Transcontinental Motor Convoy Rolls into Westmoreland County

June 4th, 2009

Witness history come alive as The Military Vehicle Preservation Association and the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor celebrate the 90th Anniversary of 1919 US Army’s Transcontinental Motor Convoy.

Up to 100 historic military vehicles will retrace the original Lincoln Highway route from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco. The 3,250 mile route will cross eleven states over 26 days, from June 13 to July 8, 2009. This anniversary also celebrates Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday, in conjunction with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

The tour will cross into Pennsylvania on June 13th, traveling through historic Gettysburg. On Sunday, June 14th, the Convoy will depart Chambersburg to travel over the mountains into Bedford County. From Bedford County, the Convoy will travel towards Greensburg, and will display the vehicles at Westmoreland Mall. The group will then make their way west to Wooster, Ohio, their next stop. They will pass through many of the same small towns that welcomed the original 1919 Convoy, as they are greeted by well-wishers and veteran’s groups, and to participate in special events.

In 1919, the original Military Convoy crossed the United States in order to test and study equipment on varying road conditions to recruit members for the US Army, prove the importance of good roads, and to express thanks for the public’s support during World War I. At the time, the Lincoln Highway was the country’s most famous highway, but many stretches remained dangerous with conditions that ranged from tracks across quicksand and alkali mud, and across bridges that gave way under the weight of these vehicles. The trip was grueling with the daily average of 59 miles per day traveling at about 6 miles per hour.

The original Convoy was staffed with 37 officers and 258 enlisted men, including then Lt. Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower. When he became President, thirty years later, and after he saw how quickly the Germans could move around Europe through the use of autobahns, one of his top priorities became the building of an interstate highway system in the United States.

For information on the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, visit www.lhhc.org

For additional information on the 2009 MVPA Transcontinental Motor Convoy, visit www.MVPA.org, and click on the 2009 Convoy button on the left.

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