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Day 4 – Mar. 23rd: Hurray for Ouray

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 3 – Mar. 22nd: Old Bones and Old Jeeps | OVERVIEW | Day 5 – Mar. 24th: Talking Jeeps w/ Worn Rusty Hubbs –>

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Here’s our selfie at an overlook just south of Ouray, Colorado. Ann is putting on a brave face for the camera, but she’s very scared in that photo. This overlook hangs over the edge of a steep cliff.

With beautiful blue skies overhead, we started the day in Grand Junction with our sights set on the mysterious Colorado National Monument. Having done no research on it, and trusting Dean’s advice from yesterday, we started at the western entrance of the park near Fruita.

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Today we drove from Fruita to Durango.

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After the ranger station, the road climbs quickly, switching back and forth, tunneling through rock, and teasing the driver (who should really keep his eyes on the road according to Ann) with beautiful views of the Grand Junction Valley. Those travelers familiar with Southern Utah will instantly recognize the red sandstone walls, the juniper trees, and narrow canyons.

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After four miles of driving, we arrived at the visitors center, a complex perched near a canyon wall with a view toward some of the amazing pinnacles that dot the landscape. Inside the visitors center we learned about John Otto, the man that made the Monument happen. His early vision included an amazing road full of switchbacks that would allow cars to traverse the park from one end to the other. Hi dream might not have become a reality had the Depression not happened, for it provided all the cheap labor ($1/day/per person) he need to carve a twenty-three mile road through the park.

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After driving the road, it’s my opinion that it is one of the truly unique features of the park. There aren’t many places along the drive that don’t feature beautiful views. It is one continuous bit of eye candy from start to finish.

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1944 Photo of Jeep Bumper with Mussolini Mask **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.

Wait, that’s not a government issue mask! The three pictured from left to right are:  CPL. Arthur Smith of New York City, NY, PFC. Matty Furyal of Detroit, Michigan,  and PVT. Carl Carlson of Norwalk, Connecticutt.

“1944- U.S. troops in Italy with a mask of Mussolini attached to the bumper of their jeep.”

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1958? Photo of August Benhoff Retirement on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

As Marc noted to me, the photo appears more likely to have been taken in the late 1940s. Perhaps it was a photo that wasn’t released until 1958?

“You are bidding on an original press photo of Willys Motors Employee in Vintage Jeep. Photo has staple hole top right corner & waving Photo measures 8 x 10 inches and is dated 6/17/1958.”

View all the information on eBay

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Day 3 – Mar. 22nd: Old Bones and Old Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 2 – March 21st: From Salt Lake City To Vernal | OVERVIEW | Day 4 – Mar. 23rd: Hurray for Ouray –>

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Dave shares his unique seat implementation, which will allow the seat to be tilted back or released entirely using the custom sliding seat attachments he’ll install for his seats.

We started our day planning to leave Vernal, Utah, and drive to Dinosaur National Monument, before heading for our final destination in Grand Junction, Colorado.

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But, before we left our motel’s parking lot, we spotted our first ‘feral’ jeep of the trip, a CJ-5 that was right across the street from us. The snowplow on the front suggests this utility vehicle’s singular purpose.

2014-03-22-vernal-cj5Satisfied with a quick photo, we were on our way, but not before one final dinosaur bid us a farewell.

2014-03-22-vernalDinosaur National Monument is about a 20 minute drive east of Vernal. The monument was established in 1915 after Earl Douglas discovered a quarry of bones near the small town of Jensen, Utah. While known for the amazing dinosaur history, much of the Monument consists of over 200,000 acres of rugged canyons. Apart from exploring the Monument, there are many other day trips which could keep a person busy exploring. We plan on returning to the area at some future point and spent several days driving the backroads.

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This is the Quarry building. No, this is not some cheap ploy to encourage Jeep Corp to sponsor our trips . . . unless it works.

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The former river bed behind Ann is full of bones. It was cool 20 years ago when I saw it for the first time and is still cool today.

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We made sure Henry had a great view.

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1949 Fairchild Airlift Photo on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

That jeep and trailer look pretty loaded up!

“Original advertisement for their C-82 Packet cargo plane showing an Airborne Signal Team loading a Jeep and radio trailer.”

View all the information on eBay

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1945 Photo of Dwight Eisenhower and Child on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I wonder what ever happened to that child?

View all the information on eBay

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Day 2 -March 21st: From Salt Lake City To Vernal

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt | OVERVIEW | Day 3 – Mar. 22nd: Old Bones and Old Jeeps –>

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The Easter-o-saurus greeted us at Vernal, Utah.

After our long drive on Thursday, we intentionally had an easy day drive of a few hours, a quick trip from Salt Lake City to Vernal, Utah.

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Day 2 of our trip.

We started off the day with some bagels at the Einsteins on 13th East with Karson. After we were done eating, we posed for a photo together, which further demonstrates that either he is growing or I am shrinking. Must be the water in Salt Lake or something . . .

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It kind of looks like the guy on the horse in the photo is measure just how tall Karson is!

We were just about to leave Salt Lake when Ann and I spotted Caputos, a well known deli that now has a small store next to Einsteins. They know their stuff at Caputos and know a couple suckers when they see them. We walked out a little poorer, but with some really good goat cheese and some locally made chocolate.

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On this day in March 1948

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

On March 22, 1948, The Federal Trade Commission ordered Willys-Overland Motors, Inc. to stop advertising that it had created or designed the “jeep.” Said FTC: although Willys-Overland “made an outstanding contribution in its powerful engine as well as in other features of the vehicle,” the credit belonged jointly to four companies—Willys-Overland, American Bantam Car Co., Ford Motor Co., Spicer Manufacturing Co. (now Dana Corp.)—and the Army.

Read more: Facts & Figures, Mar. 22, 1948 – TIME http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804527,00.html#ixzz2s81qUrOv

 
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1956 Stevens Twist Twill Clothes Ad on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Marc forwarded this ad. I guess the message is that everyone will look good working on a jeep if they wear Stevens Twist Twill clothes?

View all the information on eBay

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Photo of Wagon Raising Money for Polish Relief

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Willys Wagons This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE:  **SOLD** Was on eBay.

“This is an old black & white photograph of a Jeep station wagon advertising American Relief for Poland. The car has a message board on the roof which reads: “Poland Needs Your Help Help the Children of Poland Tag Day Sept. 13th and 14th”. The car also says: “6000 Dubois MAdison 1644”. The latter is an old-style telephone number (this style was phased out in the 1950’s), and the former is likely an address. American Relief for Poland was formed in 1929 and was active at least through the 1950’s. The Jeep station wagon was introduced in 1946. I can’t see much of the clothing of the people in the background, but what I can see seems to look more like 1940’s or 1950’s clothes than later. A “tag day” is a day on which contributions for a charitable cause are solicited; the donors are given a tag in return. The photo is in good condition apart from some curl to it. It measures almost 7 inches long by 5 inches tall. I got this near Cleveland, Ohio, and I don’t have any other information about it; there is no identification on the back.”

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Hamilton Surrey Pedal Jeep Bakersfield, CA **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, toys • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $200.

Looks pretty original to me, but I haven’t seen many of these.

“Pedal Car; Hamilton, Princess Jeep, Canopy used needs restored”

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Rocking Jeep Broken Arrow, OK **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, toys This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $300

This is neat.

“Completely handmade out of wood. Seats 1.”

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Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

<– OVERVIEW | Day 2 – March 21st: From Salt Lake City To Vernal –>

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We left Pasco, Washington, at 5amish yesterday, which means we’d planned to leave at 5am, but due to last minute scrambling, our departure didn’t actually occur until 5:30am. After nine hours of driving, we arrived in Salt Lake City in time to celebrate with the kids.

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Today we drove from Pasco, Washington, to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Karson, Kasia and Colter joined us at the Old Spaghetti Factory for some pasta. It was Kasia’s choice, due both to her upcoming 18th birthday and because we found out yesterday she’s been accepted to the University of Utah. However, she won’t be attending the U this fall, but will postpone it until the fall of 2015 so she can spend the next school year participating in a mentorship program in Los Angeles.

Colter has another two years at East High School. I think he hopes that without his brother and sister at school, he will no longer be known as Kasia or Karson’s little brother. Instead, people will actually know him by his own name.

2014-03-20-kids-oldspaghetti-factory2-loresYou may remember our trip from last summer when we ran into Karson twice during his participation in the Americorps/FEMA program. In November he successfully ‘graduated’ from the program with lots of experiences, stories and scholarship money. So, he decided to go to Westminster University starting this winter. He seems to be enjoying it immensely.

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Pygmy Designated a National Historic Vehicle

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Several folks forwarded an article at Hemmings that announces the Ford Pygmy’s inclusion on the list of National Historic Vehicles.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2014/03/21/worlds-oldest-jeep-prototype-the-ford-pygmy-to-go-on-national-historic-vehicle-register/?refer=news

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Jeeps Flying High

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Sean forwarded these photos. If I had to put a caption to the first one it would be, “TOO HIGH! TOO HIGH! I didn’t sign up for this!

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Ford GP. The guys on the horses look a little jealous.

 
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Keystone Automobile Club Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I found this interesting photo of Bennet Larson and a few others standing in front of a Keystone Automobile Club Jeep. Keystone was an automobile club that was absorbed into the AAA Mid-Atlantic in 1965. The photo was taken in/near Philadelphia. I imagine the jeep was used for helping stranded motorists or patrolling?

http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/UU_Photo_Archives/id/47939/rec/162

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Brochure to Recruit WAACs

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features, Women & Jeeps This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Here’s a neat WAAC Ad Maury found and on eBay.

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Shirts, Books and Posters during our Trip

• CATEGORIES: Event, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

On this year’s trip we’ll have a few different items you can buy from us as we travel. If you want the items mailed to you, we’ll figure out a way to do that, too. Just email me (d @ ewillys.com). Everything is first come first serve.

The purposes of these items should be pretty obvious: 1) help raise money for our trips, 2) provide unique, vintage jeep items you won’t see elsewhere, and 3) to promote the community of vintage jeeps. For me, it makes the whole eWillys adventure more fun.

SHIRTS are $20 each: They shirts are good quality material that is 60% ring spun cotton and 40% polyester. They are light and very comfortable. The image is based on a WWII bond-drive image printed on an envelope.

1. Olive Drab: I only have Large and X-Large.
2. Gray: I have a couple of Smalls, Mediums and XXL. Mostly, I have Larges and X-Large.
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BOOKS are $20 each: Of course, don’t forget about my books. We’ll have copies of both. For those that don’t know, Finding Virginia is personal journey of mine, including my history with jeeps and more. The Amber Panels is an adventure/fiction novel based around the real Amber Panels. Of course, jeeps find there way into it, too.

One of the reasons for we are detouring down to Sante Fe, New Mexico, is to visit the Bataan Museum. WWII in the Pacific and the Philippines will play a role in book three, tentatively titled October Gold.
2014-trip-booksPOSTERS are $10 each: Not many left, but we’ll be carrying some of these with us as well. These are professionally printed 18″x12″ posters. I have varying amounts of each. Want more than one? We can make a deal.

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Johnson Jeeps of Utah County

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Jim Johnson, his father and brother are all Willys nuts. He says they can’t get enough of them. Each year they head south from Utah’s Utah County for the Jeep Safari with their vintage jeeps. They enjoy showing how well their ‘old’ jeeps perform against the new ones.

This first jeep is a 1962 CJ-5 that Jim got from his father. Jim fixed it up some and gave it another coat of paint. All three look ready for Moab again this year. Have fun!

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Mr. ‘JP’Q Formerly Known as Haines Garage

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Scott, whom everyone seems to know as Haines Garage, posted this jeepish photo of himself wearing a unique jeep shirt. The shirt is great, as is the pose.

Find him here: https://www.facebook.com/haines.garage or at his flat fender website: http://hainesgarage.proboards.com

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“Sometimes I model for Jeep Q Magazine”

 
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1962 Jeep Trip into Canyonlands

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old Images Jeeping This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: It looks like a few of these photos are reversed, especially the one below.

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1962 Canyonlands Trip to film “The Sculptured Earth”

Frazier discovered these 1962 Canyonlands trip photos within the digital archives of the University of Utah. He’s a big Landrover fan, but also has a soft spot for old jeeps, too.

He wrote, “I thought you might be interested in these pictures I found in the University Of Utah’s digital library.  They were taken during the filming of “The Sculptured Earth”, which was a film to promote the creation of Canyonlands National Park. You’ll have to excuse the university watermarks, but they are some pretty great shots..  (and yes, as you’ve probably found out by my email I’m a huge Land Rover fan…. But I have a deep obsession/respect for the vehicle that started it all!)

According the to the University of Utah, The Sculptured Earth (see the photos below and more here)” was a 45-minute film promoting the creation of Canyonlands National Park, produced by Charles Eggert in 1962 at the request of Interior Secretary Stewart Udall and the National Park Service.

http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/search/searchterm/%22The%20Sculptured%20Earth%22/field/all/mode/all/conn/and/order/title/ad/asc/cosuppress/1

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2014 Southwest Trip Overview

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

OVERVIEW | Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt –>

UPDATE: This page originally covered our anticipated trip, but now that It is finished, it’s a summary page.

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Southwest / California trip March 20-May 1, 2014.

We finally made it home to Pasco. It took us six weeks and one day to make the loop through the mountain west, into the southwest, and northward into California and Oregon. We covered a distance of 6,378 miles.

Once again, we have to give thanks to everyone who met with us, supported or followed our journey. We feel very fortunate to have these periods of time to travel with one another and see so much of this great country. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed our trip and learned something new about a place you never knew.

We appreciate all the suggestions everyone gave us and we’re sorry we couldn’t followup on all of them. I know I’d hoped to drop by and see Paul Barry at Willys America or Jerry at his truck/wagon shop in Rodeo, CA. However, since my daughter is supposed to be in Los Angeles in the fall/spring of next year, I figured we would be back down there soon enough and will stop by both places.

Here are links to our daily reports:

  1. OVERVIEW: 2014 Southwest Trip Overview
  2. Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt
  3. Day 2 – March 21st: From Salt Lake City To Vernal
  4. Day 3 – Mar. 22nd: Old Bones and Old Jeeps
  5. Day 4 – Mar. 23rd: Hurray for Ouray
  6. Day 5 – Mar. 24th: Talking Jeeps w/ Worn Rusty Hubbs
  7. Day 6 – Mar. 25th: TinkerTown and the Turquoise Trail
  8. Day 7 – Mar. 26th: Darth Vader and Tractor Bob
  9. Day 8 – Mar. 27th: Joe’s Jeeps
  10. Day 9 – Mar. 28th: Charging Futility and FC Roundup Day 1
  11. Day 10 – Mar. 29th: Red Lobster or Bust — Day 2 of the FC Roundup
  12. Day 11 – Mar. 30th: Phoenix’s Mystery Castle
  13. Day 12 – Mar. 31st: Stagecoaches and a Glass Desert
  14. Day 13 – Apr 1st: From Scottsdale AJs to Seligman Sundries
  15. Day 14 – Apr. 2nd: It is Cold, Windy and Raining . . . This is the Mohave Desert?
  16. Day 15 – Apr. 3rd: Joshua Tree National Park
  17. Day 16 – Apr. 4th: The Borrego Springs Jeep
  18. Day 17 – Apr. 5th: Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor
  19. Day 18 – Apr. 6th: Wurlitzer to Wigwam
  20. Day 19 – Apr. 7th: From McDonald’s to Ruby’s
  21. Day 20 – Apr. 8th: California Adventure w/ Mrs. Soggy Bottom
  22. Day 21 – Apr. 9th: Day 2 at Disneyland
  23. Day 22 – Apr. 10th: Balboa Island and Pier
  24. Day 23 – Apr. 11th: Vintage Cars and Campers
  25. Day 24 – Apr. 12th: Dan’s FCs and The Lost Romanian
  26. Day 25 – Apr. 13th: Port Why-Knee-Me
  27. Day 26 – Apr. 14th: Gorditas Make Me Sleepy
  28. Day 27 – Apr. 15th: Strolling Monterey
  29. Day 28 – Apr. 16th: Artichokes and Sushi Boats
  30. Day 29 – Apr. 17th: Revenge of the Sushi
  31. Day 30-31 – Apr.18th-19th: Bay Area Fun
  32. Day 32 – Apr. 20th: A Sunday Drive to Santa Rosa
  33. Day 33 – Apr. 21st: Tom, Paty, Sparky, Bill, Lucy, Snoopy, Charlie, Linus, and More
  34. Day 34 – Apr. 22nd: Old Town Sacramento
  35. Day 35 – Apr. 23rd: Over the Sierras
  36. Day 36 – Apr. 24th: ‘Tire’d of Reno
  37. Day 37 – Apr. 25th: Carson City
  38. Day 38 – Apr. 26th: Finding Virginia City
  39. Day 39 – Apr. 27th: Crying Babies and Grungie Folks
  40. Day 40 – Apr. 28th: Firehouse #4
  41. Day 41 – Apr. 29th: Ann Flies the Goose
  42. Day 42 – Apr. 30th: R&P 4WD and Herm
  43. Day 43 – COMPLETED: 2014 Spring Southwest-California Trip

OVERVIEW | Day 1 – March 20th: Dinner and Salt –>

 
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Yahoo Loosely Sketches “Willy’s” History

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Ann forwarded this link to me. Is it possible the author was actually paid for this post? I’m not sure if the article or the comments are funnier.

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/anywhere-anything-story-willy-jeep-140059277.html

 
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Jeeps on Flickr from Around the World

• CATEGORIES: Features, International, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Marc found these interesting photos on Flickr.

The first is a photo of the Italian police from 1947: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16435224@N05/4856286877/

italy-police-flickrHere’s a more recent photo from Ravenna, Italy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30797788@N03/5133444193/

2010-ravena-italy-red-jeep-flickrThis photo was taken in Iran in 1997:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69060931@N06/6778733213/

1997-persia-flickrTaken in October of 2013, this photo was taken in Japan:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/69060931@N06/6778733213/

2013-japan-cj3b-fire-jeep-flickrI’m guessing this photo of a late model CJ-2A from the Netherlands was taken in the late 1940s:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuuur/6890468326/

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1944 Photo of Jeeps from PM **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Was on eBay.  **SOLD**

This January 24, 1944 issue of the PM has a variety of stories, including a great photo of the Senegalese checking out some jeeps.

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“PM DAILY NEWSPAPER WORLD WAR II
70 th Birthday – Birth-Date – Special Occasion – Research
January 24, 1944
ORIGINAL WWII EDITION
20 PAGES, SIZE, 14 1/2″ x 11”
(Some dates in 1944 available, January – March – June – July – please contact us through eBay messaging with your requirements if not in our store)

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