Meet America at 30 miles per hour - July 3, 2009

By Sgt. 1st Class Mark F. OunanJuly 9, 2009

(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The following was written by Sgt. 1st Class Mark F. Ounan, an Active/ Guard infantry Soldier currently assigned to the 324th Military Police Btn., Chambersburg, Pa. Ounan is also the only current Soldier and Military Vehicle Preservation Association member taking place in the 2009 MVPA Convoy. Here's an exert from the journal he's keeping as he travels cross-country.

Today we travelled the farthest distance we will go in a single day - 263 miles. But it ended up being much easier than the day before, because the entire route was paved roads and we had good weather.

The stretch of road from Ely to Fallon, Nev., is called 'the loneliest road in America.' We stopped in Austin for lunch, and again the Lincoln Highway Association took care of us. Between Austin and Fallon, Nev., there are some long hills and mountains to climb even though we were on a highway. The car had trouble getting up over the hills. Each time it was the same story - I'd get about three quarters of the way up the mountain and the car would start to hesitate and stall. Each time I was able to nurse it up over the mountain until the last one.

The car stalled and I was not able to start it again and had to pull to the side and let the rest of the convoy go by. We tried everything we could but I couldn't get the car to start again. I think the problem is with the altitude: the car gets too much gas and not enough air. We had to put the car on the trailer. This is the first time the car has not performed. We broke our string of good luck.

I was bummed for the rest of the day as my car was on the trailer and I rode in the last jeep in the convoy, helping to direct traffic. Harry was concerned too, he wanted to make every mile of the trip sitting in the front seat of the Dodge. Now, we were both riding.

Even though this is the farthest we would go in one day, we made good time, because the roads were good. And we arrived at Fallon Naval Air Station, home of Top Gun, about 6 p.m.

We've been allowed to stay on the Navy base, and it's a great facility. Although it's a holiday weekend, and most of the sailors are away, the base is open for us and we get to spend two days resting and working on our vehicles.