Posted by Bob Stopka on Thursday, March 04, 2004 at 3:47AM :
In Reply to: Foto Force field tonight??? posted by MoparNorm on Thursday, March 04, 2004 at 1:13AM :
Tom,
I have a lot of 2nd hand knowledge about the AFS. I bought a WC54 from the wife of one of the deceased directors back in 1987 up in Cheshire, Connecticut close to where I where I grew up. The wifes name was Suzzanna Sutro.
I wonder if Fred Quale knows of her husband. He was also a volunteer AFS driver in North Africa in WW2, and stayed on with the AFS after the war as a paid employee, eventually becoming a director in NYC before he retired in the late 70's or early 80's. This WC54, I just sold it to a man in Texas. I had it 17 Years. I had done a lot to it, but I do
not have the talent of MoparNorm. I only got it about 60 % restored in all those years. Never enough time. But in all those years it was always garaged. I moved it from Connecticut to Florida in 1989. It was the WC54 the AFS picked up in 74-75 to restore for the Bicentennial, and to promote the AFS up the east coast driving the truck and
stopping along the way from Miami up to Boston. The AFS set up volunteer driving crews, and they each took a "leg" from Miami to Boston. They drivers and support crew stayed with host families along the way. The AFS WC54 would stop at strip malls, and where ever else was suitable, set up some tables, and promote the AFS, and I guess try to raise money. I received all this info via phone calls and letters, from the AFS Historian, Bill Orrick, who lived on
Long Island, and commuted into the AFS headquarters in NYC. This was about 1988-89 time frame. He has since passed on.When I told him I had the WC54, he was suprised it was still around. I was told by Mrs. Sutro that the AFS gave it to her husband upon his retirement, as they no longer had use for it. I have quite a bit of history on it, and fund raising flyers from the AFS in 1975, with the title of " help restore the Ambulance" or something to that affect.
There where even photos of my old WC54 in the brochure, with the nose off and a restoration being done. I got these
brochures and a bunch of original AFS 8 x 10 and 5 x 7 AFS WC Ambulance photos, both of half and 3/4 tonners, in Italy and North Africa during WW2. Once I got into the bodywork on the WC54, I could see some of the issues.It was a somewhat amatuer restoration, and it was beginning to show it. They did a fair job for the time. Made it lookpresentable for the Bicentennial trip. They painted it dessert yellow, with the red crosses and special cartoonish
AFS mascot paintings. A different one on both the drivers and passenger front doors. One was a patriotic comical chicken and the other was another goofy character. These were original designs from AFS units in North Africa. The guys had these insignias on
their vehicles and if I recall correctly, as
patches on their uniforms. There was a sample of them in a recent MVPA Army Motors
issue that had an article about the AFS.
By the way...PLEASE ASK FRED IF HE NOWS EITRHER Suzzanna or Bill Orrick. Suzzana's husbands last name was not Sutro. I think
hes name was John Nettinger or something close to that, and he is mentioned in some of the old books written about the AFS, and the events they AFS was involved in during WW2, of which I have 3 different books on. Maybe Fred will know who I am speaking about.
Anyhow, the man I sold it the WC54 to is retired, so he has more time. He is beginning to complete the restoration.
Enough for me. Time for bed. Maybe you all can post the photos attached on dodgepowerwagon.com....
Pctures are of the AFS WC54 I sold, and of the WM300 Howe fire truck I still own.
Take Care,
Bob Stopka in Florida.
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