Back to Nebraska – March 2007 …Howitzer Acquistion
Back to Nebraska – March 2007 …Howitzer Acquistion
Yes, I really bought it! Read on to see how I got it to Minnesota …
Remember all the trucks in 2005 that were here? Every last one is gone now. The whole yard is just small iron and junk.I sent my buddy Ryan out to make this run, and he got to talking with some local guys and found a ranch that had had 9 WC Dodge trucks. They converted all of them to hay rakes. 3 different command cars, an ambulance, WC22 one civy power wagon. Here are a couple of the remnants.
Ryan’s trailer making the first haul to meet the tractor-trailer rig. We were only able to get one command car body. A nice 1/2 ton late style.Now for the Howitzer …How do you move a 15-ton Long Tom Howitzer? …VERY, Very carefully! And not too successfully with the wrong equipment. The first guy hired to do the job used these two old Holmes wrecker units. One was destroyed in the process. After 5 hours of messing around and breaking equipment, a second company was called with the right equipment.
Just in time, it was starting to get dark. Ryan took this photo from across the road, and almost had to buy a spot to take it from. There was no room because of the audience that had gathered to see the town symbol leaving after sitting there for 47 years. It was privately owned, but had come to be the town piece.Loaded and ready to roll.A couple of days later, the load arrives at Midwest Military.I knew this 5-ton wrecker would come in handy around here. It has paid for itself several times over already.Pointed in the wrong direction at the moment. We need to spin it 180 degrees.Don, Ryan and I sizing up the beasty. 1945 dated, but missing a lot of pieces at the moment. I am working on that.
