52 M38-- L. Branson 43 Ford GPW -- R. Ellison 84 Land Rover -- D. Barrera (t) 46 CJ3B -- T. Sullivan 42 GPW -- M. Deweese |
17 May 2012
Final countdown. Still a lot to do and little time to do it. We're set with the Static Display and Pass-in-Review. Underground bunker tour scheduled. Routes 90% finalized, and I am leaving in 15 minutes to go and pick up my jeep from the shop (save the story for one of our rest stops). Work is pressing, so I'll be on the go all week. If you have questions, please get them to me soonest.
If you have spare parts that may come in handy...toss 'em into your kit bag. Past experience of things needed: condensers, filters, oil lines, brake fluid,
carb-cleaner, hub socket, etc). Everyone helps each other out and we all make it back.
You all want to spend the most time driving,and we all want to show you all the neat stuff we have lined up to show you.
A friendly reminder: Before loading up to come to the rally, it is recommended to check the condition and level of all the fluids in your vehicle:
If you have spare parts that may come in handy...toss 'em into your kit bag. Past experience of things needed: condensers, filters, oil lines, brake fluid,
carb-cleaner, hub socket, etc). Everyone helps each other out and we all make it back.
You all want to spend the most time driving,and we all want to show you all the neat stuff we have lined up to show you.
A friendly reminder: Before loading up to come to the rally, it is recommended to check the condition and level of all the fluids in your vehicle:
- coolant
- engine
- transmission
- transfer
- battery
- brake
- hubs
- axles
- air filters
- Check,and / or service fuel filters.
See y'all next week -- Dan Martin
07 May 2012
OK, it's been a terribly busy month, so sorry to be out of the loop. Things are progressing nicely and I've finalized a route for us. Two full days of driving, and the only thing mandatory is to follow the Fort Hood regulations. People have various schedules, and that's OK. Participate when you can and enjoy yourselves.
Thursday: Pass-in-Review and static display. I plan to be on site at 0800 at the display location at the ACS parking lot. We will all link there. The vehicles participating in the Pass-in-Review at the parade ground will line up at 0900 for a quick briefing and we'll convoy over. Those who would rather watch than ride will be able to go to the grand-stands to observe from there and take pictures for everyone else (and video). If I can get a volunteer to be the official cameraman for the PiR, that would be awesome. For those of you driving in the event (please contact me if you'd like to drive in the "parade"), I'd like to see you in the uniform of your vehicles era. This does not mean combat kit unless you want to. But close to what your warhorse shows (no baseball hats, please). I will be TCing the halftrack and rendering the salute. This will be the first time the General sees us, and is an opportunity to take the Rally's reputation a little further.
Friday: We display at the 1st Cav museum from 0800-1000 and SP from there. We'll be driving through the old warehouse/railhead district so you can see the WW2 era barracks and warehouses being demolitioned, and then we drive to West Fort Hood to tour the nuclear bunker. The afternoon will be training range drives.
Saturday: Around the Horn. We'll be going through some new terrain, as well as seeing some new area with great vistas. We SP from BLORA mountain bike campground and spend all day exploring to include some old homesteads and WW2 training sites.
The weather is getting hotter, so take a good look at your cooling systems. I've had my own troubles with bearings and flat tires (I've had more since I bought the new tires than I ever had with the original ones). Check your fuel systems and lines. Condensers and fluids. Gonna be a good run.
Thanks for all the support and look forward to meeting all the new folks coming. A good list and we'll have a great time. Call me if you have questions, or have a friend who wants to join us with their vehicle or even if they just want to ride along.
---Dan Martin
Thursday: Pass-in-Review and static display. I plan to be on site at 0800 at the display location at the ACS parking lot. We will all link there. The vehicles participating in the Pass-in-Review at the parade ground will line up at 0900 for a quick briefing and we'll convoy over. Those who would rather watch than ride will be able to go to the grand-stands to observe from there and take pictures for everyone else (and video). If I can get a volunteer to be the official cameraman for the PiR, that would be awesome. For those of you driving in the event (please contact me if you'd like to drive in the "parade"), I'd like to see you in the uniform of your vehicles era. This does not mean combat kit unless you want to. But close to what your warhorse shows (no baseball hats, please). I will be TCing the halftrack and rendering the salute. This will be the first time the General sees us, and is an opportunity to take the Rally's reputation a little further.
Friday: We display at the 1st Cav museum from 0800-1000 and SP from there. We'll be driving through the old warehouse/railhead district so you can see the WW2 era barracks and warehouses being demolitioned, and then we drive to West Fort Hood to tour the nuclear bunker. The afternoon will be training range drives.
Saturday: Around the Horn. We'll be going through some new terrain, as well as seeing some new area with great vistas. We SP from BLORA mountain bike campground and spend all day exploring to include some old homesteads and WW2 training sites.
The weather is getting hotter, so take a good look at your cooling systems. I've had my own troubles with bearings and flat tires (I've had more since I bought the new tires than I ever had with the original ones). Check your fuel systems and lines. Condensers and fluids. Gonna be a good run.
Thanks for all the support and look forward to meeting all the new folks coming. A good list and we'll have a great time. Call me if you have questions, or have a friend who wants to join us with their vehicle or even if they just want to ride along.
---Dan Martin
03 April 2012
Hello gentlemen,
Another opportunity has fallen our way. On Fridays convoy, we'll be allowed the opportunity to have a tour of the old nuclear bunkers on West Fort Hood. I'll be scheduling this into the convoy route and the group will be escorted into the 1948 built section for a presentation and tour for about 45 minutes. Then the convoy will continue to see some great vistas on the south-west side of Fort Hood.
We have 10x vehicles registered so far and we're still 7 weeks out!
-- Dan Martin
Another opportunity has fallen our way. On Fridays convoy, we'll be allowed the opportunity to have a tour of the old nuclear bunkers on West Fort Hood. I'll be scheduling this into the convoy route and the group will be escorted into the 1948 built section for a presentation and tour for about 45 minutes. Then the convoy will continue to see some great vistas on the south-west side of Fort Hood.
We have 10x vehicles registered so far and we're still 7 weeks out!
-- Dan Martin
02 April 2012
All,
The Corps Command Sergeant Major is very enthusiastic about our participation in the III Corps Pass-in-Review. This will be for the III Corps Commanding General, LTG Campbell, in front of the III Corps HQ. Awesome opportunity to promote the Rally and include us "enthusiasts" in future Fort Hood events.
Also, for consideration of those who might be 'wary' of going off road with their vehicles: This is a fantastic time to be able to come to the Fort Hood Rally, display and particiate in a Corps activity. Then secure your vehicle and ride along on the Rally to experience what we've been doing the past two years.
Give it some thought.
Below is the schedule for the Pass in Review (can't get my file to load...some glitch). Keep the notes coming my way if you find a discrepancy in the website. Let's me know to get back on to fix.
See y'all soon.
-- Dan Martin
All Day (Wed and Thurs): Arrival and check in lodging (BLORA Ranch (camping) or local hotels):
Thursday, 24 May:
0830-0930: Set up for display
0930: Arrive staging point for Pass in Review (Sandowski Field, III Corps HQ)
1000: Pass in Review --return to display location
1030-1700: Vehicle and Equipment Display--Location: ACS parking lot (T.J Mills and Battalion Ave)
The Corps Command Sergeant Major is very enthusiastic about our participation in the III Corps Pass-in-Review. This will be for the III Corps Commanding General, LTG Campbell, in front of the III Corps HQ. Awesome opportunity to promote the Rally and include us "enthusiasts" in future Fort Hood events.
Also, for consideration of those who might be 'wary' of going off road with their vehicles: This is a fantastic time to be able to come to the Fort Hood Rally, display and particiate in a Corps activity. Then secure your vehicle and ride along on the Rally to experience what we've been doing the past two years.
Give it some thought.
Below is the schedule for the Pass in Review (can't get my file to load...some glitch). Keep the notes coming my way if you find a discrepancy in the website. Let's me know to get back on to fix.
See y'all soon.
-- Dan Martin
All Day (Wed and Thurs): Arrival and check in lodging (BLORA Ranch (camping) or local hotels):
Thursday, 24 May:
0830-0930: Set up for display
0930: Arrive staging point for Pass in Review (Sandowski Field, III Corps HQ)
1000: Pass in Review --return to display location
1030-1700: Vehicle and Equipment Display--Location: ACS parking lot (T.J Mills and Battalion Ave)
29 Mar 2012
Gentlemen,
Attached is the diagram that outlines the Pass-in-Review proposal I passed to SGM Lewis (III Corps G3 SGM) last week. This is being presented to the Command Group next week for final approval, and is not expected to see any resistance. We do have some leeway in the number of vehicles participating, so no one needs to feel left out. However, I would like for us to have the drivers and riders wearing uniforms as close to the era of their vehicle as possible.
I anticipate some of y'all will want to watch verse drive, and that's OK. As we get closer, we'll work out the details, etc. Positioning for the ceremony will be at 0930, so you'll need to take that into consideration for your travel to Fort Hood. Camping at BLORA is good for Wednesday night, so if you arrive early, that is just fine.
So far, I have 9x vehicle registered to attend. I am working the advertising now and getting the info onto all the various media outlets available to Fort Hood. Have tentative registrations/interest from new participants, so fingers crossed.
Please pass the word and it looks like it'll be a good run again.
Dan
Attached is the diagram that outlines the Pass-in-Review proposal I passed to SGM Lewis (III Corps G3 SGM) last week. This is being presented to the Command Group next week for final approval, and is not expected to see any resistance. We do have some leeway in the number of vehicles participating, so no one needs to feel left out. However, I would like for us to have the drivers and riders wearing uniforms as close to the era of their vehicle as possible.
I anticipate some of y'all will want to watch verse drive, and that's OK. As we get closer, we'll work out the details, etc. Positioning for the ceremony will be at 0930, so you'll need to take that into consideration for your travel to Fort Hood. Camping at BLORA is good for Wednesday night, so if you arrive early, that is just fine.
So far, I have 9x vehicle registered to attend. I am working the advertising now and getting the info onto all the various media outlets available to Fort Hood. Have tentative registrations/interest from new participants, so fingers crossed.
Please pass the word and it looks like it'll be a good run again.
Dan
25 Mar 2012
For folks planning on participating in the Thursday display. III Corps is conducting a ceremony on the parade ground at 1000 on 24 March. Pending the Command Sergeant Major's approval, we've been offered the opportunity for 10 select vehicles to participate in the Pass-in-Review for the Commanding General. That said, the vehicle drivers and riders need to be kitted out in the uniform of that era. Nothing fancy, but reasonably accurate. This will also only be US vehicles (sorry Allied brethern). Line up from the display location will be at 0930, and we'll return to the same spot. Someone will be available to guard the site if displays are left there. Cheers.
Dan
Dan
19 Mar 2012
I recieved the complete packet back from the Commanding Generals office today. We are good to go, so the focus is going to be figuring out a great route for y'all. It was good to see everyone who supported Mullin's weekend and observe me getting stuck in the mud down on the jeep trail. Hope everyone who was a new contact decides to join us. For clarity, understand that the event is designed within your comfort levels. You can always catch a ride in another vehicle if you are worried about your own. Contact me if you have any questions, and look forward to seeing everyone in May.
Reminder to everyone (past and future participants) that this is primarily a driving event, so those preventive maintenance tasks need to start. I would highly suggest that you get out an drive around a bit leading up to the Rally so that any little ankle-biter problems will reveil themselves prior to you starting out on the trail.
We'll be boosting our advertising this Rally, so hopefully we'll see more participants and spectators. Cheers and thanks to those who've already sent in forms. We're up to 5x vehicles commiting so far.
Dan Martin
Reminder to everyone (past and future participants) that this is primarily a driving event, so those preventive maintenance tasks need to start. I would highly suggest that you get out an drive around a bit leading up to the Rally so that any little ankle-biter problems will reveil themselves prior to you starting out on the trail.
We'll be boosting our advertising this Rally, so hopefully we'll see more participants and spectators. Cheers and thanks to those who've already sent in forms. We're up to 5x vehicles commiting so far.
Dan Martin
10 Mar 2012
The Rally has been APPROVED by the garrison commander and now is making it's way across the commanding generals desk. WIth this, we can start to advertise. Pretty much everything is set except for a final route and registrations. Send in your info and let us know you're planning on attending. Have already found a few other trails of interest. If anyone has some special area they would like to revisit, please let me know.
Dan Martin
Dan Martin
17 Feb 2012
Greetings,
Staffing of the Rally packet with III Corps continues with 5 of the 8 directorate already concurring. Reservations have been made to hold the camping site for us, but with a slight change. We'll be staying at the BLORA mountain bike camping site instead of the Ranch. Same location, just on the opposite side of the road. It is a busy weekend for BLORA, so we'll be isolated and out of the way. We've got a good reputation with the entire staff, and this site has primitive showers on site, porta-john and RV hook-ups and water. Access to the lake is now available to our group, even to the non-DoD civilians. So, you'll be able to go down to the lakefront and use the BLORA facilities over the weekend. The manager is also providing us a large portable grill, so maybe one evening we can have a dinner get together for everyone.
I'll continue to update as we go along. Mr. Matt Nethercutt is tracking everything I am doing to keep the Rally alive when I depart Fort Hood. Still don't know where to, but fingers crossed to stay in Texas. The Rally is a big reason for me to reside in the Lone Star State (along with the friends I've met here).
Contact Matt or I with any concerns.
Dan
Staffing of the Rally packet with III Corps continues with 5 of the 8 directorate already concurring. Reservations have been made to hold the camping site for us, but with a slight change. We'll be staying at the BLORA mountain bike camping site instead of the Ranch. Same location, just on the opposite side of the road. It is a busy weekend for BLORA, so we'll be isolated and out of the way. We've got a good reputation with the entire staff, and this site has primitive showers on site, porta-john and RV hook-ups and water. Access to the lake is now available to our group, even to the non-DoD civilians. So, you'll be able to go down to the lakefront and use the BLORA facilities over the weekend. The manager is also providing us a large portable grill, so maybe one evening we can have a dinner get together for everyone.
I'll continue to update as we go along. Mr. Matt Nethercutt is tracking everything I am doing to keep the Rally alive when I depart Fort Hood. Still don't know where to, but fingers crossed to stay in Texas. The Rally is a big reason for me to reside in the Lone Star State (along with the friends I've met here).
Contact Matt or I with any concerns.
Dan
03 Feb 2012:
Hello everyone,
Interest is growing for the anticipated May Rally. We've had to settle upon Memorial Day weekend for the event due to teh restrictive training calendar at Fort Hood this spring. Hopefully y'all will be able to work the trip into your priorities and preferences. This Rally, we will be supporting III Corps "Phantom Warrior" week and we've been given a great display location in the central intersection on post where we'll get a lot of attention. In addition, we've been asked to support the Corps "pass in review" with our vehicles (more details as I get them). I'm hoping that this will give folks the incentive to join us on Thursday, 24 May. The Rally officially ends on Saturday, 26 May so that participants can make it back home for Memorial Day events on Monday.
I will be traveling for military business over the coming month, so any questions you send my way may be delayed in response. I'll get to any questions you may have, promise. Don't hesitate to send in your registration form (FH 210-9-1). This is the updated form and is located on the Registration Page on this site. If you have your Area Access Pass from the Fall, please go ahead and send in a registration form with a copy of your AAP. You won't need to pay the fee since you'll be covered from the last event.
I hope to fit in several recons over the coming months and am working with possible contacts to fit in visits to some motorpools on Friday and/or Saturday. So, the planning continues.
Finally...the Army will be moving me this coming summer and I will be passing the reins on to a new organizer to keep the Rally going. The support is there from the museums and the Corps, so hopefully the Rally will continue into the future.
Look forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new participants in May.
Cheers!
--Dan Martin
Interest is growing for the anticipated May Rally. We've had to settle upon Memorial Day weekend for the event due to teh restrictive training calendar at Fort Hood this spring. Hopefully y'all will be able to work the trip into your priorities and preferences. This Rally, we will be supporting III Corps "Phantom Warrior" week and we've been given a great display location in the central intersection on post where we'll get a lot of attention. In addition, we've been asked to support the Corps "pass in review" with our vehicles (more details as I get them). I'm hoping that this will give folks the incentive to join us on Thursday, 24 May. The Rally officially ends on Saturday, 26 May so that participants can make it back home for Memorial Day events on Monday.
I will be traveling for military business over the coming month, so any questions you send my way may be delayed in response. I'll get to any questions you may have, promise. Don't hesitate to send in your registration form (FH 210-9-1). This is the updated form and is located on the Registration Page on this site. If you have your Area Access Pass from the Fall, please go ahead and send in a registration form with a copy of your AAP. You won't need to pay the fee since you'll be covered from the last event.
I hope to fit in several recons over the coming months and am working with possible contacts to fit in visits to some motorpools on Friday and/or Saturday. So, the planning continues.
Finally...the Army will be moving me this coming summer and I will be passing the reins on to a new organizer to keep the Rally going. The support is there from the museums and the Corps, so hopefully the Rally will continue into the future.
Look forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new participants in May.
Cheers!
--Dan Martin
