Independence, MO (September, 2011) — The Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) is pleased to announce plans to conduct a 70th Anniversary Convoy on the famous Alaska Highway in August of 2012. MVPA members will honor this great engineering accomplishment by traveling the Alaska Highway in historic military vehicles. Additionally, these MVPA members will honor our Veterans and all members of our Armed Forces with this convoy.
In support of the organization’s mission “History in Motion™,” the MVPA 2012 Alaska Highway Convoy will launch from Dawson Creek, British Columbia on August 4, 2012. The convoy will travel 4,100 miles in 27 days.
While many groups travel the Alaska Highway, the MVPA’s convoy to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the building of the Alaska Highway is especially significant, according to Stan Cohen, author of the book “The Trail of ’42 – A Pictorial History of the Alaska Highway.”
“Military vehicles were the backbone of the Alaska Highway construction project,” said Cohen. “Building the road would not have been possible without more than 7,000 pieces of military equipment.”
According to MVPA Convoy Projects Leader and Convoy Commander Terry Shelswell, 97 historic military vehicles are expected to travel the entire 4,100 mile route, with more vehicles joining in to drive a portion of the trip.
“This will be a convoy of historic military vehicles of all eras, from WWI through current-issue,” said Convoy Commander Shelswell. “The military vehicles are privately-owned and restored by individuals who have an interest in preserving these vehicles and the important roles they played throughout our military history.”
In 2009 the MVPA retraced the Army’s 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy along the famed Lincoln Highway from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco. Over 100 military vehicles participated in that historic 30-day convoy.
As the convoy passes through cities and towns along the Alaska Highway, MVPA members will draw attention to the 70th anniversary of this great engineering feat and the U.S. Army troops who made it happen. MVPA members will also take every opportunity to thank our veterans, past and present.