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.