1966, Route Coloniale 19, Vietnam
The same jungle pass where French Mobile Group 100 was annihilated in 1954 now echoed with the growl of American diesels. Convoys of M54 5-ton trucks crawled toward Pleiku, hauling fuel and artillery for the 1st Cavalry Division. Drivers knew the statistics: 85% of French vehicles destroyed here, 68% of equipment lost. Yet they pressed on – until September 2, 1967, when history repeated. A Viet Cong ambush shattered a 39-truck convoy on Route 19, killing 17 Americans and destroying 30 vehicles in minutes. In the ashes of that disaster, the M54 would evolve from cargo hauler to armored guardian
