Roger Speak (aka Angry Iron) got this whole truck-thing started when he spotted an old Deuce-and-a-half sitting by the roadside in a nearby town.  I checked out this truck and started a thread on the Steel Soldiers Forum where I met up with hundreds of MV owners across the U.S.A.  In no time I had made the acquaintance of a man in Birmingham who had three M35A2's for sale.  I negotiated a reasonable price and bought one!  What better crew than FLYING MONKEYS Roger, Nick and Chip to get the truck to Doom!  Nick grew up around construction equipment and heavy machinery and had a big truck and a low-boy.  Chip had a military career, drove M35's and a work history at Thompson Caterpillar and Roger had a police officers badge.  The perfect team to go get the 1971 Kaiser Jeep in Madison, Alabama.  In a few hours they drove up to Cullman with my new baby on the trailer.  This truck showed 400 hours on the engine and 12,000 miles on the odometer.  A local truck shop inspected the brakes, capped off all liquids and greased her good.  Now if this crew can just get her to the field in one piece! 

The M35 family of trucks is a long-lived vehicle initially deployed by the United States Army , and subsequently utilized by many nations around the world. A truck in the 2 1/2 ton weight class, it was one of many vehicles in US military service to have been referred to as the "deuce and a half." The basic M35 cargo truck can carry 5000 pounds across country or 10,000 pounds over roads. Trucks in this weight class are considered medium duty by the military and Department of Transportation. The M35 series formed the basis for a wide range of specialized all wheel drive vehicles.

I call her "Irma" in honor of a long held military tradition of naming vehicles after famous women.  Now when we want to take a load of players back to the far end of Mt. Doom we load them on board and trek up the back side of the mountain.  In 6x6 mode the M35 will climb extreme grades (left)  with a graceful ease.  The 5000 lb. load capacity allows us to carry HP-air and CO2 and water if needed for longer games.  Kids love the drive and the view from the top of Doom is a spectacular sight that many have never had a chance to see.  There is no telling what this old truck has seen during her career with the U.S. Army but I like to think that she's been put out to pasture now and can enjoy smiles and laughter for the rest of her days doing easy duty on Mt. Doom.  Come out for a late afternoon or sunset ride over the mountain in a piece of military history.RETURN