Click on the picture below to view this event's video commercial.

• 8 - Jeeps, Willys MB and/or Ford GPW models, from the Second World War era

• 2 Jeeps, M38CDN models, from the Korean War era

• 3 Jeeps, Bombardier Iltis models, demobilized since 2003

• 1 Chevrolet CMP C15A truck from the Second World War era

• 1 GMC M135 truck from the Korean War era

• other military vehicles to be confirmed

• along with a 1966 Ford Mustang
  

Click on the pictures below to enlarge them

with the participation of:

• Guy Bordeleau
• Lise Bourdages
• Josée Lacoste
• Sylvain Daigle «The Little Deer»
• Pierre Bombardier
• Luc Jetté
• Michel Lapointe «The Pin Man»
• Marco et Isabelle Buttazzoni
• Marc Houtsch
• Marc Bélanger
• Guy Malette
• Gerry et Louise Boucher
• François Cliche
• Daniel Desjardins
• Jean Scarpino
• Micheline et Marcel Chapleau «The Canadian Grizzly»
• Nicole Brouillette
• Pierre Ayotte
• François et Diane Duval
• Jacques et Louise Beaudoin

click on the picture above to enlarge the tour's poster

On June 6, 1944, Canada and its allies landed on the beaches of Normandy in France.  This attack, also known by the terms D-Day and Operation Neptune, enabled the Allies to partly push back the German Nazi occupation of France.

This attack was crowned with success.  The Canadian Army took control of Juno Beach, while its troupes were the ones which had advanced inland  the most in the hours that followed the initial landings.   However, Allied forces would lose many soldiers; the initial scenes from the movie Saving Private Ryan have accurately re-created the battle at Omaha Beach where many American Rangers, killed in action, layed in a pool of their blood once the battle was over.

But Operation Neptune allowed the Allies to break the then-powerful line of Hitler's army, while subsequent advances inland pushed the enemy back even more.  A convoy system, named the Red Ball Express, was then organized to supply the 28 Allied divisions with food, ammunitions, vehicles, and fuel.   Thousands of trucks transported thousands of tons of merchandise each day, on two main routes.  A film named Red Ball Express (1952) recreated those efforts.   The term "Red Ball" was apparently inspired by one used in the train system.

During the summer of 2010, the Hawaiian shirt Quebec drivers of the Historic Military Vehicle group will visit the regions of Montreal and Ottawa.  While in the capital region, they're expected at the War and Aviation museums and at the Diefenbunker in Carp, ON.  Their tour's name was inspired and serves as a tribute to the Red Ball Express convoy system, while winking at the color most notably associated with "la belle province".

On Saturday, July 17, 2010, the tour will stop at Sylmar Auto Ville in Vankleek Hill, Ontario.

THANK YOU!

Despite the clouds and the rain, this event was quite succesfut.  We would like to thank all those who participated.

Pictures will be added soon.  A video produced by a participant will soon be available for purchase.