Veterans Day in McHenry commemorates those who fought for liberty

The automobile gave them something to dream about while off to war

Friday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, a day designated by federal act to thank all those who have served honorably to preserve liberty in America’s wars, including those from McHenry. It was originally known as Armistice Day and commemorated the end of WWI, which ended at 11 minutes after, 11 in the morning of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

It was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 thereby taking into account the veterans of WWI, WWII, the Korean War and other minor conflicts during that time.

These wars were different in that the level of technology changed, as well as the scale of the conflicts. WWI saw the advent of military aircraft as submarines and battleships also came to the fore. In WWII, some nations began the war with biplanes that flew under 200 mph while, by the end of the war, jet aircraft were reaching speeds over 500 mph.

In terms of scale, WWI was a global conflict where a majority of the fighting took place in Western Europe. WWII was a truly global conflict where Western Europe, Africa, Russia, the Middle East, Asia, India, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and other areas saw fighting. Korea, and later Vietnam, the First and Second Gulf Wars were more localized. But there is one thing that didn’t change.

Those who were away from home fighting, thought constantly about home. They thought about their loved ones back. They thought about mom’s cooking and their dreams for the future. In many cases, they also thought about the cars they left at home or planned to buy when they got back, and what they might have in mind to do to fix those cars up.

During WWI, Dough Boys might think about the Dodge 30-35 they would buy when the war was over. Or they might have plans for a Ford Model T. Maybe they had their mind’s eye on an Oldsmobile Special or a Buick Model F Touring Car. Automobiles were still in their relative infancy but were increasingly seen as a preferred mode of transportation.

GIs, airmen, sailors, submariners and others in WWII had a far greater variety of automobiles to contemplate while off fighting the war. During the war, production of personal automobiles was stopped as auto manufacturers switched over to war production.

Those who left home to fight in WWII could dream about Packard Super Eight 1104, a Pierce Arrow, or a Lincoln Zephyr. Or maybe they dreamt of a ’36 Ford Model 68 convertible. They may have spent countless hours thinking about the 1932 Chrysler Imperial Eight they planned to buy.

Those fighting in the Korean War may have thought about some of the same cars driven by their older WWII brothers and sisters. The difference is that, by the early ‘50s, the idea of modifying cars to go faster and have a little more pizzazz was coming into vogue.

A 1932 Ford Coupe made an excellent jalopy, and still does. The same was and is true of a 1932 Chevy 5-Window Coupe. A 1938 Buick 46S Sport Coupe was a car well worth dreaming about. A 2-door Hudson Terraplane was a car they could think about driving down the street in McHenry with pride. And a 1940 Packard One-Twenty Convertible Coupe was a classic then as much as it is now, for those few who happen to have one.

By the Vietnam War, those serving in Southeast Asia could dream about muscle cars. The Mustangs, GTOs, Chargers, Barracudas, Camaros, Corvettes, and even Ramblers offered those serving overseas something to think about when they had a spare moment.

By the First Gulf War, muscle cars were still in demand, though older and a bit pricey. But there were newer cars to consider, too. And pickup trucks were really popular by this time, and still are.

By the Second Gulf War, muscle cars were even more expensive. But auto manufacturers had also provided hotrod options with some serious kick. The retro Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers came with two to three times the horsepower of the cars they were built to look similar to.

Many veterans came home and purchased the cars of their dreams. Many didn’t make it home, however. Others, made it home only to face new battles with physical and emotional scars. The automobile may have helped some of them to escape from the horrors of war for a little while. They car gave them something to dream about when they might have needed help with that.

Is your antifreeze safe from freezing this Richmond winter

You still have time to have it checked Well, there’s no denying it – winter tends to get chilly here in Richmond. We have to deal with snow and ice on the roads, scraping the same off our windows and windshield, and staying warm while we drive. Of course, you had your antifreeze checked before winter rolled into town. What?! You didn’t have your antifreeze checked before winter clamped down on Richmond? So, how’s your antifreeze doing? If you haven’t had it checked, there’s really no way of knowing, is there? This car has overheated in the middle of a Richmond winter. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the antifreeze can also freeze if it's not up to its job. Hopefully, you haven’t had a serious problem with your antifreeze already. If you did, you’d probably know. When antifreeze fails, it’s a potentially catastrophic condition for your vehicle’s engine. You could have hoses that have burst because of freezing antifreeze. Worse than that, your engine block may have crac...

Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry . Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right? Don’t count on it. Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs . They’re often more like boulders. Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic. In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard. The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too. You need...

Get out to McHenry Music Festival for a good time and music near to home

Some folks here in McHenry will load up the car and head out to Red Rock Amphitheater near Denver to see a show. Some will go to the MSG Sphere near Las Vegas. Some will go to the Bonaroo Festival Concert to see a show. That’s quite a bit of driving and you’d better make sure your vehicle is up to the trip. What happens, however, if something goes wrong – if your vehicle breaks down while driving there or back? What happens if the show is canceled, as happened this year with the Bonaroo Festival? We’re talking about some serious inconvenience, aren’t we? Wherever you go, whether your driving to Colorado, Nevada, Tennessee or anywhere else in this continent, you want to perform your due diligence and make sure the vehicle is up for the trip before you go. And it doesn’t really matter if you’re driving somewhere to see some live music or for any other purpose. A breakdown can be costly and may put you at the mercy of weather conditions or nefarious characters that come across you while y...

Performance Unlimited Blog

Search This Blog