Chariots of Freedom - 4th of July Celebration for Teardown

In celebration of U.S. Independence Day, I present to you two iconic vehicles of the U.S. Army.

First, the universal quad that served the U.S., England, and the Soviet Union during the Second World War - the Willys MB, better-known as the Jeep. This vehicle, designed during the interwar period and coming to fruition just as the war began, was first sent to the British before we entered the war. Once we did, it saw service in every theater. even ones where we weren't - see the Lend-Lease program.

The Willys MB, and the Ford-produced Ford GPA, influenced many designs after their time, from the next 1/4-ton vehicle in use during the Korean War and Vietnam, to civilian vehicles driving on streets today. I'm sure most people have heard of the car company Jeep, if not seen a Jeep before.

The famed Humvee still echoes the trusty Jeep, mainly in its iconic slotted grill and general-purpose-ness. Being one of the vehicles that screams 'ARMY' whenever you see one, the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle has been in service for quite a while, and everywhere the U.S. been in the Middle East, Humvees have been too. The Humvee is indeed being replaced in front-line usage by Cougar M-RAPS and Oshkosh M-ATVs (also called the JLTV), many are still in use.

The Humvee is in service with multiple countries allied to the U.S., and also has influenced a civilian car manufacturer of their own, Hummer.