Vehicle

Mechanical

It’s the stuff of legend; the U.S. Army requested a vehicle – and drove off in a hero. The Willys MB, its spirit forged by the fire of combat and honed in the heat of battle, seared its way into the hearts of warriors fighting for freedom.

Fierce emotional bonds often developed between a soldier and his “jeep” 4×4. The faithful MB earned a place in every GI’s heart, in every area of combat, in every conceivable role.

The tough, simple, Jeep® 4×4 became the GI’s best friend – second only to his rifle. One MB was even awarded a Purple Heart and sent home.

The MB started a revolution in the use of small military motor vehicles in the U.S. Army. Horses along with motorcycles, solo and side car, were rendered obsolete almost immediately.

The all-purpose MB was amazingly versatile. They could be fitted with .30 or .50 caliber machine guns for combat. They were also widely modified for long range desert patrol, snow plowing, telephone cable laying, saw milling, as fire fighting pumpers, field ambulances, tractors and, with suitable wheels, would even run on railway tracks.

MB’s could be loaded into transport aircraft for rapid deployment and were also small enough to fit into the large gliders used in the D-day invasion of Europe.

Read more about Willys at: http://www.jeep.com/en/history/