Grand Forks AFB, ND -- A man in green fatigues pulls himself up into the cab of a giant sleeping monster. Seconds later the monster roars to life with a belch of black smoke and a rumble that shakes the very ground it’s sitting on. The young boy watching is fascinated and vows one day to own such a beast. Many years later, his wish comes true.
“My dad was in the Army, and when I was four, I saw my first deuce-and-a-half,” recalled the boy, now an adult Senior Master Sgt. Maurice Stansbury, Jr., a 319th Civil Engineering Squadron superintendent. “They made this cool, whistling sound. They're monsters.”
Sergeant Stansbury, along with the help of 1st Lt. Joseph Wierenga, a 319th Civil Engineer Squadron engineer, recently restored a similar vintage M35A2 ‘monster,’ a truck affectionately know as a “deuce-and-a-half,” earning the pair the top award in a contest held in Dayton, Ohio last month.
Although his love affair with the trucks started as a child, Sergeant Stansbury's dream finally reached fruition when he was able to purchase two trucks, one made in 1968 and the other in 1970, through a surplus dealer in Wisconsin for $2,700.
“The Army was getting rid of deuce-and-a-halfs because they are going to a new style of truck, the FMTV,” said Sgt. Stansbury.
“So many of these trucks were being sold to our allies and to government liquidators,” he added.
It took months of work to make the truck just like it was when it was originally produced. Sergeant Stansbury selected one truck for restoration and the other for spare parts. The pair worked on the truck from November 2004 until July 2005 with the help of friends.
The effort was proven worthwhile when the truck won its first contest that August in the motor-pool division for two-and-a-half ton trucks in Duluth, Minn.
“The motor pool division is for vehicles that aren't perfect, that need a little bit of work to them,” said Sgt. Stansbury.
After winning that division, the work continued because Sergeant Stansbury wanted to compete later in the more stringent “Restored Class.”
“We had to do a lot more work for this class. It involved doing such things as painting the engine compartment in the original colors,” said Sergeant Stansbury. “You have to do a lot of research into the colors and getting the right numbers for the paint, you can't just go down to the local paint store and find this type of paint,” he added.
Getting the correct paint was only one of many steps the pair took. New canvas for the seats along with a new steering wheel kept them busy trying to ensure the truck was put back in 100% original condition.
“All told, I think we put in 200 to 300 man-hours getting ready for this last show,” said Sergeant Stansbury.
After completing the work, the pair put the now-perfect truck on a trailer and headed out for Ohio. “We even covered the truck in furniture blankets,” said Sergeant Stansbury.
When all the judges were finished, Sergeant Stansbury and Lieutenant Wirenga emerged at the top of their class, bringing home the Restored Class’ 1st Place trophy.
Winning the trophy hasn't slowed down this dynamic civil engineer though. He already has plans to restore another truck, this time in arctic colors. He also plans to keep his other truck in the public eye by taking it to parades in the area as well as the base's Air Show, July 22.
Ultimately, all the work is done because of a love for the vehicles and a desire to preserve military heritage, confessed Sgt. Stansbury.
Who knows? Maybe there is another child out there that hears and feels the rumble of these original “monster trucks” and yearns to one day be behind the wheel rolling down the highway and into history.