Here is the movie on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkMWzmwkkXA
Tobacco Road, Saipan, 1944. Official USMC photo of Marine Intelligence(?) unit. Bob Runyard was my neighbor, RIP.
From left to right in the picture: Lt. Griswold, Bob Runyard, Ted Sterrett.
We had spent 30 days taking Saipan and had a 9 day rest before going back aboard ship and taking Tinian. No reinforcements or resupply.
The three of us took over this partially destroyed Japanese farm house.
We slept on the bare floor; so it was no softer than the ground, but I found a large jap mosquito net and put that inside the one room house.
Also put up some ponchos to fix the leaks. This was as good as it got.
Still eating "C" rations except for the K rations we would have for the first couple of days after landing. Would not get any hot food for about 2 to 2 1/2 months (except while on board ship).
The ammo boxes you see in the picture are for Jap 75mm shells. I have one of the boxes in the garage and also a 75mm round that I deactivated after we returned to Saipan from Tinian. I used the hot water we washed our mess gear in (after every one was done) to melt the picric acid explosive in the projectile.
Bob
The T looks like a 26-27 touring car. Must have had a very hard life to get in the shape it was in so quickly. Repro radiators must have been pricey way back then like they are today as evidenced by the large tin can in its place. Makes me wonder where I can get one of those large, square tin cans... Hmm...
Any pics of the new 1941 Ford Convertible that Dude and Sister Bessie destroyed in the movie? As I remember, they tore off the top, loaded the car with firewood, and went to town to sell the firewood. The old man (Jeeter/Dude's pa) sold the spare tire so they could get a hotel room for the night - "Looky here, you only need four of these to run on"...
It don't hurt the runnin' of it none.
That photo that Ralph posted looks phoney to me. I wasn't in the Army, but I was in the military. It looks like a movie stage set to me.
They were Marines, Larry. It took Bob years to track down the pic and get a copy from USMC. Lord knows Marine Intelligence would be a small outfit. Do you want to see a pic of the Jap 75mm shell he brought home?
He and his buddies joined the Marines right after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. He didn't want to go into pilot training, as he figured the Japs would be defeated in 90 days.
After 3 major island invasions, and seeing the intelligence estimates of casualties for invasion of Japan from his base in Okinawa, he put in to come home. He was in the 3 weeks quarantine in US when the bombs dropped.
To Steve Jelf...
And remember Dude said, "The horn still works!"
Joe, You can get one of those cans at a Planters peanut shop for a dollar or so, the have peanut oil in them and will sell you one. Ask them not to poke a hole to speed pouring and save you that one. John
I don't think the can/radiator would work very well even is plumbed correctly. Looks like the one in the movie would not work at all without a water pump that is does not have. The water in the can would stay cold and the water in the engine stay hot because of the air gap in the engine outlet hose.
Jim
It needs a water pump to go with that dizzy.
must have one of those new-fangled distributators too
The 41 Ford Convertible used in the movie has survived.
This is from the Ford Barn Forum:
Great article in the November/December 2012 V-8 Times about the 1941 Ford Convertible used in the movie Tobacco Road. Details who did the driving in the movie and the two brothers who rebuilt the car.
Ricks...God bless you. And thanks for your service.
Michael, I'm sorry this thread got confusing. Bob Runyard was my neighbor. We only share the initials, RDR. I was in the Army 25 years later.
The ammo box he was leaning against in the pic, and the 75mm round, were cremated in the Black Forest fire near Colorado Springs last May.
Note the 30X3.5 tires. 1926?
Really off topic, but my o my .... there must (I hope) be something behind the fellow on the right's head .... Would you really want your head leaning against the pointy end of a barrel...with a clip in?