The first pic is of the boys fixing a cooling fan on the pack a long way from home. The second pic is them dropping the power pack into the tank hull with the M88A2 recovery vehicle. This last pic is of my best 88 operator This kid could drop a pack without spilling a drop of wine...

I've always been fascinated by what it takes to repair large machinery but doing it in the field raises it to another level entirely.

Please tell them thanks for me.

Semper Fi!

What impresses me is that the equipment designed for military applications is designed to be fixed, sometimes by the soldier in the field. Why can’t that kind of thought be put into cars
and trucks?

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
What impresses me is that the equipment designed for military applications is designed to be fixed, sometimes by the soldier in the field. Why can’t that kind of thought be put into cars
and trucks?

$$$$$$$$$$$

I so want an M88 for the farm... The A2s are sparkly, but I'll take an older one if you just have it laying around.

Like the dinosaur on whatever the vertical tube on the right side of the 88. Even in war zones there is a sense of humor.

quote:

Originally posted by bettysnephew:
Like the dinosaur on whatever the vertical tube on the right side of the 88. Even in war zones there is a sense of humor.

Yessir indeed.

Very cool. Its where they did it, does not look like a garage or the factory. What a job that must have been.

I worked at Lima Engine plant for Ford. While I was there, they took an older tank engine into the factory and rebuilt it. I think the tank was just driven locally and set up as a display.
It was something that was very unusual for them to do.

Never ceases to amaze me. The M88s were used extensively in Vietnam, and here they are filling the same role all these years later. Kinda like 1911s, M2 BMGs, etc., the M88s just work. In RVN, we had regular contact with the mechanics and their M88s. At one time or another, every tank in my platoon hit a mine. Don't know what we'd have done without those M88s and their crews. Like today, those guys were doing all this out in the field, under less than ideal conditions. Sure appreciated those guys.

quote:

the M88s just work

Can I have an AMEN! The 88 has been around since the late 50's, early 60's and they just plain WORK. A tank mechs best friend, his home, his best girl, and a slice of comfort knowing if you take care of her, she will take care of you (and keep the tigers up because that is the best way to stay safe lol).

I always dreamed about buying a few and starting a heavy recovery business. A full set of SL-3 gear and a few guys who know what they are doing and there isn't a dam thing you couldn't recover.

(On a side note a friend of mine named his 88 "Chesty's Puller" and somewhere I have a good pic of him dragging a broke tank into the yard to be fixed. I'll have to look for it)

Please tell me one of those tank engines is named Thomas.....lol

Lol not Thomas but one of my favorites....



Some of the newer kids have good names...I saw "The TRUMP Card" on one a few months ago...

Love it!