Old Faithful - The Jeep With a Purple Heart

As you know, Jeeps found their origin as the military transportation choice of the US Army during WW2. One thing most people don't know is that Jeep also has a unique honor as the first vehicle to be awarded a medal for its military service.

Old Faithful was a Jeep was used in the pacific campaign, serving as the transportation for high ranking officers. It’s believed to have been the transport for at least 4 generals during its 18 months of service starting on August 7th 1942.

It was a part of the Guadalcanal Campaign, and is said to have been the first American vehicle to hit the shore. During this time the Jeep earned its name due to its reputation among the troops and officers for its reliability. On October 13, 1942 during a Japanese shelling of the island, Old Faithful was hit with 2 shrapnel holes in it’s windshield, for which it was awarded The Purple Heart by its occupants.

The Purple Heart is normally awarded to soldiers who are injured or killed in the line of duty, however the occupants of the car were so impressed with it’s service that they felt it deserved the honor, making it the first vehicle in the US Military to receive a medal for its service.

Even after the shelling and receiving its medal Old Faithful stayed in active service all the way through the Bougainville Campaign before being retired on December 22nd 1943 with over 11,000 miles recorded.

After being retired, Old Faithful was sent back to the US where it was used for the remainder of the war for Bond Tours. Bonds, if you don’t know, are basically loans to the army made by civilians, and they’re generally sought after by big tours appealing to patriotism. If you’ve ever watched the first Captain America movie you've seen them in action.

After the Old Faithful’s time on tour it eventually made its way to the the Marine Corps museum in Quantico. In 2016 for their 75th anniversary Jeep released a small advertisement honoring Old Faithful. Apparently the old Jeep still runs to this day, continuing to live up to its name even now.