ReconH3
New member
- 12
- 0
- 1
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
Hello Everyone,
My name is Al and I'm an MV addict! I was born in the Canary Islands to a Texan father and Italian mother. Moved back to Texas when I was three. At that age I already was addicted to MVs.
After my father passed away, my Mom decided to raise us in Europe. Not feeling at home there, I eventually found my way back in the US at 16 by myself. I lived in Connecticut for 5 years, then moved to Southern California when I got a job there. in 99 my Mom got very ill, so I decided to go back to stay with her and try my luck in Europe. Unfortunately the cancer that she had been fighting for 25 years got to her. I stuck around in Europe, but always coming back to the US quite often. During my years in Europe, I got an inside tip from a mechanic friend, about a stash of Willys in a farm outside of Aix en Provence, France. When I got there, I thought I was dreaming! There where more Willys than I could count, and most were still in their transport palettes!!!!
Turns out that a film production company also knew about it, and was planning on scooping them up. I looked for one that would catch my eye. I saw one that was supposed to be assigned to a company of the 82nd airborne that was in that area. Got a trailer for it too! Took two years to restore and replace all the corroded wire and rubber parts.
This was the day I drove out form France. I did 3000 kms to get to south of Spain, to grab the boat to the Canary Islands.
Eventually I married my high school girlfriend. We spent more time in Cali than in Europe. When she got pregnant, we made the choice of moving out of California. I couldn't handle the political situation any more, and I wanted to raise my child in place where people say hello. Texas was my first choice since my roots are there. In the end we decided to move out to North Carolina because it was easier to get back to Europe, and closer to her family too. We've been there for two years, and really love it. We really felt right at home from day one.
I have always loved MVs. I have been on many 4x4 forums and people were constantly talking about Steel Soldiers. It made sense to join this forum, since it's the best source for all MV info. My goals are to eventually get a HMMWV and an M37. I want the HMMWV as my tow rig for my H3. The M37 I want build up with a Cummins 6 cylinder as a general purpose super reliable SHTF vehicle. I think this forum will be the best source for everything I need. Thanks guy for making this great forum.
My name is Al and I'm an MV addict! I was born in the Canary Islands to a Texan father and Italian mother. Moved back to Texas when I was three. At that age I already was addicted to MVs.
After my father passed away, my Mom decided to raise us in Europe. Not feeling at home there, I eventually found my way back in the US at 16 by myself. I lived in Connecticut for 5 years, then moved to Southern California when I got a job there. in 99 my Mom got very ill, so I decided to go back to stay with her and try my luck in Europe. Unfortunately the cancer that she had been fighting for 25 years got to her. I stuck around in Europe, but always coming back to the US quite often. During my years in Europe, I got an inside tip from a mechanic friend, about a stash of Willys in a farm outside of Aix en Provence, France. When I got there, I thought I was dreaming! There where more Willys than I could count, and most were still in their transport palettes!!!!
Turns out that a film production company also knew about it, and was planning on scooping them up. I looked for one that would catch my eye. I saw one that was supposed to be assigned to a company of the 82nd airborne that was in that area. Got a trailer for it too! Took two years to restore and replace all the corroded wire and rubber parts.
This was the day I drove out form France. I did 3000 kms to get to south of Spain, to grab the boat to the Canary Islands.
Eventually I married my high school girlfriend. We spent more time in Cali than in Europe. When she got pregnant, we made the choice of moving out of California. I couldn't handle the political situation any more, and I wanted to raise my child in place where people say hello. Texas was my first choice since my roots are there. In the end we decided to move out to North Carolina because it was easier to get back to Europe, and closer to her family too. We've been there for two years, and really love it. We really felt right at home from day one.
I have always loved MVs. I have been on many 4x4 forums and people were constantly talking about Steel Soldiers. It made sense to join this forum, since it's the best source for all MV info. My goals are to eventually get a HMMWV and an M37. I want the HMMWV as my tow rig for my H3. The M37 I want build up with a Cummins 6 cylinder as a general purpose super reliable SHTF vehicle. I think this forum will be the best source for everything I need. Thanks guy for making this great forum.
