NEWSLETTER EXTRA

Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors

Started December 2011

Updated January 19, 2014

MVMVC March Flea Market Information

January 2014 Newsletter Issue

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The site is near the Oak Creek Bridge on the St. Michaels Road, on the eastern shore of Maryland. The folks who own the property always have eye-catching displays celebrating various holidays through the year.
This year for Christmas they have certainly outdone themselves!

Merry Christmas







 

 



 

Santa's sleigh meets jet in couple's Christmas display in St. Michaels
No reindeer harmed after Santa's fictitious mishap with an F-104 jet
· Tom and Alice Blair's Christmas display in St. Michaels… (Barbara Haddock Taylor,…)
December 23, 2011|By Edward Gunts, The Baltimore Sun
Santa didn't get run over by his reindeer, but he appears to have had a dust-up with an F-104 jet, in an elaborate Christmas display on Tom and Alice Blair's farm in St. Michaels.
The tableau depicts the aftermath of a midair collision involving Santa's sleigh full of toys and a Cold War era "Starfighter" from the fictitious St. Michaels Air National Guard, piloted by "Captain Scrooge."

An elf retrieves a tricycle from the jet's tail wing as Santa notices that Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, is stuck in the fuselage and the pilot sits off to the side fixing a broken Radio Flyer wagon. Santa's sleigh has been pierced by the jet's nose, reindeer wander nearby, and presents are strewn all over the ground. A sign on a nearby fence reads "Oops!"
The scene is the latest in a series of unconventional displays that the Blairs put on their property throughout the year, to mark various holidays such as Halloween and Memorial Day.
Tom Blair, an author and retired businessman who collects and flies World War II planes that he keeps at the nearby Easton Airport, said he mounts the displays for his friends, neighbors and 16 grandchildren to enjoy.
"It's inspired by the fact that Christmas is coming and my friends and neighbors were expecting me to put out something noteworthy, and I can't put out the same thing" year after year, he said.
For this season's display, he wanted to incorporate one of his vintage warbirds.
"I was thinking, 'What could I do with this?' and I had the idea of it impaling Santa's sleigh and Santa pulling Rudolph from the air intake," he explained.
While it may sound a bit dark, no people or animals were harmed in the making of this display.
"It's a happy thing," Blair said. "I meant for it to be humorous and non-offensive. I've probably got 99 extremely positive comments and one slightly critical comment."
It's also a traffic-stopper, with drivers pausing day and night along the 26000 block of St. Michaels Road to gawk and take photos with their cellphones. Images have begun to show up online.
"It's gone viral," Blair said. "It's gone around the Internet."
It stands out because of the jet, the attention to detail and the sense of humor, said Laurence "Laurie" Driggs III, a retired TWA captain who lives four miles away and is one of many Eastern Shore residents who have stopped to photograph it.
"They have certainly outdone themselves," Driggs said.
Driggs said he "did a double-take" when he first saw the display from the road, with the jet appearing as if it had made an emergency landing that would have impressed American Airlines pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.
"When you look at it, you think, 'Wow!'" Driggs said. "The airplane is the centerpiece, and the details are wonderful. They're all quite funny."

Now 67, Blair gained attention last year as the author of "Poorer Richard's America: What Would Ben Say?" a book describing what Benjamin Franklin would think if he were alive in America today. Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw wrote the preface, and it appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.
Blair said making the display on St. Michaels Road took him and his wife about a month and they finished it in early December. He transported the jet, sans engine, from the airport in Easton on a flatbed truck and positioned it to look as if it had landed there.
He made the sleigh out of plywood and the reindeer legs out of baseball bats covered with old carpeting. The pilot is a mannequin, dressed in his own flight suit. His wife made the elf's costume. They plan to leave it up at least until the end of the year.
Blair estimates that the entire display cost "in the hundreds of dollars" because he already owned the jet and most of the other materials.
"More brain cells than sweat cells went into this project — how to build Santa's sled, how to come up with all the parts of it," he said. "I literally had everything."
He admits that mounting elaborate holiday displays every year means that people tend to expect them, but he likes the reaction. Just this week, he said, someone from the National Air and Space Museum called seeking permission to use photographs of the display in a newsletter.

"There's a certain level of expectation," he said. But "it's fun. People enjoy it. … I enjoy other people enjoying these displays."

(Editors Note) - Looked for and found the F104 sitting on the ramp at the local airport. If you want to take a look around on Google Maps Go to Google.com search phrase Municipal Airport Easton, MD, it will give you a list of web links but instead of clicking on one of those you click on Maps just below the search phrase and it should take you to road or satellite map of the location then you can zoom in and look around the field the plane was parked at the north end of the field. Here is the link to the field https://maps.google.com/maps?q=38.771606,-76.140696&ie=UTF-8&ei=OUzAUqfQNIfIsATa8YHwDg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg

Steve Keith sent in this story from the web about a traffic accident involving a Chieftan Main Battle Tank moral of the story is don't let your tank delivery service drive your tank.

Stefan Golec sent in the following photo and link about a recently launched Stealth Destroyer built up in Maine. BATH, Maine (Oct. 28, 2013) The Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer DDG 1000 is floated out of dry dock at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard. The ship, the first of three Zumwalt-class destroyers, will provide independent forward presence and deterrence, support special operations forces and operate as part of joint and combined expeditionary forces. The lead ship and class are named in honor of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo R. "Bud" Zumwalt Jr., who served as chief of naval operations from 1970-1974. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of General Dynamics/Released) High Res. Version of photo

Ron Johanson sent in this interesting story and video about a US Army Pilot who flew the camera version of the Spitfire. Particularly interesting as it has war time home movie footage.

September 2013 Newsletter Issue

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FB255sKlsww

Sorry the link above no longer works.

Part 1 of 4 Videos of the Dresden Breslau Rally these videos a real hoot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_154389&feature=iv&src_vid=-NlHL9iQj08&v=15UZexBDbuA

Or if you want more click on this one it gives you 1-31 videos

Link to 31 videos bet you can't watch just one. Just click to enjoy

Stock military vehicles more your think try these

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbbCZ3y9Xic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvPTLQJW-Ko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ylFLKdL2tA

If you look at the suggested videos of any of the above links you will also find many related, a few totally unrelated videos, but that's YouTube.

 

Previous Months

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Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors Club

Weare Summer Rally and Club Information

July 25, 26, 27, 2013

General Information 2013

Camper Information 2013

Vendor Information 2013

 

Nothing new to report about Weare Rally at this time, campsites and vending spaces are filling up rapidly as is normal for the beginning of July.

Here are some videos of past Weare Rally's our thanks to people who have enjoyed the Rally and wanted to share their enjoyment with others. You will note that Chris Harris has post quite a few.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Fyea29qsk 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rZzyCZ7yVE Weare Parade 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeJ7bh29M8A&NR=1&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naKTmcbXcwQ 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6XQ8fpO0gY 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWkK_r7AsK8 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_hrHml3TH8 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVpwZD6JXH4 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPLJ3C7ejL4 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqHGhec7Mbk 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2pmy0CSMJ0 2007 side show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieDabzuUOHU Military Vehicle Trail Ride Part 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tqaEyAiVfE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOZEUk7H4P8

Interesting video of the 2008 Weare Old Home Days Parade on Youtube

June 2013 Newsletter Issue

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Events-

Spring Mystery Tour June 1st - Ed Celino and Bill Falconer have volunteered to lead this event. The Tour will have one starting point, at the Ed Celino's house (map locator 25 Upstone Drive, Nashua, NH ). The tour will leave sharply at 9am to meet up and proceed to the destination. So please arrive at the starting point by 8:30am

 

Saturday June 22nd Weare Old Home Day Parade this is a change from the normal date in July and is gearing up for Weare's 250th Anniversary next year. Line up at 10 AM at normal location South end of town (map locator Rt 114 and George Moody Rd. Weare, NH) Parade steps off at 11 AM

 

May 2013 Newsletter Issue

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Events-
Memorial Day Parades- This month we have five parades which the club has taken part in before that the Club is paid to take part in, the first three of these Dale Gagnon 603-228-8721 is coordinating these so if you think you can take part in one or more of these give Dale a call.


Sunday May 19th Lowell, MA Memorial Day Display, paid event Knapp Avenue and Park Ave. East: line up at 12:00 start at 12:30 PM, paid event We need 5-vehicles (map locator Knapp Avenue and Park Ave, Lowell, MA )

Sunday May 19th Newton, MA Memorial Day Parade, paid event Assemble at 1:15 pm for 2:00 pm step off. Parking for trailers at the Jackson Rd assembly point. We need 5 vehicles (map locator Jackson Rd, Newton, MA )

Saturday May 25th Danville NH Memorial Day Parade, paid event. The form up 0915-0930 hours at the Danville Elementary School, Danville, NH lot off 111A. We need 5 vehicles Dale Gagnon 603-228-8721 (map locator Danville Elementary School, Danville, NH )

Monday May 27th Fitzwilliam, NH Memorial Day Parade paid event. Arrive 7:45 at the Town Common in center of Fitzwilliam coffee and donuts. Ceremonies starts at 8:15 We need 5 vehicles Phil Waterman 603-878-1650 (map locator Fitzwilliam Town Library, Fitzwilliam, NH)

Watertown, MA Monday, May 27th parades starts promptly at noon, you have to be pre-registered for this parade so please contact Paul Bailargeon 401-769-6633 (H) or cell 401-447-2049. Line up starts at 10:30 am at The Tufts Health Plan parking lot on Grove Street. A number of people are planning to attend the Fitzwilliam Parade and then convoy down to the Watertown Parade as they did last year. (map locator The Tufts Health Plan, Grove Street, Watertown, MA)

 

Spring Mystery Tour June 1st - Ed Celino and Bill Falconer have volunteered to lead this event. The Tour will have two starting points, one will be at Ed's house (map locator 25 Upstone Drive, Nashua, NH ). Thesecond one will be at the (map locator 101 Loudon Rd Dunkin Doughnuts, Concord, NH) the regular meeting spot both groups will leave the starting locations sharply at 9am to meet up and proceed to the destination. So please arrive at the starting point by 8:30am. This years focus will be to see how many MVs we can get to take the tour, to make this goal a little more interesting all of you driving an MV will have a chance to WIN a $50 gas card. Call Ed for info 603-880-4293

Exploring the MVMVCs interest in taking part in a possible regional antique military vehicle gathering, show, rally at Fort Adams, New Port Rhode Island. (map locator Fort Adams, New Port Rhode Island) Fort Adams web site

 

 

 

Have you ever wondered what type and how many events the MVMVC is involved in each year?

Well here is the summary for the last year 2012

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Memorial Day 2012

This is an image from a short video, of the Marine Corps recovering some of their WWII dead in 1999. True story of the recovery of 19 US Marines Killed in Action on Makin Island in WWII and their return home to Arlington National Cemetery 58 years later. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6f_FvZpm3g

Our thanks to Larry Joy for forwarding this one along.

Weare 2012

Weare Rally Information 2012

Camping Site Map 2012

Venders List 2012

 

This page is to provide additional information and web links for items covered in the MVMVC (Merrimack Valley Military Vehicle Collectors) newsletter. Each month if there is additional information, web page links, additional photos the idea is to hot link it or display it on this web page. New information will be added from the top and old information deleted from the bottom as needed. This is an experiment your editor (me) can see how often the page is accessed so if I see the page being used I will try and keep adding to it each month. If the use statistics show that it is not being looked at them it will be discontinued.

When linking to a commercial site it is for informational purposes only, no recommendation for the product or company is intended, evaluate their information for yourself.

As yet your editor is not sure how the hot links will work, so remember your back arrow on your web page to this page.

February 2012 News Letter (Sorry for the delay in posting this but had internet problems)

Page 1

Mar 3 Jim Thorpe, PA. , Annual Redball Militaria and MV Parts Swap Meet. Memorial Park Hall, East 10 Street Two blocks east of Route 903. Jim Gilmore, 50 W. Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. jgilmore@ptd.net

28-29 11th Annual Military Transport Association, Sussex County Fairgrounds Augusta, NJ www.mtaofnj.org

Page 2

35TH ANNUAL COMVEC SHOW. CHESTER FAIRGROUNDS RT 154 CHESTER, CT http://www.comvec.org/

The MVPA 37th annual convention Huntsville, Alabama, on June 28, 29 & 30, hosted by the Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club http://www.ddmvpa.org/convention.html

Page 6

MV News—Music to Restore your truck by
This thread came up on the CMP Forum but is of general interest.
http://www.1940sukradio.co.uk/ Is a web based radio station playing all music and news of the 1940’s great for restoring your WWII truck too. Seems to have all the normal big band US stuff but also a lot of UK music and bands not normally heard in the US. Your editor has put it up as a side screen while working on the newsletter good beat to most of the music speeds up my typing. WARNING if listen while working in the shop you may find yourself beating on stuff to the beat of the music.


http://www.stelzriede.com/warstory.htm Comes from a web site about Marshal Stelzried’s Wartime Story the experience of a B-17 navigator with the 8th Air Force. The site is one of the better personal experience web sites your editor has come across well worth a browse through.
But back to the music the site includes a good selection of both World War I and II


http://www.stelzriede.com/ms/html/sub/mshws.htm . Covers both music along with the Lyrics in many cases, and historical broad casts.
The Vietnam War’s music is covered by the LZ Center http://www.lzcenter.com/Vietnam%20War%20Era%20Music.html web site of the 3rd Battalion 82nd Artillery B Battery 196th Light Infantry Brigade American Division which has the BILLBOARD TOP 100 for 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 a few of the music links to individual songs didn’t work but most are pretty high quality.


MV News—MVs videos on the Web.
Color Film of the Alcan Highway project on youtube this link is for those of you with period vehicles not often seen in color.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljnsEwPJFLM


Got something a little newer say in the sixties take a look at the Army Cold Weather School on the Big Picture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3RBSzfcIOQ&feature=related or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3RBSzfcIOQ&feature=related Warning these films are a little like peanuts its hard to stop watching and clicking on the related links. After you have been online for two hours you may be asking your self how did I get here.


Another interesting Web site is the IMCDB.org . Internet Movie Cars Database, though primarily European it is interesting, have found how to find military vehicles picture at right was under 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster, but how many military vehicles can you spot. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_420709-Chevrolet-Fleetmaster-1947.html

January 2012

Page 1

The MVPA 37th annual convention Huntsville, Alabama, on June 28, 29 & 30, hosted by the Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club - This is not yet actually listed on MVPA's home page but here it is Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club http://www.ddmvpa.org/ and here is link to the Convention information http://www.ddmvpa.org/convention.html

Page 3 and 4

Recently G503 Web Site about primarily military Jeeps (home page WWW.G503.com ) had an interesting forum series on Vacuum Wiper Motors and how to work again. Go to REPLACING PADDLE IN THE WIPER MOTOR While you are there on G503 take a wander around interesting site.

Page 4

USMC M1161 and M1163 Growler new vehicle joins the Corp USMC Web Site http://www.marines.mil Search on Photos Internally Transportable Vehicle or (ITV) While your looking at this take a look at the General Photo section many excellent high quality photos of the USMC.

Page 5 While we usually do not include full magazine articles from current publications this one is to interesting not to include. But Please also visit the Military Machines International Magazine web site www.militarymachinesintl.com. This is an excellent MV magazine which is available by subscription and at many larger news stands.

December 2011 Newsletter

Page 1

The MVPA 37th annual convention Huntsville, Alabama, on June 28, 29 & 30, hosted by the Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club - This is not yet actually listed on MVPA's home page but here it is Dixie Division Military Vehicles Club http://www.ddmvpa.org/ and here is link to the Convention information http://www.ddmvpa.org/convention.html

PITFALLS OF INTERCHANGING U.S. AND METRIC STANDARD V-BELTS http://www.gates.com/facts/documents/Gf000274.pdf . From the Gates Web site which as much useful information http://www.gates.com/index.cfm?location_id=559

Page 5

More information on V-Belts http://www.fennerdrives.com/ this is one company that offers the linking V-Belts.

More on Fuel Additives Follow-up, from the Historic Vehicle Association web site http://www.historicvehicle.org/ which is related to the Hagerty Insurance company. The follow up article is a follow-up to an article in the most recent Army Motors magazine and the following link includes a link to the Army Motor articlehttp://www.historicvehicle.org/Latest-News/November-2011/2011/11/17/Fuel-Additives-Follow-Up

 

Let me know what you think and if you have a special web page you think should be included send me and e-mail just type in sorry you have to type it no hot link because of spam engines that look through web pages for e-mail addresses.