b'.The Magnificent continued from pg. 23 Due to computer movie work, this LVT represented all of This 1950s Pontiac-designed amphibious cargo carrierthe Marine Corps landing vehicles in the film and appeared could carry 3,000 pounds of cargo or eight people in shallowagain in the movie, Letters from Iwo Jima.rivers and swampy terrain, and is noted in Marine CorpsAt the Mech, one can find the six-wheeled M561 Gama history for this work in Vietnam in the late 1960s. Goat originally developed for use in the Vietnam War. With a mostly aluminum construction and pneumaticNamed for the inventor of its articulated joint, Roger wheels, the Otter is very light and buoyant and traveled atGamaunt, together with its mountain-goat type agility, the 30 miles per hour on tracks.It had no armor and the Ottersarticulated chassis appears to be a vehicle with a trailer.only defense was a mounted Browning M2HB 50-caliberHowever, it is in fact a single vehicle with its front andmachine gun.Well suited for rescuing wheeled vehiclesrear wheels turning in opposite directions. A laterstuck in the swamps with its 5,000-pound capacity winch,ambulance version was developed, a logical choice forthe Otter served the Marine Corps into the 1970s and wasits ability to climb over tough and muddy ground andeven used in arctic operations. an aluminum body weight allowing it to swim. The museums movie star is a Korean War vintage LVTThe tank-killer is an M50 Ontos, a small light-armored (Landing Vehicle, Tracked) that played the part of a Worldtracked anti-tank machine, light enough to cross a pontoon War II LVT in the Clint Eastwood film, Flags of Our Fathers.bridge and be transported by aircraft.It derives its name Warner Brothers Studio negotiated the transport of the hugefrom the Greek for thing and was developed in theamphibious warfare vehicle to Iceland for the filming of the1950s by Allis-Chalmers. Three uncomfortably-seated Iwo Jima movie. The museum director negotiated to have itsMarines must staff the vehicle, but troops were always happy head volunteer curator and experienced motor transport chiefto see the Thing supporting them. During the Vietnam accompany and oversee the handling and drive the vehicle.War, the very capable Ontos, with its six recoilless rifles was utilized by the Marines for direct fire support of the infantry in combat.Soon an outdoor drive-through exhibit will open in the Mechs Back Lot near the restoration shops. The exhibitwill display and interpret vehicles reflecting the Vietnam, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom time periods. The proposed horse-shoe layout will allow Marine and Navy families tofollow a guide vehicle in their car to see a display of tanks, large utility trucks, and big artillery guns. Here, thanks to Sean and Erik Jones, Jim King and other Dirty Docents,one will be able to see the M198 Howitzer, the M60A3Battle Tank, a M42 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun, or Duster, prototype and even an Ontos with its six recoilless rifles.These unique vehicles comprise just a sampling ofthe large collection of Marine Corps heavy artillery,earthmovers, transports, and armored machines in the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum collection.The Mech volunteers come from all walks of life, allservices and include teens and retirees. It is because ofthese dedicated volunteers that the Ontos is able to run,that the vehicles have been in parades, official militaryceremonies, on exhibit in Balboa Park museums and atcommunity-outreach events. Without the many devoted volunteers, well beyond those named here, whoresearched each vehicle, studied to find the correctmissing parts and correct paint schemes, who workedmost of their weekends and evenings to restore eachpiece, the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum collection would not be preserved for future generations. H See www.themech.org for more images.Interested volunteers can email:MCBCAMPEN_HISTORY@usmc.mil. Faye Jonason brought her extensive museum background Photo: Text panel from Mech exhibit celebrating 75 years of women in the service on Camp Pendleton to manage Camp Pendletons historical programs since 1995. 24 Military Appreciation Resource Magazine HOctober 2020 H Thank You For Your Service'