Photo By Spc. Mark Bowman | Maj. Dallas Durham, the Deputy G3 Aviation Officer In Charge at 4th Infantry Division,...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT CARSON, Colo. - “Hey, what year is that, man?,” a Soldier calls out at a filling station on post. “It’s a ‘59,” replies Maj. Dallas Durham as he refuels his vehicle. “Dang, hell yeah!,” comes the answer.
The vintage CJ5 Willys Jeep, a civilian vehicle painted to look like a military vehicle of the era, is a familiar sight at Carson, where Durham often drives it to work in warmer weather. Durham, from Lubbock, Texas, finds that lower speed limits make it safer to drive a vehicle like his on post rather than off.
Durham, the Deputy G3 Aviation Officer In Charge at 4th Infantry Division, has always wanted to own a vintage military Jeep, but those tend to be expensive, he said.
When he was in flight school at Fort Rucker, Ala., in 2011, he found this vehicle in the lemon lot, where Soldiers sell used cars.
“I didn’t know a thing about working on cars,” said Durham. “I’ve learned a lot about working on cars ever since.”
“YouTube has been my best friend over the years, and chat groups; and I have lots of Jeep manuals. So I've pretty much taught myself how to work on a car over the years. It's been a lot of fun.” Durham said that an old Jeep is a very simple vehicle to fix and maintain.
By 2017, the Jeep looked much the same as it does today. “I've repainted the whole thing myself using spray paint rattle cans, actually, which was challenging, but it came out well,” said Durham.
Durham said he is more of a military history enthusiast by nature than an automobile enthusiast, though he especially loves military vehicles. His wife, Hannah Durham, shares his enthusiasm for the Jeep and for military history.
“It has been fun to have other people enjoy it too,” she said. “I think it's when we round a corner and we see somebody and their face lights up. Whether it's a Korean veteran or a Vietnam veteran or a little kid, that's always fun.”
Maj. Durham said that interactions with veterans who remember driving a Jeep like his are some of his favorite things about driving it, and that one of his intentions in maintaining the vehicle is “honoring soldiers who have driven these kinds of vehicles prior to us.”
Durham has no plans to part with his vehicle anytime soon. “I love this Jeep because I've put so much blood, sweat and tears into it over the years,” said Durham.
| Date Taken: | 10.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.20.2023 17:47 |
| Story ID: | 456219 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Hometown: | LUBBOCK, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ivy Officer’s Rolling, Roaring Tribute to Veterans, by SPC Mark Bowman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
