Transcontinental Motor Convoy

[20] The film was directed by Henry Ostermann, Consul at Large for the Lincoln Highway Association,[21] who travelled in a Stutz touring car.

In addition to 230 road incidents[25] (stops for adjustments, extrications, breakdowns, & accidents) resulting in 9 vehicles retiring,[26] the convoy of "24 expeditionary officers, 15 War Department staff observation officers (e.g., Bvt Lt Col Dwight D. Eisenhower of the Tank Corps), and 258 enlisted men" had 21 injured en route who did not complete the trip.

[N 1] Although some "were really competent drivers" by the end, the majority of soldiers were "raw recruits with little or no military training"; and except for the Motor Supply Company E commander (1st Lt Daniel H. Martin), troop officers had "meager knowledge" of "handling men in the field".

[27]: 4  [31] The 1919 Air Service Transcontinental Recruiting Convoy[32] was a "mobile army post"[33] of over 1/2 mile length to support 13 aircraft from Hazelhurst Field to California beginning August 14, 1919.

"[35] The 1920 Motor Transport Corps convoy left Washington, D.C., on 14 June 1920 and followed the Bankhead Highway to San Diego, California, where it arrived on 2 October.

After its arrival in San Diego, the convoy then went north to Los Angeles and was broken up, its equipment distributed to California's public services as part of a program to make use of war surplus.

[36] The officers of the expedition became convinced by their experience that the maintenance of a national highway system should be the province of the federal government, as supported by the Townsend Bill.

[27] Despite the widespread friendly greetings received by the convoys across the nation, neither generated enough public support to ensure passage of the Townsend Bill, which failed and was replaced by the Federal Highway Act of 1921.

In the summer of 2009, on the 90th anniversary of the original trek, the Military Vehicle Preservation Association[37] sponsored a re-enactment of the 1919 convoy.