| Many fond memories have been
formed in the minds of all the cadets and seniors who have ridden in her.
She is a 1986 Dodge and one of the SWEETEST vans in the North Dakota Wing
fleet. She began her term of service as the wing communications vehicle. She
was then transferred to the LO after getting a new engine. In 1996, she was
transferred to the 119th. The advise of anyone who has ever ridden in the
backseat is bring a blanket in the winter and an electric fan in the summer,
watch out for the falling roof, and don't forget your earplugs. It's kind of
like a C-130 that way: Big and loud.
The first memory any member of the 119th has of Niner Eight is a SARX in 1995. We trucked around in it with the tail pipe dragging the whole way. In July 1996, we drove her down to Rapid City, SD for encampment. The she had no radio and the air conditioner was on the fritz. She also had to be filled up every 150 miles (Like cadets needing to stop for the bathroom). The alternator went out and Niner Eight was left in South Dakota for a while.
The next big trip was when we drove it down to Kansas City MO. This trip was also eventful. A box flew off a truck in front of them and shattered the front grill. A few more miles down the road they came upon a car accident and Cpt. Krabbenhoft and Cpt. Peace assisted in trying to save a life.
A few months later we then drove it to an activity in Bismarck where once again Niner Eight decided to visit for a while after it wouldn't start on the way home.
|
Niner Eight came back to the squadron and members
tried to take it to Dickenson for a SARX. 20 miles out of town the engine
noise became even louder and the team pulled into Castleton. Niner Eight
stayed there for the next two weeks.
The machine has made us experts in pushing,
tugging, and towing. The last few trips have been uneventful, but it did break
down upon returning to the ANG base after the last few trips. It left a trail of
Power Steering fluid from long term parking to the base motor pool. Occasionally
it doesn’t like to start, but at least it has been getting us home. The secret
under cover operation is to take her to Bismarck and switch it with their van
when they aren’t looking. Maybe no one will notice. |
