History finds itself in the heart of Iowa

By 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment CommandJune 30, 2009

Residents from Belle Plaine, Iowa, gather on the streets waiting for the convoy to make its first stop of the day.  Each car was provided a bag filled with lots of information about the town and the historical significance of the Lincoln Highway, as ...
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Residents from Belle Plaine, Iowa, gather on the streets waiting for the convoy to make its first stop of the day. Each car was provided a bag filled with lots of information about the town and the historical significance of the Lincoln Highway, as ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Mr. Bill Kreider (right), 82, is traveling with the MVPA from its start in Washington, D.C., to its completion in San Francisco, and has had his bike, a 1942 Harley, about five years. He served in the U.S. Constabulary in Germany for the majority of ...
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Mr. Bill Kreider (right), 82, is traveling with the MVPA from its start in Washington, D.C., to its completion in San Francisco, and has had his bike, a 1942 Harley, about five years. He served in the U.S. Constabulary in Germany for the majority of ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Postcard Picture of Lincoln Highway in Belle Plaine, Iowa, which was included in a packet given to drivers as they pulled into town. Caption on back reads: The Lincoln Highway, designed in 1913 began in New York City's Time Square and ended in San Fr...
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Postcard Picture of Lincoln Highway in Belle Plaine, Iowa, which was included in a packet given to drivers as they pulled into town. Caption on back reads: The Lincoln Highway, designed in 1913 began in New York City's Time Square and ended in San Fr... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BELLE PLAINE, Iowa Aca,!" An eager crowd awaited the approximate 45 vehicles from the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) Transcontinental Convoy that soon filled their main street on June 22nd.

Townspeople from Belle Plaine, IA had been planning for the convoysAca,!a,,c arrival for several months, and greeted drivers with different town memorabilia to ensure their stop would be remembered long after individuals returned home.

Contents included old photos of the Lincoln Highway, the first coast-to-coast road built in 1913 for automobile travel in the U.S., as it appeared in the early days in Belle Plaine.

During the stop, MVPA participant Mr. Bill Kreider, met with a resident, Mr. Wallace Winkie, that served in the Infantry Division at the same period of time during World War II. Both frequently rode the same style of Harley that Kreider was displaying during the re-enacted 2009 Transcontinental Convoy.

The 3,389 mile route from New York CityAca,!a,,cs Times Square to San FranciscoAca,!a,,cs Lincoln Park was updated in 1937, going straight from Youngsville to Tama, Iowa, excluding Belle Plaine from the historic route traveled by the original convoy in 1919.