Military Vehicle Continues to 'Serve'

For much of its history, the Sidney community has had a some degree of military presence. Recently, a part of the past resurfaced in another part of the country to tell its story, and thank those who served.

In August 1956, the U.S. Army delivered a 1956 Chevrolet 150 sedan to the Sioux Army Depot northwest of Sidney. The Army green in color 216 CI six-cylinder sedan with a “three-on-the-tree” looked like what it was commissioned for: use as a staff car.

It served its duty at the Depot until 1964. At that time, it was sold in a public auction to a local farmer who continued to use it for his daily transportation. He died about a year later and his brother stored the “time capsule” as auctioneer Barrett Jackson called it. The car soon took its place in a barn between broken down combines and tractors. In time became like a ready-made chicken coop when the farmer rolled the windows down to allow chickens in. The presence of chickens soon destroyed the original interior of the sedan.

The car remained part of the barn fixtures until the late 1990s when it was sold to a Chevrolet enthusiast in California. The car was dismantled and some of the body scrapes repaired and painted, according to the description provided by the Barrett-Jackson auction service. Most of the car retained its original paint.

In 2018, the staff car had its fourth owner's name attached to it. The car was carefully brought back into complete running order. The restoration included rebuilding the wheel cylinders, replacing the rubber brake hoses, a new exhaust system, freshened fuel system and a fully-replaced interior. The original bumpers were also replaced.

This Cheyenne County relic was sold in the Barrett-Jackson Charity Auction in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 18, 2021. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to the Honor Flight Network. The Honor Flight is a program that recognizes U.S. Veterans with all-expense paid trips to the memorials in Washington, D.C. Without the sponsorship of the Honor Flight program, many veterans may not be able to make the trip to the memorials.

The Honor Flight Network is a national network of independent Hubs working together to honor our nation’s veterans with an all-expenses paid trip to the memorials in Washington, D.C., a trip many of our veterans may not otherwise be able to take.  Participation in an Honor Flight trip gives veterans the chance to share this momentous trip with other veterans, to remember friends and comrades lost, and share their stories and experiences with each other.

The mission of Honor Flight is to celebrate America's veterans by inviting them to share in a day of honor at the memorials. The Honor Flight Network is currently serving veterans from World War II to the Korean War, and through to Vietnam.