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For Presidents' Day I pulled the M37 out into the cul-de-sac and mounted the US and POW/MIA flags, respectively. I've done this a few times for the holidays and didn't think much of it since it's right in front of our home. Today, since it appeared that it might rain I rolled up the windows for the static display. Last evening when I returned to the truck to put it in the garage I found the passenger window rolled down and the passenger door only half-shut. Since I distinctly remember rolling up the windows and shutting the door completely, I was a bit disturbed and immediately took inventory on the 1st Aid Kit, Registration, tool box under the passenger seat, fire extinguisher, etc. and was relieved to find everything intact. I suppose I'll have to start locking the doors when I do this in the future. I'm also not totally surprised that some onlooker took the liberty of opening the door and rolling down the window, perhaps hopping in so someone else could snap a picture or two, but you would think that they might ask permission to do so first. The nerve....
Gary

You're lucky nothing disappeared. Sometimes it is just little kids looking for a "souvenir"; sometimes they are not so little or young and it is not just a "souvenir" they take.

I've found it is usually best to have someone watching the truck or keeping an eye on it, and it is best to lock the passenger door at least (people are a little more hesitant to open driver's doors; not much, but a little).

Sorry to hear your truck was "messed with". Keep an eye on it, and be careful.

Curious onlookers seem to do what ever they want more and more lately.
This is sad because I do allow people / families to take pictures sitting in my vehicles at shows or if they ask just randomly on the street.

Bert

Sorry to hear somebody tampered with your rig Good thing all was accounted for and it was not damaged. You have a hidden master cut off switch? Not that any potential thief would know what to do with all those switches and levers It would also keep your ignition from frying if somebody did tamper with the ignition switch

Glad nothing more was damaged. Probably kids curious.
We've taken our big trucks m35, m813, M931 etc to lots of shows, kids days etc. I wont allow anyone in the trucks anymore unless I am watching. The final straw was someone stomped the accelerator on the M813, it stuck ....wide open. I jumped up in cab to leave, cranked her up and away the engine went... WIDE OPEN. I shut it down quick then realized what happened. never again will teens get in unattended. But having said that there are so many other people who like looking at them and are so well mannered I cant stop taken them because of a butt head or so. I just gotta be more vigilant.
I love seeing little kids getting pics taken behind the wheel all smiles. Most pleasing is the old guys that come up and tell stories..Priceless

Good feedback, guys. Yes David, I have a keyed ignition switch along with an external battery kill switch so it would take some work to drive off with it;
F18, I hear you-I'd let most anyone in for a picture or just to experience sitting in a vintage military rig but would keep a close eye on things. I can't tell you how many times I've attended HMV shows and seen pack radios, demilled weapons, C-Rats cases and such lying around with nobody in sight-how they don't get ripped off I'll never know.
Gary

P.S.-got a "thank you" from one of my neighbors today for doing the static display-he shared that society is indeed, forgetting about our history, especially the military side of it.
Gary

That's great someone appreciates your efforts. I know I appreciate it too..

The big problem with forgetting history, besides the respect we owe those before us is, our society will make the same mistakes over again. If you want to know how to deal with some of the problems, especially world problems. Look BACK to see the answer forward. Most of these issues and most places we've already dealt with a time or two in the past. Guess we think we're to smart to learn from history.
Sorry for rant, just bothers me as a society we don't honor history like we should. Shoot schools don't even teach it correctly.

Hi Gary,

Well...........I'm going to be the oddball on this one and take the kid's side. Anyone entering or touching things in your truck is absolutely wrong.......no question about it. But do you remember when you were a little kid......how cool it was to climb on construction equipment on the weekends when no one was around and pretend to be driving them? If there was a bulldozer or grader or anything without a locked cab nearby we were all over that stuff.........pretending away. Now some kids are a-holes, and they'd break the glass windows of the cabs......not sure why they had to do that........but most of us respected the machinery and knew it was kid-proof.

A relative of ours owned a construction equipment company. He had mostly Mack and Autocar dump trucks, but also a few dozers, graders, loaders, etc. I used to beg my Dad to take me and my brother there on Saturday mornings so we could play in and on the trucks. I remember getting "scolded" a few times for rolling down the windows and not remembering to roll them back up before we left. At the Aberdeen meet this past summer there was an MV owner who had a sign on his truck that said "Please Touch and Enjoy....That's why it's here". When I saw that sign I smiled. I can just imagine how many folks would love the opportunity to get behind the wheel, slam the door, and see what it was like for our soldiers to drive these things.

Again, I'm not saying that anyone who gets into your truck without your permission is right.............just that I understand why they do it. You shouldn't have to lock up your truck and put signs all over that say "keep off" or "don't touch".....but sometimes curiosity gets the better of people. So much so that they act against their better judgment. I know I was guilty of that.

regards,
bob

I agree with you Bob..to a point. For the sake of a few knuckle heads, I cant keep the rest out. Its up to me to be more vigilant in watching them. Lord knows their parents wont!!!
Something neat about a 5 yr old with my old USMC helmet on getting his pic taking behind the wheel.
On another note, if I broke something I was playing in as a kid, my dads boot would be in my butt and the same goes for my boys...just saying! Responsibility needs to be taught

Roger that F18..........and I think I still have a few boot marks on my butt to prove it!

later,
bob

Valid points, guys and I appreciate your kind, candid responses! For sure, I developed my love of mechanics from figuring out how things worked-opening up toy trucks and such to see the wind-up mechanism-sometimes Christmas morning! And yeah, I climbed up and over most anything mechanical: dozers, cranes, old dirt track race cars junked in the neighbors' back yards, etc. Scared the crap out of me once when I cut loose a drag bucket on a big crane, tinkering around with the levers and pedals one Sunday morning when they were in process of building a new road near my childhood home....

And, I got another TY from my former Marine neighbor today for the static display-it took close to 7 years to finally be able to display it at all, and I'm in year 11 and finally able to drive it, so there is light at the end of the tunnel if you don't give up! That means a lot to all of us, so get to work on your trucks, Everyone!!
Gary

Ok, OK so I worked on the old girl tonight!!! just cause you said so....

Really glad your getting to enjoy it. This is my 5th MV fixing up and I enjoy showing them all. We still have all 5. However I'm running out of drivers.