The first Annual Veterans Parade, sponsored by the Oceana County Department of Veterans Affairs, steps off tomorrow, Saturday, November 9, at 2 p.m. from Hart High School and will travel through downtown Hart. Spectators can expect plenty of flags, plenty of veterans and plenty of American spirit. Thanks to Hart resident Cal Moul and his brother Joel Moul, parade-goers will also be able to see plenty of restored military vehicles.
Moul, of rural Hart and the third of five brothers, has many loves in his life. His faith, his family, his dogs and his muscle cars, to name a few. And since 2019, he’s added another love to his list: military trucks — 1950’s vintage Dodge M-37’s to be exact.
When asked how that came about, Moul replied, “It’s a funny story. It was the fall of 2019 and I was ready for a new project. My (younger) brother Joel called me from Grand Rapids and told me he was bidding on this military truck (a Dodge M-37), and it was the same one I was bidding on! I told him we couldn’t bid on the same one. It was all original; it was cheap, but it needed refurbishing.”
Moul told his brother he’d let him buy it and help him fix it up, but Moul still wanted his own military truck project. He ended up finding a 1952 Dodge M-37 from two guys in Twin Lake. “They were the nicest guys you could ever meet,” Moul said. “I called it my ‘Covid project.’
Then Moul bought a second truck, a 1953 Dodge M-37. “Shortly after, Joel and I started going to the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) Truck Show in Findlay, Ohio. Findlay is probably the most patriotic town in the whole United States. I got the bug. People there were so helpful. They weren’t out to make a buck necessarily; they just wanted to help you get your truck done,” he said.
Since then, Moul has purchased two more trucks, both 1954 M-37s, that are currently works in progress. While his brother Joel has his first M-37 and has restored an M38A1 Jeep, with another Jeep in process. “Joel does the legwork and finding parts, I do the shop work,” Moul said. All four of their fully restored vehicles will be in Saturday’s parade.
As someone who is always wanting to learn more, Moul had plenty to share about what he’s learned working on these historic vehicles. “The Dodge M-37 cargo trucks were used as ambulances, munition carriers and troop transport vehicles. They were made to ship anywhere in the world. They ran on 68 octane and had a top speed of 50-55 mph. They were designed to go through 40 inches of water, or 80 inches with a fording kit. As I work on them, I realize they’ll outlast me and will eventually go to someone else, so our goal is to keep them stock, keep them original. They’re completely overbuilt, as only the government could do. But they are also built simply; the first 12 circuits are the same as a tank. There are so many redundancies, which actually gave a young recruit the ability to work on a lot of vehicles. We had a lot of ‘A ha’ and ‘That’s incredible’ moments as we learned the redundancies. The vehicles were also built with safety in mind. If it overheats, there’s a breaker that just shuts it off. Once it cools, you can start it back up. They weren’t made to leave you stranded out in the woods. They were made to get you home.”
Restoring these trucks has afforded the Moul brothers other opportunities as well. “We’ve taken them (our restored trucks) to Findlay, Ohio, and my best truck was pictured in the MVPA magazine two years ago. We also took a couple trucks to Camp Grayling for an MVPA color tour on the base’s tank and truck trails,” Moul said.
He admits the vehicles are great for his own personal use as well. “We take them out to Ruby Creek and have a blast with them at deer camp. I also use one to plow snow in the winter. I really like the mechanical, heavy-duty aspect of them.”
Although not a veteran himself, Moul’s love for military truck restoration has opened up a whole new appreciation for veterans. As a result, he’s had the honor of getting to know several on a more personal level. “They are so humble. They don’t necessarily want to share their story. They need to know you’re sincere. I finally met my neighbor, who I have lived 500 feet from for the past five years. He just came over one day and started asking me about my trucks. It’s been a great connection,” Moul shared.
Moul’s really excited about Saturday’s parade, not so much to show off his trucks, but to be able to transport any veteran who would like a ride. Anything he can do to support veterans of all ages is what Moul wants to do. “They’ve sacrificed a lot; it’s a great way to honor them.”
