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My '63 B1 has the field tail gate mod - looks like the welding was done with jumper cables & a coat hanger, ground down with a pine cone, and buffed with a squirrel...

'Tanner'

Tanner wrote:My '63 B1 has the field tail gate mod - looks like the welding was done with jumper cables & a coat hanger, ground down with a pine cone, and buffed with a squirrel...

'Tanner'

Tanner, you have a great way with words. I will relay your fine description to both my Son's who are also certified welders, we usually get by just calling it snot or on pipe grapes. So I will now claim my other tailgate has the "special" field mod, and it should be worth more.

Mine is a 1953 and it has the same reinforcement. Pretty tacky too.
Phillip

All of the tailgates I have seen have had that same repair that looks exactly as Tanner so aptly described. It reminded me of a story told by a good friend of mine who was a Viet Nam Vet. He went through boot camp with a bunch of guys out of the hills who didnt know their left from their right. It drove the Drill Instructors crazy, trying to get them to march with any sort of consistancy or precision. However, on the rifle range, LOOK OUT! These guys could shoot! Richard always felt he would much rather be in the bush with these guys than the ones who could play the game and march with precision to impress the DI. I guess it is the same with these welds, would you rather go into combat with a Company of Certified Welders, or well trained Riflemen?
Tim

My concern would be if those fellas from the hills could discern left from right when told to fire in said direction...

[quote="powerwagontim"]All of the tailgates I have seen have had that same repair that looks exactly as Tanner so aptly described. It reminded me of a story told by a good friend of mine who was a Viet Nam Vet. He went through boot camp with a bunch of guys out of the hills who didnt know their left from their right. It drove the Drill Instructors crazy, trying to get them to march with any sort of consistancy or precision. However, on the rifle range, LOOK OUT! These guys could shoot! Richard always felt he would much rather be in the bush with these guys than the ones who could play the game and march with precision to impress the DI. I guess it is the same with these welds, would you rather go into combat with a Company of Certified Welders, or well trained Riflemen?
Tim[/quote
Tim, I wasn't going to respond but the longer I thought about it I felt I must. And it's just to set the record straight, not attack you.
First off I was born in Queens NY and grew up on Long Island NY where I still live. I'm 65 and my first welding was at 15, gas welding a go-cart frame with coat hanger. So I have been welding for 50 years and while in the Army at 21 I could lay down a better bead with either O2/act. or stick than what I have seen on these tailgates. Understand these welds were done by the motor pool guy's who by and large saw no combat. (there is one exception in a Mechanized Infantry unit) In my mind if they weren't getting shot at, they should at least be able to do a good job on the vehicles. I'll put that other myth to bed as well and back it up. Yes I served with men I call my brothers that may not have as high an intellect as others, but relating that left and right business and their rifle skill is crap. In basic when we qualified with the M14 I was the 2nd best shot in the BLT., it seems the others thought they knew how to shoot so didn't listen to the instructors tips on the 300 yard targets.
Click on my DD214 pdf below, and BTW being a DI don't mean shit in combat as they piss their pants like the rest of us.
http://crayonmedia.com/wayne/Vietnam/

Hi Warren,
No offense taken. Welding wise, it sounds like you were the exception to the rule!
Tim

Mine is a Army truck and doesnt have any extra reinforcement . None up the length or an L. Here are some pictures of both sides and the top edge.





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Mix4coal,

I think you need start a new thread and post more pictures of your truck.

Bert

Hi mix,

Not sure why your's doesn't have the mod, but I would suspect that tailgates supplied as spare parts would not have had the mod. So if anyone finds an NOS tailgate I'd bet it has no mod. Anybody have an NOS gate to confirm???

thanks,
bob

I have this exact re-enforcement on my M-37's tailgate

I had just assumed it was crunched and fixed this way in the past...interesting thread!!

Mine is also W/O said Field Modification's, top or bottom........yet.

My tailgate looks like the current description and I think the maintenance mechanic was blind or they trained a monkey to weld. Pretty pathetic,especially since I'm a welder and I almost can't bear to look at it, want to fix it but, it's what it is.

Cav Trooper wrote:My tailgate looks like the current description and I think the maintenance mechanic was blind or they trained a monkey to weld. Pretty pathetic,especially since I'm a welder and I almost can't bear to look at it, want to fix it but, it's what it is.

I feel the same way about the work done on mine, looks like scrap steel was used and the trained monkey did the welding. I am leaving it as is since it is an example of "quality army ordnance repair work" that must have passed inspection....somehow.