MILITARY EQUIPMENT ON DISLAY

An old friend of the military the four-cylinder, stick-shift, quarter-ton jeep is being phased out.

"They're giving way to new and high-powered vehicles," said Capt. John Harmon of Milburn, Ky., a member of the 1140th Engineers Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard. "The jeep is being replaced by what is called a HMM-MV, powered by a 398 V-8 diesel."

The jeep, the HMM-MV and other vehicles used by the military are on display this week at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau as a part of activities sponsored by mall merchants and the 1140th and 135th Engineering Group of the National Guard.

The display opened Monday, said mall manager Tony Stephens.

"We feel that the Fourth of July week activities here are fun-oriented, informative and patriotic," said Stephens. "There's something here for every member of the family."

The military displays include uniforms from World Wars I and II, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, the lighter-weight uniforms of Desert Storm, and National Guard equipment. They can be seen at the former site of Chrisman Art Gallery.

Other activities also are scheduled at the mall this week.

"All Desert Storm veterans are invited to attend a special Fourth of July celebration here Thursday," said Stephens. "They can come by and register by 1 p.m."

The official celebration will get under way at 12:30 Thursday with patriotic music. Eighth District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson will address the crowd following a 1 p.m. flag ceremony. Following Emerson's talk, an Honor Roll Call of Desert Storm veterans will be conducted. That will be followed by a talk by Col. Mike Gunther of the 135th Engineers.

"We've included activities for the young folks ages 2 through 7," said Stephens. "We'll have a Little Mr. and Miss contest about 2 p.m. Thursday at the JCPenney Court."

The idea of a military-orientated display evolved from a group of merchants at the mall, said Stephens.

"Some merchants expressed an interest in doing something patriotic for Independence Day," said Stephens. "A committee was formed, the National Guard was contacted, and everything has worked out."

Several merchants have decorated their windows in a patriotic theme.

One of the highlights of the military exhibits is that of a 1927 Chrysler general staff car that belongs to the Missouri National Guard. "This car was discovered in a building on the old Camp Clark training site located near Nevada, Mo.," said Harmon. "It has been an early hit with people visiting the mall."

Other military equipment on display includes high-mobility vehicles equipped with graders, a backhoe, air hammers and hydraulic chain saws; a weapons display; new communications systems; and uniform displays.

The new HMM-MV, completely equipped with the new electronic communications systems, is the most costly of the vehicles on display, made a cost of $250,000. The huge eight-wheel transport The HEMTT is manufactured at a cost of $129,000, and the SEE vehicles with the backhoe and graders are made at cost of $89,000.

Missouri Army National Guard personnel also will be available at the displays to answer any questions.

"We have displays of field equipment cooking utensils, boots, canteens, duffel bags, and a field shovel," said Sgt. 1st Class William V. Robinson. "We also have the weapons display here, and we're showing training and other films throughout the four day display."

One of the ongoing films concerns basic training and what trainees can expect during the training sessions, said Robinson, a National Guard recruiter.

Robinson, who joined the service at the age of 17 and has been full-time with the National Guard since 1972, explained the weapons display.

"The Colt pistol has been around since 1911," he said. "And it's still in use today, although there has been some talk about replacing it with a 9mm pistol."

Another early weapon on display is the M1903 rifle, which was introduced to the military in 1903 and was used until 1941. The M1 rifle, a mainstay of World War II, was introduced in 1942 and was in use until 1956, when it was replaced with the M14.

The M14 and the M60 machine gun, both introduced in 1956, are still in use. Also on display is the M16 rifle, which was introduced in 1967 and is still in use today.

Another National Guard display is that of U.S. presidents who have served as state citizen soldiers. "Eighteen presidents have served as citizen solders," said Robinson. "President George Washington was the first and President Harry Truman was the last."

Robinson said the National Guard is observing its 355th birthday this year.

"They were not called National guardsmen at first," said Robinson. "They were citizen-soldiers or Minutemen. But, they were Americans fighting for freedom long before the Declaration of Independence was written. They were the backbone of our battles for independence."