Tumbleweed
Member
From the Chrysler Newsletter
The new military veterans memorial dedicated May 23 at the Toledo Assembly Complex includes a restored 1942 Willys military vehicle and silhouettes of American servicemen.
As the nation pauses this Memorial Day to remember those who served in the United States Armed Services, the Chrysler Group’s Toledo Assembly Complex (TAC) unveiled its own special tribute to veterans around the country during a ceremony at the plant Friday.
Vice President of Assembly Operations Zach Leroux, TAC Plant Manager Chuck Padden, UAW Local 12 Chairman Mark Epley, employees and five veterans with ties to the Toledo plant, including three retirees who served in WWII, dedicated a permanent veteran’s memorial in the shadow of the giant Jeep® sign that identifies the plant at the intersection of I-75 and I-280. The memorial stands on high ground created for the display.
Featuring a restored 1942 Willys Military Jeep, the memorial not only recognizes the service of those in uniform, but also the plant’s nearly 75-year history of building Jeep vehicles, starting with production of the first military Jeep.
“Like all Americans, we owe our freedom to the sacrifices made by the men and women who serve in the military, but at Jeep, we owe our very existence to our WWII veterans,” Padden said. “When they returned home from the war, they purchased civilian versions of the Jeep vehicles they learned to depend upon in the war. These heroes became our first Jeep enthusiasts. Without them, we would not be here today.
A team of about 15 Toledo employees worked for a week and a half to restore the 1942 Willys military vehicle, replacing parts, refurbishing body panels and painting the vehicle.
“But the Jeep legacy is not just about the vehicles; it is also about the people,” Padden said. “Some of the people who currently work in this plant and some who helped refurbish this 1942 Jeep are descendents of those who possibly built this very vehicle. We have come a long way at the Toledo Jeep plant, so it’s important to remind the new generation where it all started.”
Plant management and the local UAW leadership agreed that the best way to honor veterans and the plant’s Jeep history was to find a military Jeep to restore and put on permanent display. With the help of former Toledo plant manager Jerry Huber and a Craig’s List ad, the 1942 Willys was found in Wimberley, Texas, a community 28 miles southwest of Austin. The vehicle was in fairly good shape, but didn’t run. When the owner heard that the Jeep plant in Toledo wanted the vehicle to put on display, he immediately pulled the ad, sold it to the plant for $950 and volunteered to transport it to Toledo in exchange for a tour.
The Willys returned home on May 9 and restoration work began on May 12. A team of about 15 Toledo employees worked for a week and a half to return the vehicle to its original condition, replacing parts, refurbishing body panels and painting the vehicle. Because all of the vehicle identification plates and hood graphics were removed, the exact history of the vehicle can’t be determined, but the plant estimates that the vehicle was originally built in mid-1942.
The memorial also includes silhouettes of soldiers, created by volunteers from the plant. Assembly Employee Steve Biesiada drew up the soldier outlines, body shop employees Dennis Turner cut out the figures and Scott Lawson ground the edges and finished them.
“With our deep military roots, it was especially important for this plant to establish a permanent way of paying our respects to those who have fought for the freedom we all enjoy,” said the UAW’s Epley. “With nearly 10 percent of our workforce with military experience, plus all of our team members with family members having served or still serving, this memorial is very personal for all of us.”
The number of Toledo employees with a military background has grown by 25 percent with the launch of the Jeep Cherokee and the recent hiring.
The history of Jeep in Toledo
Toledo is known as the birthplace of Jeep. In 1940 as war spread through Europe, the United States Army determined that it needed a new type of fast, lightweight, all-terrain reconnaissance vehicle. The Army selected Toledo-based Willys-Overland for production of the vehicle, and the company began production in late 1941, building about 8,000 units that year. In total, 363,000 were built in Toledo through the end of the war in 1945.
The vehicle was officially known as the Willys MB, but not many people called it that. Before long, it became universally known as the Jeep, many believing that the name came from the term “GP,” for “General Purpose.”
The new military veterans memorial dedicated May 23 at the Toledo Assembly Complex includes a restored 1942 Willys military vehicle and silhouettes of American servicemen.
As the nation pauses this Memorial Day to remember those who served in the United States Armed Services, the Chrysler Group’s Toledo Assembly Complex (TAC) unveiled its own special tribute to veterans around the country during a ceremony at the plant Friday.
Vice President of Assembly Operations Zach Leroux, TAC Plant Manager Chuck Padden, UAW Local 12 Chairman Mark Epley, employees and five veterans with ties to the Toledo plant, including three retirees who served in WWII, dedicated a permanent veteran’s memorial in the shadow of the giant Jeep® sign that identifies the plant at the intersection of I-75 and I-280. The memorial stands on high ground created for the display.
Featuring a restored 1942 Willys Military Jeep, the memorial not only recognizes the service of those in uniform, but also the plant’s nearly 75-year history of building Jeep vehicles, starting with production of the first military Jeep.
“Like all Americans, we owe our freedom to the sacrifices made by the men and women who serve in the military, but at Jeep, we owe our very existence to our WWII veterans,” Padden said. “When they returned home from the war, they purchased civilian versions of the Jeep vehicles they learned to depend upon in the war. These heroes became our first Jeep enthusiasts. Without them, we would not be here today.
A team of about 15 Toledo employees worked for a week and a half to restore the 1942 Willys military vehicle, replacing parts, refurbishing body panels and painting the vehicle.
“But the Jeep legacy is not just about the vehicles; it is also about the people,” Padden said. “Some of the people who currently work in this plant and some who helped refurbish this 1942 Jeep are descendents of those who possibly built this very vehicle. We have come a long way at the Toledo Jeep plant, so it’s important to remind the new generation where it all started.”
Plant management and the local UAW leadership agreed that the best way to honor veterans and the plant’s Jeep history was to find a military Jeep to restore and put on permanent display. With the help of former Toledo plant manager Jerry Huber and a Craig’s List ad, the 1942 Willys was found in Wimberley, Texas, a community 28 miles southwest of Austin. The vehicle was in fairly good shape, but didn’t run. When the owner heard that the Jeep plant in Toledo wanted the vehicle to put on display, he immediately pulled the ad, sold it to the plant for $950 and volunteered to transport it to Toledo in exchange for a tour.
The Willys returned home on May 9 and restoration work began on May 12. A team of about 15 Toledo employees worked for a week and a half to return the vehicle to its original condition, replacing parts, refurbishing body panels and painting the vehicle. Because all of the vehicle identification plates and hood graphics were removed, the exact history of the vehicle can’t be determined, but the plant estimates that the vehicle was originally built in mid-1942.
The memorial also includes silhouettes of soldiers, created by volunteers from the plant. Assembly Employee Steve Biesiada drew up the soldier outlines, body shop employees Dennis Turner cut out the figures and Scott Lawson ground the edges and finished them.
“With our deep military roots, it was especially important for this plant to establish a permanent way of paying our respects to those who have fought for the freedom we all enjoy,” said the UAW’s Epley. “With nearly 10 percent of our workforce with military experience, plus all of our team members with family members having served or still serving, this memorial is very personal for all of us.”
The number of Toledo employees with a military background has grown by 25 percent with the launch of the Jeep Cherokee and the recent hiring.
The history of Jeep in Toledo
Toledo is known as the birthplace of Jeep. In 1940 as war spread through Europe, the United States Army determined that it needed a new type of fast, lightweight, all-terrain reconnaissance vehicle. The Army selected Toledo-based Willys-Overland for production of the vehicle, and the company began production in late 1941, building about 8,000 units that year. In total, 363,000 were built in Toledo through the end of the war in 1945.
The vehicle was officially known as the Willys MB, but not many people called it that. Before long, it became universally known as the Jeep, many believing that the name came from the term “GP,” for “General Purpose.”
