!!! STOLEN !!! WW2 to Vietnam Era US Army Bicycle

Please call the San Joaquin County Sheriff Office if you have any information about this stolen vintage Military Bicycle.  (209) 468-4400.  The Sheriff Office Case Number is 15-8266.

I liked watching old War movies, and my Grandfather was in the Army Air Forces during WW2.  My mom had three Uncles in the Marine Corps too.  I was interested in the vintage equipment that the soldiers were using.  I have a Reference Book about US Military equipment dating from 1900 to 1945.  The book was just one person's collection of militaria, and didn't have an example of every issued US Military item.  Sometimes I come across things that aren't in my cool reference book.  I figured I'd add to the internet, and share some free info.

This set of photos shows a vintage CLEMSON / Schwinn bicycle used by the United States Military.  I believed it was a Second World War bike, but has some indication of Vietnam War era use.  I also talked with a Schwinn Bike collector and he said it was a 1960's era bike.  He said that the front Schwinn logo plate didn't have two bolts like on older bikes.  I have since then looked at the remains of a 1950s Firestone made bike, and it had two rivets holding the front logo plate on.  Since this Military used bike doesn't have the bolts/rivets, it is a 1960s era bike.  That would go along with the military equipment attached to the bike.  There are Mountain Bike type tires on it, which might be from the 1970s?  I have seen older Second World War era bikes with Balloon Tires.  The Schwinn Bike collector I talked with as we both looked at this bike, told me that the value of it as just a vintage Schwinn was ruined because the Army had repainted it.  It wasn't in its original store bought paint.  There was a small spot on the front fender where some tape had been painted over with Olive Drab.  The tape had come off and the original lighter green color could be seen.  The Army had painted the rims, spokes, and even over the reflectors on the petals.  It was all Olive Drab, but faded some from the sunlight.  Faded from use.

There was a Korean War to Vietnam War era Gas Mask Bag hanging on the back wheel.  I also saw a 1968 dated set of M-16 Ammunition Pouches.  A Vietnam War era 1972 Canteen with a 1945 dated cup.  There is also another pouch that I believe holds a Compass.  I believe that this bike has an Estimator and a Facility Engineering Division marking.  It was probably used on a Military base by maintenance personal in the Army.  The Gas Mask Bag is vary faded from the sunlight and this bike looks like it was well used.  However it looked like it was all there from the front light to the handle bar bell, and it looked cool with the canvas equipment on it too.

I don't know if it was used on a Foreign Vietnam Base or a Domestic base.  I have seen soldiers riding bikes on leave in South Vietnam in movies before.  I even saw a whole unit of Nazi troops riding bikes before too.  I even saw combat camera footage of a British soldier landing in France on D-Day 1944.  That British soldier was dragging his bicycle out of a landing craft and through the surf.  Military use of Bicycles is not unheard of.

I bought it and fixed it up to make it ride-able again.  It was the coolest bike I ever had until someone cut my lock and stole it from me...... life..... God I loved that bike.  I hoped on like I was two clicks out of Da Nang, like in all those kick-add Nam movies.  I flew down those underpasses under the bridges of the Calavars river.  I was going to try and get the lights to work again.  It was the coolest thing I ever road.  My worst fear is, knowing how ghetto Stockton is, some Meth-Head Twiker probably stole it just for the bike parts.....  At least I road the hell out of my military vehicle while I had it.  I just wish I could ride it again, any other bike just wouldn't be the same.  I'll miss it for the rest of my life......  I just wanted to try and kick it with some dame, and all I ended up with was losing my cool Nam bike forever...

Please call the San Joaquin County Sheriff Office if you have any information about this stolen vintage Military Bicycle.  (209) 468-4400.  The Sheriff Office Case Number is 15-8266.