PANDEMONIUM 88th and 359th TC Gun Truck

Here are the two photos I have of  Pandemonium a couple of weeks after it was built in late September 1969.  I answered in an earlier post under guntruck history my history of this Gun Truck and will repeat it here:——

       Photos taken by myself in early October 1969

The naming  of this truck actually came from a dream I had. One night, after a few beers, we were trying to come up with a name for our new 5 ton we were building. We came up with a few names but none that all could agree with.   I fell asleep (passed out) and had this weird dream about  demons, devils, ghosts and goblins all running around slashing, gashing, smashing and goring hundreds of people and leaving piles of bodies lying everywhere. Buildings were riddled with bullet holes and many were blown up and everything was burning.  In the background I could here this radio broadcaster describing the scene and referring that all pandemonium and h — had broken out.  Weird huh? No dream – it was a nightmare! But a name had been born. Told one of the guys about it in the morning and he agreed that Pandemonium would be a good name for our truck. It took the other guys a bit longer to come around to the name but once I explained my “dream” to them they agreed on the name.

Pandemonium with mini-gun and open cab

Pandemonium was built in September of 1969 by the 88th TC. At that time we received three 5 tons to replace our 2 1/2 ton Gun trucks. They were named by their crews – Pandemonium, Satisfaction and Psychotic Reaction – All new 5 tons.  The crews actually helped build the new gun trucks and worked alongside with the motor pool mechanics.  Made for long days because we had to convoy during the day (the mechanics had their regular repairs too) and work after hours on the new gun trucks. I think the same guy painted the names on all three gun trucks because the letters all had the same flare to them.  I was a 50 cal gunner on the 1st crew of Pandemonium. We had a mini-gun in the rear, a 50 cal in the middle (me) and another 50 cal in the front. I left in late November of 1969. Some time in 1970, after Peterson left (Our trained mini-gun gunner) the mini-gun was replaced with another 50 cal and the truck cab was replaced with a hard top. I don’t know when or if it ever changed names but from accounts of the guys there after me I was told that it stayed named Pandemonium even after the 88th was dissolved and they went to the 359th with it in late 1970 or early 1971.  After that -??  The photo you are referring to in Steel Soldiers of the jeep and just showing the back corner of Pandemonium was taken by Mike Suckow. I think he was with the 88th when they went to the 359th. I have a couple of early photos of Pandemonium I took with the mini-gun mounted.  Mike has some of his era and I know of another who has one sometime after I left. I read about Pandemonium in the latest Gun truck book too. The one thing I know for a fact is that Pandemonium Was built from a New 5 ton cargo. NEW TRUCK — NEW NAME — GREAT GUN TRUCK – I was there –