585th Trans Co Vietnam
585th Headed to Phu-Bai, via the South China Sea. (Feb 68)
Marion Amos, Roger Gieck, Paul Lafleur, Edward Nadeau, Wayne Chalker
Lt Ueland at Phu Tai
We Don't Need No Stinking Stacks!
The story about several 585th Trucks running with out the exhaust stacks, and chains near the fuel tanks.
The roads in Nam in 66-67 were BAD! For some reason the M52A2 Multifuels stacks were very heavy the way they were designed. This weight up high, on the passenger side caused them to break off at the turbochargers at Nam Convoy speeds. If there were some big holes in the road that could not be avoided, everyone hit the ones on the passenger side. The roads were so bad, we lost many complete fuel tanks, battery boxs, with batterys, cab mounts collapsed, right fenders breaking off, etc. To be able to keep the trucks on the road, the broken stacks were removed, and the top sections were flared on the end, and mounted directly to the turbo and angled out and down towards the ground. It made them a little louder, but they were back on the road in the morning. This is also why you saw chains between the spare tire rack down to the fuel tank supports. The chains helped to keep both attached. :)
You can see the chains in the below picture
585th Picture Page 6