My Truck’s for Driving!

by David Dorson

Dave Dorson likes to drive his trucks. In 2009, he drove his WC-13 on the 2009 MVPA Convoy. This picture was taken on his way to Dawson Creek, BC, to join the 2012 MVPA Alaska Highway convoy.

On September 13, 2008, the U. S. Air Force base at Vienna, Ohio, had an open house for the first time in 26 years. I decided to drive my M43 ambulance the event. At Middlefield, Ohio, I met Jordan and Jared Previte and Jay Lovell. My ambulance, together with their three jeeps, formed a small convoy to drive to the show.

Dave drove the same M43 on the 2016 MVPA Route 66 Convoy. He has put more than,000 miles on this truck during the last ten years.

When we arrived at the air base open house, we put up a tarp and spread out a display of WWII aircraft radios. Even though the weather was bad with rain all day, about 30,000 people came out to see the airplanes — and our vehicles. The Air Force had every thing on display, from the new T6A trainers, to a C-5A cargo plane.

A line of medical vehicles in the 2012 MVPA Convoy included Dave’s M43 (right) and Dr. John Laws’ M37. Dr Laws was the medical officer for the 2012 convoy.

That afternoon, an Air Force captain stopped by our display and talked with us for a while. As he was about to leave he said, “My mother-in-law has an old truck that you guys might be interested in having.” Apparently, when most of the equipment at the Henry Vanetta Museum in Hubbard, Ohio, was sold to a group in Titusville, Florida, they left a junk WC-13 pick-up behind. They did not think it was worth hauling to Florida. Kathy Vanetta gave the truck to me, and I rebuilt it that winter.

I had signed up to drive in the 2009 MVPA Trans Continental Motor Convoy (TMC-09) that was leaving Washington, D.C., in June 2009. I was planning to drive my M43 ambulance, but by Spring, I realized that the ambulance still had lots of mysteries.

You never know what will happen at a show. While displaying some vehicles and equipment at an air show in 2008, a visitor approached Dave. After a long conversation, the visitor suggested his mother probably had a vehicle Dave would like. It turns out his mother was more than happy to find a home for the WC-13 in her back yard. You never know what contacts you will make at a show!

Dave has introduced three young men to the hobby. Together, they participate and display at events throughout Ohio.

Since I had just been through everything in the WC-13, I decided that was the truck to take. On June 10, I finished working on the WC-13, and left for D.C., where I joined TMC-09.

Six weeks later, I was back home with 7,500 miles on the truck. Eight years later, the truck now has more than 20,000 miles, and it has never let me down.

One never knows what might turn up when you go to a new show.

Jordan Previte (seated on the left in the picture) was the first boy Dave helped to resurrect an old Jeep when he was just 15. His brother, Jared (on the right) was only 13 that summer of 2005, but he spent all his spare time driving his brother’s Jeep around the few acres where they lived.By the following summer, Dave came up with two more old jeeps. One for Jared and one of for the Previte’s friend, Jay Lovell.Now they are young men and very active in the historic military vehicle and reenacting hobbies.

2009 MVPA Trans Continental Motor Convoy Henry Vanetta Museum M43 ambulance Military Vehicles Magazine WC-13

David DorsonAuthor