The countdown to the 4th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival is on and the event begins this Friday, June 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler is known as the birthplace of the Jeep where Roy S. Evans bought an automotive factory in 1936 and built the prototypes of the first Jeep.
Last year, over 1,500 Jeeps registered from 31 states and Canada for the three-day event traditionally held over Father's Day weekend at Cooper's Lake Campground. The schedule featured Jeep competitions, historical speaker sessions, how-to clinics, vendors, and attractions like a Little Jeepers Playground.
This year, new attractions include a mud pit exclusively for stock Jeeps and the inaugural Bantam Jeep Muddy 5K. The 5K will pit 500 participants in a foot race with obstacles that will have runners performing like tricked-out Jeeps. There will also be a Historic Travels Tour, a trio of concept Jeeps unveiled at Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, and tethered hot air balloon rides.
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Butler County Historical Society member Lee Bortmas and Jeep Historian Julius Lorentzson will be giving talks on the Jeep’s origin and military topics, respectively. Author and military historian David R. Hustler is scheduled to speak about how Jeeps were used in the Vietnam War. “My talk will focus on Vietnam war weapons, uniforms, and the Jeep M-151A1 that I’m restoring,” says Hustler.
The Jeep was first pressed into service in World War II and has become an iconic symbol of the United States military. “The main Vietnam War Jeeps were the M-718A1 ambulance, which looked like the M-151A1s, and M-38s used late in the Korean War and after,” says Hustler. In 1963, the M-151A2 replaced the M-151A1, just in time for America’s military involvement which escalated following the Gulf of Tonkin incident in August, 1964.
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Recently, the Jeep community lost Mark A. Smith, founder of Jeep Jamboree USA. Among his accomplishments were spearheading the first Rubicon Trail Jeep trip, completing the longest 4 wheel drive trek in history, and training U.S. military forces. Mark’s lasting contributions to the community will be remembered at the Butler festival.
Last week, military vehicle enthusiasts descended on the beaches of Normandy in France to commemorate the 1944 D-Day invasion. Along with tanks, trucks, and armored cars, Jeeps were among the vehicles involved in military history’s greatest amphibious assault. To honor the battle’s 70th anniversary, the French government organized a major celebration that included an appearance by President Obama.
David Beran is a Copywriter at 4WD
