The USMC M35A2 Cargo Truck
$349.00
Item Number: VN170
The USMC M35A2 Cargo Truck
This long-awaited and much-requested model is, without doubt, the finest wheeled vehicle K&C has produced yet! Our United States Marine Corps M35A2 is typical of the Troop Carrying/Cargo Carriers employed all over South Vietnam during the war. Being a USMC vehicle, it would have been stationed in ‘I Corps’ which comprised the northernmost region of South Vietnam bordering Communist North Vietnam at the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) which divided the two countries. Our K&C model has, of course, rolling wheels and comes with a detachable ‘canvas’ cover (actually resin) for the driver’s compartment. The Marine Corps driver is also included with the vehicle and is dressed in his everyday ‘utilities’ and wearing his ‘flak jacket’. Next to him, on the seat, is his camouflaged steel helmet and M16. In the rear of the vehicle the wooden seats are lowered to allow sitting ‘Grunts’ to be placed in or, if the collector wishes, some military supplies. Now, an ‘empty’ truck can look OK, but when you add a few Marines onboard, it really comes alive!
"VIETNAM WHEELS"
In United States military history, the ‘Deuce and a Half’ truck has a much-valued logistical history of what it does best – moving men and material from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B’.
America’s best WWII fighting general, George S. Patton declared, “the 2 1/2-ton truck was one of our most valued weapons!”
By 1951 however a decision was made to replace the existing WW2-era GMC CCKW (better known as the ‘Deuce and a Half’) with a newer, improved model. After much testing and many experiments the REO Motor Company was chosen to produce their 2 1/2 ton, 6×6 off-road truck which was rapidly superseded by the 10 x wheel M35 design version.
The new vehicles, as ordered by the Pentagon, were to be capable of performing a wide variety of tasks including:
Troop Carrying,
Cargo Transporting,
and Acting as a Dump Truck,
Other capabilities were also to be made available such as ‘Wreckers’… ‘Medical Vans’… and even ‘Guided Missile Launchers!’
During the 1950s, while the newer REO M35 was beginning to appear in the U.S. Military’s transport inventory, many thousands of the older WWII-era GMC ‘Deuce and a Half’s’ were still in service.
It was not until the Vietnam War erupted in the early 1960s that the M35s began to take over the main truck transport role.
In 1965, as the first major America ground units arrived in the Republic of Vietnam, their M35A2 trucks came with them. Soon M35s became a familiar sight on the country’s road system as well as a permanent fixture and feature on all U.S. forces bases, camps and other military establishments.
Throughout their use in Vietnam, the M35A2 trucks proved themselves time and time again and were justly famous for their reliability, flexibility, and toughness in even the most difficult of circumstances. This reputation ensured a long and valued service with the U.S. military that lasted more than four decades until well into the mid 1990s.
The M35A2 has proven to be one of the most versatile and operationally successful vehicles ever deployed with the American military in its entire history… no small compliment for a great big truck!
Special Note: This new M35A2 can easily accommodate TEN seated Marines and even a few standing ones.
Released in JULY 2023.
