@andrewd7586
I’m in Australia & through my late father Herb, I am custodian of his 1941 Ford Jeep. Dad was a WW2 & served with the AIF mostly in New Guinea during that time. He bought his Jeep from a museum in Queensland some 30 years ago. Because it was a museum piece, it’s still in unbelievable condition! Dad passed away in July 2010, & now as I write, his Jeep is being recommissioned by a group of fantastic mechanics we both knew & know. At some 84 years old the only parts I had to buy were 4 new tyres, a new fuel pump & wheel bearings. The guys working on it said it’s in amazing condition! So next spring here, in Victoria, Australia, I’ll be proudly driving it again in dad’s memory. “Lest We Forget”.
@garysilver718
I was in the Army 1958-1962 and my job was wheeled vehicle mechanic which included the Jeep , 21/2 & 3/4 ton truck. Jeep was my favorite. Was sent to the Sahara desert with the Jeep & 3/4 ton power wagon.
@leewaffe3
To highlight the sheer amount of volume American manufacturers produced in everything from tanks, planes, boats, bullets, beans, and bombs look to the jeep. At the height of production by 1944 at any moment in one of the 10 factories making jeeps, a newly made jeep was rolled off the line every 3-5 minutes. Sheer numbers along with the tenacity and bravery of our fighting men and women is what ultimately helped the allies win WWII.
@robertbenson9797
On Memorial Day weekend, what a great video about the most ubiquitous US military vehicle, ever. My dad was an ETO veteran during WWII. He also stayed in the National Guard after the war. As commander of the unit in my hometown, he often would bring a Jeep home during the weekend, if the Guard was drilling. This was the timeframe of “Combat” on TV. Needless to say, my driveway became the hub of the battle of the neighborhood! Dad also pointed out some modifications that GIs made in the field. Often times, a pedestal mounted Browning 1919 machine gun would be mounted in the middle of the interior, just behind the two front seats. In some WWII movies, if the screenwriters had done their research, a vertical pipe, about four feet long, would be welded to the middle of the front bumper. As the Western Allies rolled across France and Western Europe in the summer and fall of 1944, the Germans would string piano wire across roadways, about four feet high. This could decapitate the driver and passengers in a Jeep. The welded pipe would prevent this by breaking the wire. In all theaters of WWII and beyond , there were hundreds of modifications made by GIs to help improve the Jeep. An excellent example of American ingenuity. Also, in a forward area while advancing, you didn’t put up the windshield because sunlight would reflect off of it, possibly alerting enemy aircraft to an approaching convoy. Thanks for a great episode.
@hueyman624
Im a Jeep snob. The blackout PARKING lights didnt give off a beam. Most later versions had a Blackout driving light on the left fender. The parking lights were designed so that another vehicle could see them but an aircraft could not. they were barely visible. The early models had regular wheels like this one, but most had Combat wheels that could be disassembled with the lug wrench to easily change a tire. The left side of the Jeep had left hand thread lugs and the right hand had right hand thread lug nuts. The windshield cover was for keeping it from reflecting from sunlight when down. The driver seat has some kind of extensions that are not correct. If there were windshield wipers at all, they were manual like these but power was by vacuum, no fuse. Tires were non directional tread, 6:00-16 tube type
@mikehollinger2935
The tire treads were designed so the tracks they left wouldn’t tip the enemy which direction the vehicle traveled and the windshield folded to eliminate reflections that might tip off your location.
@OrWell-vb7le
An important instrument in the fight against totalitarianism and a great presentation for Memorial Day. Thank you for this.
@TrzCharlie
Thank you so much for posting this. As an aside, my uncle had a surplus jeep that had the snorkle. My Dad and Uncle took me on a ride through a deep canal where they could barely keep their heads above the water and they sat me up on the windshield while my Dad also held onto me. It is a lasting and very good memory of mine. Kudos for the videos.
@shaunaustin7848
I wish they still made these just like this, this is a perfect offroad vehicle
@jeffreysokal7264
What a price vehicle, a real beauty.
@TroyGlaus-yv2yb
Thank you for posting this. They were phasing out the jeep when I joined. Yet my unit managed to hang on to a few until 1993. That year we had a terrible flood that affected the whole Ohio valley. I and my squad were tasked with keeping looters and rubber neckers and just provided security to the oldest town in southern Missouri. We were given jeeps to patrol the levies. My god it was such a terrible event. Yet we really appreciated those little go anywhere vehicles. We had a couple of HMMWVs with us. Yet as the flood progressed those levies got very spongy. You could drive the jeep on the levee and everything was good. When you drove the HMMWVs on the levies you sank six inches. Not a fun feeling. We tended to run the jeeps as fast as we could do it and get the hell off of that levee ASAP.
@ericmcgrath7554
The ramp angle, technically called angle of approach and angle of departure, is still specified as 45 degrees for Army tactical vehicles. That’s the highest angle you’d see for a Bailey Bridge ramp. Bailey Bridge is gone but those angles are still around.
@michaelguerin56
Thank you, Leslie. I understand that many Bantams were sent to the Soviet Union. The side handles are there so that you can lift the vehicle up and move it sideways without injuring yourself. Also … Willys is correctly pronounced ‘WILLISS’ regardless of whether it is spelled Wyllys, Willys or Willis. The Willys Jeep promotional films and Willys Overland commercials provide perfect examples of the correct pronunciation. Those films and commercials are available to view on YouTube.
@robertphillips6296
Some of them had Headlights that could be flipped inward so that they could provide light inside the engine compartment for night repairs.
@frankfilippone9679
This is something every American 🇺🇸 should know. I've had the pleasure of being in the passenger seat of a 1944 MB through some serious #offroad at Rausch Creek PA offroad park with my friend "John Rambo" It would places that even our modern Jeeps would have problems! It was Awesome! Although I haven't seen John in a while, he used to drive the MB Everywhere! I don't think at the time, how much of an Honor it was, in its O.D. Glory! But now I do. Happy Memorial Day Everyone! And please remember #NEVERFORGET 🙏 #GODBLESSAMERICA T.Y. For this video, and thank a Vet for your Freedom, like I always do!
@RDEnduro
I used to see a yellow painted one every summer, always looked like a fun drive around town vehicle and even better on an old dirt road
@nmelkhunter1
A very fitting choice for Memorial Day. Thank you for a great, concise video on the history and features of this model of Jeep.
@Dan-Black
[WILL-ISS], not [will-eez]! You're right (at 16:57) that the guy's name was John Willys, but that's not how it's pronounced. The "s" is part of the name; it's not possessive, and it's not pronounced like a possessive. It's pronounced just like another last name, "Willis". (And if you've ever seen a Willys vehicle with an apostrophe, someone painted it on later, probably when they were repainting the vehicle or using a home-made stencil. None left the factory with an apostrophe, and when the name is embossed in the metal, there is never an embossed apostrophe.) Other than that, great video! There's a lot of important history in that vehicle.
@robertmoore7199
My cousin had one. He said it was different than the later Willies. It was lower and went everywhere. We lifted the motor out to rebuild with two guys. Painted it plum purple.:eyes-purple-crying:
@Jjrmtv