Retracing the route of the first US ARMY Transcontinental Motor Convoy across the United States, along the LINCOLN HIGHWAY.

The Military Vehicle Preservation Association will be conducting a 100th Anniversary Convoy across the United States in 2019 with as many as 70 Historic Military Vehicles retracing the original 1919 US Army’s Transcontinental Motor Convoy route – along the famed Lincoln Highway.

The MVPA 2019 Transcontinental Motor Convoy will launch from Washington, DC on 11 August, 2019 and arrive in San Francisco, CA some 37 days later, on 14 September, 2019. One of the highlights of the convoy will be departing from the MVPA 44th Annual International Convention in York, PA on Saturday 10 August.

They are expecting over 50 Historic Military Vehicles to travel the entire 3,200+ mile coast-to-coast route with over 50 more vehicles joining in to drive a portion of the trip.

The Convoy will follow the original Lincoln Highway route as closely as possible. The route crosses all or part of 11 states from Washington, DC to San Francisco, joining the Lincoln Highway at Gettysburg, PA. The route begins on the lowlands of the eastern seaboard, traverses the rolling hills of Pennsylvania, travels the lush farmlands of the Midwest, crosses the high plains, dips into the Great Salt Lake Basin in Utah, crosses the Nevada Desert, climbs the Sierra Nevada and descends to Lake Tahoe, and ends in the splendor of California and the San Francisco Bay area.
This is a Convoy of Historic Military Vehicles – of all eras, from WWI through to current-issue military vehicles. The vehicle roster currently includes cargo trucks, through to Harley Davidson WLA motorcycles, staff cars and jeeps to later model M913 5-ton cargo trucks. The Convoy daily stopping points will be many of the same locations as the 1919 Convoy.

The Convoy welcomes the public to witness this historic journey across the U.S. by coming out to meet the Convoy as it travels through their area. As the Convoy passes through the cities and towns along this highway, the MVPA intends, with the cooperation of the Lincoln Highway Association, to draw attention to this early road system.

Additionally, the MVPA will present both the historical significance of the original 1919 Convoy and the historical significance of the military vehicles present on the 2019 Convoy. Finally, as this 2019 Convoy passes through the many towns along this route, the MVPA will take every opportunity to also say “thanks” to our Veterans in a most patriotic way!

Local Stops
14 Friday 23-Aug-19 Driving 163 DeWitt, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Marshalltown, IA

(The Convoy will be stopping in Belle Plaine for lunch at the American Legion. Main Street (12th Street) from 9th Avenue to 11th Avenue will be blocked for the vehicles. They anticipate the Convoy to arrive between 12:30 – 1 p.m. with the vehicles being on display until 3 p.m., when then head west to Marshalltown for their overnight stop.)