Welcome to Veterans' Highway! (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Feb 4, 2014
Threads
125
Messages
7,185
Location
Las Vegas
Good Morning,

@Chungas Revenge suggested we create a thread or a forum to contain 'all things Veteran'. Chungas noticed that there are a lot of Vets who have developed a relationship with these old beauties that we all prize.

@woody is going to review this, when he has time and will decide where/how to best host this on IH8MUD.

Vets: Please let everyone know who you are and, please, let's leave religion and political discussions to other threads/forums/websites...no need to start a battle here.

Please tell as much or as little, about yourself, as you like... but give us a first name, branch of service and period of service.
 
Last edited:
Updated pic as of 4 JAN 16..

Hi my name is Jeff, I've been a MUD member for a two months (sounds like another meeting;)).

I belong to a 1976 TLC Fj40 undergoing a current "face lift"..I've owned my TLC for a little over three years..Found MUD while scrounging for parts. Was chatting with Danny ^^ and enjoying a "Guinness" :beer: , when we touched on the number of Vets that owned TLC's or vice versa ;)..Thought it might be a good idea to see if there was a place for a TLC Vets thread...So now, thanks to "woody" who graciously allowed this little TLC enthusiast thread to be part of MUD, there is a "Veterans Highway"..Well it may be a "goat path" at the moment....But, what better way for TLC enthusiasts to start a journey.....on a road less traveled..

I started out in the USMC WPNS CO 1/3, 1st Marine Brigade back in 78. Five west PAC's to all points in the west pacific, out in 83 as a young "buck Sgt". College 84-90 (great five-ish years)...during college re-entered the Kings service. After OCS, I wandered into the hallowed halls of Co C 2/19th SFG (A) WVARNG. Served as a "short tabbed" XO fer' a spell (3 1/2 yrs). The Army Guard decided I would make a good DoD Civ in 90...Back on active duty 96 as the APMS at WVU , Worked for an Engineer group until 2003. Post 9-11 (2003) Deployed with 10th SFG (A), (IRAQ) and the SOD-E (North Africa). Deployed with the Special Operations Detachment - Europe, as an XO to SOCEUR in 05 to work with NATO SOF...Last 4 years on title 32 for the ARNG....Retired in 2010 w/22.5 years Active Duty. Retired for five (5) days. Hired by a long time friend and ner' do well acquaintance to work as a contract lead for a small Defense Contractor in support of DoD Biometrics until 2014. Primary AOR was EUCOM (Balkans) but worked several other "projects".. Decided enough was enough, time to let the young men of the world have a go at it and took a job at Camp Dawson, Kingwood WV last year. Henceforth the SEMI-RETIRED status. Plotting and scheming to resurrect a TLC club here in WV...More to follow.

Current PIC of ”Festus” (aka The Mule) in all it's diamond plated glory....The grocery getter is a 2013 FJC. Had to stay in the family....!! "Face-Lift" build thread in my sig block...

View attachment 1069782

IMG_0595(1).jpg
 
Last edited:
I'm Kurt Meyer, 14 year USAF veteran. SSGT E-5 was my highest rank attained, Desert Storm veteran. Jet FIghter Crew Chief (Mechanic) Worked on OA-37B, OA-10A, F-4E, F-16 A,B,C,D aircraft. Got out in 1998 with my Airframe and Powerplant license from the FAA, Worked at Horizon Airlines for 13 years, Was a Quality Manager at an air charter company in Broomfield Colorado, I am now the Operations Manager at an FAA Certified Repair Station in Broomfield CO that overhauls small turbine engine fuel controls and governors.
I have a 74 FJ-40 that was bought new by my dad. I got it when he died 9 years ago. I have been on MUDD for 9 years and have found it to be a tremendous resource for information and entertainment.
Thanks to all you fellow veterans for your service and sacrifice.

I'm the short one in the picture in the cammos standing in front of my jet with my name on it..

Kurt.jpg
 
I'm Kurt Meyer, 14 year USAF veteran

Kurt - Thanks for your service. Sorry about the passing of your father. Can you post a pic or two of your 40 later? Also, if you can, please pass this thread on to any and all of your/our fellow vets....? Not sure how this will turn out or what flavor it will eventually it will turn out to be...None the less..Welcome aboard!!!~~!
 
I am Ryan Jones, 5 year US Army Infantry veteran, stationed at Ft. Carson Colorado for a few years, and in Germany for a couple before that, now giving it back working at a VA hospital as an Electrical Supervisor.

And I have a mutt of an FJ40, 74 with an 83 FJ60 heart transplant, never ending project. Just finishing up with a knuckle rebuild, and a headgasket replacement.

Thanks to all the other veterans out there, and my buddy over here in Kingwood who kicked this ball down the road.
 
Ryan Jones, 5 year US Army Infantry veteran

Thanks Ryan!!! Welcome aboard brother...If you get a chance post up a pic of that TLC..I posted one of ole' Zig in all it's half complete, diamond plated a$$....Kick a heads up to that Mississippi stationed mountaineer when you have a chance..!
 
In its normal environment, flyfishing.

1430416840467.jpg


1430416888120.jpg


1430416984221.jpg
 
Kurt - Thanks for your service. Sorry about the passing of your father. Can you post a pic or two of your 40 later? Also, if you can, please pass this thread on to any and all of your/our fellow vets....? Not sure how this will turn out or what flavor it will eventually it will turn out to be...None the less..Welcome aboard!!!~~!
Thanks I will. I think this thread will explode. I love the idea. I attached some pics I had on my computer. He's in the garage right now with the transmission out of it. His name is Tony the Toyota

FJ car show.jpg


In front of house.jpg


On trailer.jpg


Woods driving.jpg
 
Beautiful rig!

Thank you sir!

Well I see you two have met..LoL !! I really like(d) Colorado..Ryan and I each spent some time out in Colorado Springs ....I reckon those were some salad years for me...I Lived in the BOQ for a few months on Ft Carson. I recall some really "good craft beer" in the "Springs". I would move out there tomorrow, cept' my right leg has worn down a good 2" from walking on the sides of these WV hills and I reckon this is where they're gonna plant me one of these days. Is your 74 Arctic white? Any interior pics?? Do you have a rebuild thread?
 
In its normal environment, flyfishing.

Ryan - Just happened to have this tucked away in the FJC....Funny thing is I bought the Fj40 to do exactly what you are doing..."Fish"...Bought the March Brown (9ft-5 weight) two weeks after picking up ole' Zig...Guy I bought it from was a trout fisherman too. I think the rig can smell a trout stream all on it's own...Well that and occasional micro-brew...Got a nose all it's own...Well, a nose for the finer things anyway.:beer:
photo(132).JPG


photo(133).JPG
 
Well I see you two have met..LoL !! I really like(d) Colorado..Ryan and I each spent some time out in Colorado Springs ....I reckon those were some salad years for me...I Lived in the BOQ for a few months on Ft Carson. I recall some really "good craft beer" in the "Springs". I would move out there tomorrow, cept' my right leg has worn down a good 2" from walking on the sides of these WV hills and I reckon this is where they're gonna plant me one of these days. Is your 74 Arctic white? Any interior pics?? Do you have a rebuild thread?
It's Cygnus white. Original paint. I haven't built much. I have been maintaining it. I rhino lined the interior and am in the process of getting the transmission rebuilt. It's all stock.

image.jpg


image.jpg
 
Man, I feel so ashamed...I'm 59 years old and haven't served in any service branch. I admire each and every one of you guys for what ever capacity you have served our great country in!! Hind sight is always 20/20, and I always wished I had made better choices in life...especially that I would have signed up when many of my friends did. Oh well, I was smart enough to latch on to a 1978 (12/77) FJ40 17 years ago for $500 and a Winchester 30-06 rifle. Me and the ol' girl have been through a lot together over the years and I lucked up on ih8mud about 3 years ago...second best find I ever made (behind the '40 itself). My daughter named it the Turtle about 15 years ago...I say that quietly, as there is a more 'famous' Turtle on here that we have all read about (and anxiously await for more of the story). Thanks Danny and Jeff for getting this thread started, and thanks @woody and @Mace for letting it happen! :cheers:, :popcorn:, and :beer: to all you that have and that still do, serve our country!!

Skip
 
As you can see from the tranny hole pic I need to strip and re apply the lining. I must have had pinholes that allowed rust to build. I coated it 6 years ago. Fortunately it is all surface rust
 
Jeff, Kurt and Ryan, thank you for your service!!

Skip - thank you for your kind thoughts!!

Jeff - thank you for taking off with this!

Kurt - my Son-in-Law and I fish the Conejos River in south-central Colorado, for a couple of weeks, every Jul-Aug - we camp at 10k' with my Wife and Daughter and our dogs at Lake Fork Campground in the Rio Grande National Forest - can't beat the weather and the fishing.

All good looking 40s!!

My thread (in my signature) has an abundance of pictures... I'll just add a couple here.

44 last week on Gass Peak Road, in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, northwest of Vegas:

Gass Peak Road (1).JPG


Head on view, with Gunner on the left and Chester on the right

Gass Peak Road (3).JPG


My Son-in-Law will be here Saturday, with his new 4Runner Trail (T4R) and his border collie (Herc) and he and I will take Gunner and Herc for a few trips around Nevada during the next couple of weeks (will take plenty of pictures with a camera this time!) - gotta be here on Wed, May 6th, to take 44 to the OR - for her engine rebuild - she'll be away for about 6 weeks - assuming everything goes as expected.

Also hoping to pickup my new M&P Shield .40 on the 6th - it's on it's way from Quantico Tactical - for anyone who doesn't know... Quantico Tactical has outstanding prices for LEO, First Responder, Active Military and retired Military... not sure about 'discharged short of retirement', but have a look!

Enough for tonight - it's been a long day!
 
I'm Todd and I was in the Navy from 1974-1980. I served on the USS Vega and USS Enterprise (both gone now) and got out as an EM1. I still see or keep in touch with a few friends from the two ships, which is nice, and I miss those that are no longer with us. They were a good bunch of guys working hard (and playing hard, when we could) in some very strange times and faraway places.

I bought my 78 new in Dec. 77 and immediately left on Westpac with the Big "E", so it was 6 months before I really got an opportunity to enjoy it. I still have it, along with a couple of others.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom