G503 Military Vehicle Message Forums

Dow Field, Hangar #1, this is where I saw my first MV during trips to the Dow Field Commissary during WWII. The Commissary was about 100' from this spot. My SWB CCKW is right at home when visiting Dow Field Hangar No.1. I stopped by there today after the parade.
Hangar 1 was constructed 40-41 during the build up for WWII.

And next a visit to my favorite watering hole. 1/2 mile from Hangar No. 1. The parking lot at Hangar No.1 is the perfect spot to view transient military aircraft activity and busy KC-135 activity at former Dow Field which is the site of Bangor ANG Base.
The "watering hole" is located on the road to the Dow field Ammo Dump and 1/4 mile from the old ammo dump. Don't have to go far for good memories of P-51's, P-47's,P-61's P-84's, F-80's, F-94's B-17's, B-24's, B-25's, B-29's B-36D's, A-26's, C-45's, C46's, C-47's C-82's, T-6's, T-33's,and all the sounds of a busy WWII, Korean, era military base.

Joel, what is that white stuff on the ground?

A mirage, it comes and goes. Last week the mirage came and my electricity went.

Joel,

Looking good! You aren't getting any salt on that machine are you?

Paul

Thanks, had to go around some melting runoff on the Interstate on the way to the parade that probably contained some salt, gave it a wide berth. Had I known that it was there, I would have taken an alternate road. My MV's rarely get their feet wet.The M-38A1 is my rainy parade vehicle.

Thanks for posting Joel! I love seeing the WWII vehicles near the old WWII installations. That's one beautiful CCKW!

I just had to squeeze it thru my favorite Tim Horton's drive thru after the parade to say a special "hi" to the bunch of future "Miss America's" that always come to the window to greet me every day. No day is complete without my breakfast at Tim Hortons. It ain't every day that GI Joe shows up in a WWII 6X6.

Back to my MB's roots.
Sunday,18 April 2015 outside Hangar 1 and a thousand feet from where I grew up.
She was on the other side of the fence here at Dow Field back in 1946. April 18th and there is snow in the background.

Lotta memories of DOW from the 50's. I used to listen to night time AM radio and record the most distant stations from Bangor. Was listening to WOWO Ft Wayne during June or July 54 and heard a report that a B-29 Tanker out of Dow Air Force Base, in Bangor Maine crashed and the crew had parachuted to safety.I remembered this particular KB-29P as it was the only KB-29P with a Buzz Number in the 506th ARS and had witnessed it take off on its final flight earlier in the day.

DOW had it's share of transient Navy aircraft, PBY-5A, PB4Y2, early P2v-2 Neptune, R4D-8 Skytrain (Super DC-3, SNB, AF2S Guardian, F-7F Tigercat, F9F6, PB1W (Coast Guard B-17) S2F Sentinel, Canadian Lancaster TBM-3 Canadian Avenger, CF-100 Canuck. All passed over this very Tim Horton spot on final. Got to see MATS flights of F-86 Sabers with red wingtips and tails too.
Jimmy Doolittle would fly in on Northeast Airlines a couple times a year in the late 40's- early 50's on his way to a fishing trip.

A little more Hangar history from Dow. One of the F-80s undergoing maintenance from the 49th Fighter Interceptor Squadron had it's ejection seat hit the trusses in either Hangar 1 or Hangar 2 back in 52 or 53. Hangar 2 is now gone, its last use was as a sand shed for the City Public Works. Its terrible to watch nice buildings go down hill after the USAF moves out.

The CCKW will not be in the memorial Day Parade tomorrow, but will do the annual Tim Hortens and Hangar #1 visit afterwards.

Nothing like a sunny day to enjoy your MV's roots. My MB was surplussed here at DOW Field during 1946 and is still traveling that very same base several trips a week 72 years later.

B-50 LUCKY LADY 2 vsited DOW Field on a tour of the US after its famous non-stop flight around the world. It was parked along side this end of Hangar 1. The USAF dismanteled it and displayed its fuselage on two USAF semi trailers.
The year was 1950. This B-50 was damaged beyond repair during a hard landing and the fselage was salvaged to allow it to tour the country by land.
I probably mentioned that an F-80 was being updated for an ejection seat in Hangar 1 when it it was accidently triggered.

It only seems like yesterday.