The tour reconnects with the main Lincoln Highway route as it completes its trek across Ohio, then west to California. The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental road for automobiles in the United States, dedicated in 1913. In 1956, convoy member President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which funded construction of the interstate highway system we take for granted today. Every turn will be a new adventure, every stop a new memory. The tour will begin near the White House in Washington, D.C. and will travel at a leisurely pace, averaging under 200 miles daily, ending in San Francisco at the Lincoln Highway’s western terminus. William Stuhler, Major Brett, Paul V. Robinson and Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower in Columbiana, Ohio. The Army’s success in the war is directly attributable to the exploits of a convoy that trucked across America in 1919. The U.S. Army in World War II, just twenty years later, was fully motorized with trucks, trailers, scout cars, tanks, and armored personnel carriers at a time when even the mighty German Army still relied heavily on horse transport. “We’re on paved roads, but we’ve done about 25 miles on gravel roads that were the original Lincoln Highway,” Emdee said. All arrangements are made in advance, from the meals, snacks and attractions, to your overnight accommodations — it’s all planned. The original convoy during the summer of 1919 was a monumental event in the history of the United States. One hundred years ago, the U.S. Army sent the first motor transport convoy across the nation on the newly-constructed Lincoln Highway. The injuries, accidents, and breakdowns are all the more astounding considering the convoy moved at an average speed of less than six miles an hour—about twice as fast as a person can walk. U.S. Army Signal Corps/National Archives. Even with “excellent” roads, the convoy only managed 48 miles. On that convoy was a young army officer named Dwight Eisenhower, who learned many lessons as they crossed the country on the Lincoln Highway. The trip was unfathomably difficult by today’s standards, with vehicles breaking down and bursting into flames, soldiers falling ill, and bridges and other road works damaged. This convoy celebrated the 90th Anniversary of the 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy, the first coast-to-coast military vehicle convoy of its kind in the United States. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Eisenhower learned that military vehicles were often too heavy to cross bridges designed for passenger cars, resulting in the need for temporary bridges to … A Sunken WWII Boat Is Found Off the Coast of Maine, The U.S. Army is Looking for A New Submachine Gun, General Motors Built a Hydrogen-Powered Truck, The U.S. Army Is Developing a Better Bullet, How WWI Fighters Fired Through Their Propellers. You can join the tour for as few as two days, for its entire length, or anything in between. Home; News; Map; Highlights; State Chapters; The Forum; Resources; The group decided to organize a military convoy to drive from coast to coast, from Washington D.C. to San Francisco, traversing the newly created Lincoln National Highway, conceived just seven years earlier. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. World War I was the first conflict in which motor vehicles made a substantial contribution. Along the way, the past and the present of this great byway is yours to experience. The convoy made its way across the U.S. on the Lincoln Highway, now U.S. Highway 30, passing through 350 towns along the way. August 28th: “two Class B trucks skidded off roads in canyon” but avoided damage.” Outside of Granite Rock, Utah the conditions were particularly bad: “Stalling of fuel truck prevented a cooked dinner. T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS Members of the 2019 Military Convoy Centennial Tour relax, eat and talk after a long day traveling the Lincoln Highway. The Army, eager to prove the utility of trucks and roads in a future war, sent nearly one hundred vehicles on a trip from Washington D.C. to San Francisco. On July 15, “Rear wheels of Class B tanker went through small culvert bridge.” The bridge was repaired by convoy engineers. Car clubs and military vehicles are encouraged to participate. Detours arose when the roofs of covered bridges proved too low for the Vehicle! 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