I spent most of yesterday afternoon hanging out at HMNS with some of the Living Historians who perform as General George Patton’s Third Army, and also with elements of the 6th Cavalry Historical Association, a group of folks dedicated, by their own admission,
to preserving the memory of our nation’s veterans and patriots who sacrificed to secure the freedom of all Americans.
The Sixth are a great bunch of folks who model their unit after General Patton’s “Household Cavalry” unit. As you might expect, this means they work hard at getting the historical displays and impression portrayals correct. The equipment is accurate, if not pristine, and they’re constantly working to get it better.
Jack Slattery and Jimmy Brinkley brainstorm ways to improve their practice 60mm mortar rounds at the 6th Cavalry Historical Association Encampment, Houston Museum of Natural Science Memorial Day Exhibition. The mortar tube itself is a reproduction and a little bit underbored, but Brinkley doesn’t have the ability to bore it any larger. Another solution is called for.
They’re also having a blast doing this, even if it’s a lot of work.
(And sometimes when it’s not.)
And they brought a heck of a motor pool, for a small group….
Maintaining these vehicles in this condition is no small task. There’s a lot of time, money, work, and love in this – you can’t just stroll into your neighborhood AutoZone and buy an NOS ring gear for a `44 Willys Jeep. But they pull it off, and to borrow from Yoda, “when 75 years old YOU are, look as good you will not, hmmm?”
