1984-1987 Chevrolet M1009 CUCV Blazer

The Chevrolet M1009 CUCV Blazer was built for the United States Armed Forces from 1983 to 1986, in the 1984 to 1987 model years. Intended as a light support vehicle for the military, the M1009 differed from Chevrolet's civilian 3/4-ton four-wheel-drive K5 Blazer in several ways. Most notably, they were powered by a 155-horsepower non-emissions 6.2-liter Detroit Diesel V8 engine with a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission, and featured a hybrid electrical system that used 24 volts under the hood for the starter, dual alternators, NATO jump start receptacle, and military radio hookups, while retaining 12 volts elsewhere. They also had heavier suspension springs and, as limitary vehicles, they naturally lacked civilian features like radios and air conditioning.

The example pictured here was a retired military surplus vehicle that was acquired by the Rainier Fire Department in Rainier, Oregon, in the 1990s. It is pictured here in the 1997 Rainier Days in the Park Parade on July 12, 1997.

1964 Dodge Town Panel

The Dodge Town Panel and Town Wagon were early versions of what we now call Sport-Utility Vehicles. Introduced in 1954, they were based on the Dodge C-Series line of light pickups. The main visible difference between the Town Panel and the Town Wagon was that the Town Wagon had sliding rear side windows, being more of a passenger vehicle called a carryall while the Town Panel was more of a cargo vehicle called a panel truck. Four-wheel drive became available for the Town Wagon in 1957, with the lengthy name of Power Wagon Town Wagon. The last year of production for the Town Wagon and Town Panel was 1966.

The Dodge Town Panel pictured here was used as a delivery truck by Hallberg's Market in Rainier, Oregon. It is pictured here during the 1997 Rainier Days in the Park Parade, carrying its owner, Grand Marshall Roland Curteman, former owner of Hallberg's. Exterior styling of the Town Panel and Town Wagon was essentially unchanged from 1961 to 1966, but this truck was said to be 33 years old in 1997, making it a 1964 model.