Air Force M37s

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 3:05 pm

That's a nice pic.

I wish there were more pics available of AF 37's.

rixm37 · Post by **rixm37** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:36 am

So far it's the only picture I have found of Air Force trucks.

Hey Lifer was the yellow paint only done by SAC or were all vehicles that were on the ramp yellow? Does that mean the rest of the AF trucks were done in the strato blue?

UZIS9MM · Post by **UZIS9MM** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:59 pm

You asked for more pictures of Air Force M37s.......Ask and ye shall receive. Enjoy!

Lifer · Post by **Lifer** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:29 am

rixm37 wrote:So far it's the only picture I have found of Air Force trucks.

Hey Lifer was the yellow paint only done by SAC or were all vehicles that were on the ramp yellow? Does that mean the rest of the AF trucks were done in the strato blue?

I really couldn't say if SAC was the only major command to have yellow vehicles on the flight line. It could have been a change in the regs at some point, too. The ones we had on the ramp at Ramstein AB were all blue (1962-1965), as were the ones at Scott AFB (1972-1973). Tugs and AGE equipment were painted yellow, but the trucks hauling cargo, ammo, and personnel were blue.

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:10 am

WOW! Nice pics. My eyes were fooling me at first but those are all Strata Blue trucks. Or at least they appear to be. The first couple were tricky to determine since I am so used to seeing OD trucks.

Thanks a bunch for those pics! I'm starting to paint parts of my AF truck next week and it will be Strata!

Inspirational pics!!

UZIS9MM · Post by **UZIS9MM** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:59 am

Refit1701,

My pleasure. I searched the library of M37 "in service/action" pictures that I've compiled and those are the best Air Force ones I have. There were a couple more but they really didn't show the trucks that well so I didn't post them.

Rixm37, would it be okay if I add your picture to my M37 library? That is a great pic!! I've never seen a yellow M37 other than a fire dept. truck. Just so you know the library is used for reference only and not for sale or any type of monetary gain.

If anyone is looking for reference photos of M37 in service markings, configurations, or otherwise please let me know. The library has roughly 500 pictures of in service M37s ranging from Europe, Korea, Stateside, and Vietnam. I will not copy the whole library but if you are looking for a particular set (or variations) of markings or a certain in service configuration I will search the library and post it for you.
Again, I gain nothing from this other than helping my fellow M37 enthusiast, my only demand would be if you have any in service/action photos of M37s that I have permission to add them to the library.

I haven't offered this before because I didn't feel the library was complete enough but upon looking through it for the Air Force trucks I realized that I have quite a bit more reference material than I initially thought.

Thanks

Kevin

rixm37 · Post by **rixm37** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:28 am

Hi Kevin WOW 500 images that's great!! The picture I posted is from the Detail in Scale B-36 book published by Squadron Signal. Having said that I think it belongs in your reference library!! Thanks for offering your pics here because folks are always looking for reference info on their trucks.

rixm37 · Post by **rixm37** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:37 am

Hey Lifer thanks for the answer. Maybe that one is just something they did at the base where that picture was taken. I have looked at that book many times and never saw the m37 before. But this time I was using a magnifying glass to look at the B36. Ok old man eyes need a little help seeing small stuff

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:30 pm

Kevin,

Are there larger versions of those images anywhere?

It's interesting in the last few shots that the trucks had OD wheels instead of blue.

powerwagontim · Post by **powerwagontim** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:27 pm

Many of these Air Force trucks have a unit on the drivers front fender, and a pipe up the drivers side windshield pillar. I assume the fender unit is a heater, and the pipe an exhaust pipe, so is the fender unit a gas heater? It is shaped much differently than the hot water personnel heater that would normally be seen on the front fender.
Thanks,
Tim

UZIS9MM · Post by **UZIS9MM** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:42 am

Refit1701,
Sorry, that is the original size of the pictures, a larger size isn't available. All of the pictures that I have found have been pulled from various sources on the internet so unfortunately I can't control the size as originally posted.

Powerwagontim,
Most of the pictures come from unit history sites and aren't labeled anything having to do with M37s or what type of accessories are on the various vehicles. Most are labeled "Bob and Larry, Korea - 1958" -etc. etc. etc.. It is left for us, the M37/military vehicle enthusiast, to determine what the accessories or various odd configurations are on some of these trucks, so your guess is as good as mine on the heater. I do have a couple more pictures of that style heater mounted on an M37, I'll post them if you want?

I plan on starting another thread that will repeat my earlier offer and post "asked for" pictures of M37s. What I mean by "asked for" is if somebody is looking for a certain marking or if a certain variation of markings existed and was used in service. I can post, for example, a picture if someone needs proof that M37s were airlifted (yes they were, I have pictures - what other proof do you need?). Hopefully this will work and I can collect more "in service" pictures and continue to expand the library.

If anyone has pictures of M37s in service please post them or send them to me and I will add them to the collection.

Thanks

Kevin

powerwagontim · Post by **powerwagontim** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 7:26 am

Thanks Kevin,
I would never say no to seeing more pictures! Sounds like a great resource you have put together.
Thanks,
Tim

UZIS9MM · Post by **UZIS9MM** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:55 pm

Okay gentlemen, here are some more heater pictures and a couple more Air Force pictures that I ran across.

The first one shows the mounting for the heater hoses.

This one is another Air Force M37 obscurred by a duece, but with a nice view of the heater.

Yet another Air Force truck with another view of the heater (this is one of the ones I didn't post previously, also note the "52" dated US Forces license plate).

Here is another Air Force M37 with some kind of interesting attachment. Anbody know what that thing is mounted to the side?? It looks like some kind of retractable antenna - it's just a guess though.

And I saved the best for last. Here is an early Air Force M37 and M38 from Hahn Air Base with some really different markings. Note the U.S.A.F. on the hoods of both vehicles. Shame it's in black and white so we can't determine weather they're OD or Stata Blue.

Well I hope you all enjoyed these, there will be more to follow as I'm just getting started.

refit1701 · Post by **refit1701** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:25 pm

That last pic shows the very early version of the hood numbering, before they changed and standardized it. That is what I want to do with mine. I have a '53 so I want to do the early type stenciling.

I hope there might be another photo of that type somewhere in your stash.

UZIS9MM · Post by **UZIS9MM** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:07 pm

Refit1701,

I went through every picture with a fine tooth comb and unfortunately I didn't see another early style Air Force marked M37. I'm still finding M37 pictures on the internet so one never knows what might turn up, I'll keep looking for you.

Kevin