David Eilers

First Cavalry Division Museum

Gayland visited the First Cavalry Division Museum in Fort Hood, Texas. He saw a variety of jeeps and other military vehicles. Here are some of the photos. I can't believe the museum spelled "Willys" incorrectly.

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11 Comments

  1. craig/vermont
    'willis' was apparently how John Willys pronounced his name and the jeep...this may explain the misspelling at the museum...
  2. Tom
    Spelling is correct like Craig says.
  3. Brian L.
    It's interesting, you watch some of the old promotional films and they go back and forth, sometimes in the same reel, between the Willis and Willies pronunciation.
  4. Jon M
    I agree with Brian on this one, there was so much flip flop, I cant decide what's right, so... that's what I do... I flip flop! lol. but, Im sure they were trying to spell it phonetically.
  5. David Eilers
    I was aware of the spelling vs. pronunciation issue (and the debate about whether saying "Willis" or "Willeez" is appropriate - I discussed the issue in my first book). I've just never run across a museum that spelled it phonetically rather than correctly. To me, it is poor history to spell the name incorrectly for pronunciation purposes and just creates more confusion. Instead, it should be spelled Willys with a notation that states the name is correctly pronounced "Willis", but commonly mis-pronounced "Willeez" also. I was raised mis-prouncing it like many others. It is quite ingrained at this point :-) (John North Willys was pretty certain about how his name should be spelled, since he added it to WILLYS-KNIGHT & WILLYS OVERLAND, as well as his mausoleum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Willys#/media/File:John_North_Willys_Mausoleum_2010.JPG)
  6. Craig
    I agree with Dave....spell it correctly, then add a notation similar to a dictionary.
  7. Lew
    Spell it Willys, pronounce it Jeep.
  8. Joe in Mesa
    Great summary, Lew :-D
  9. Joe in Mesa
    I have a great picture of the 1st Cav Division's stable of jeep successors (up-armored Humvees) in front of Division HQ in Baghdad in 2007. They also displayed a full size horse, appropriately saddled, right inside :-) I just sent you the pic, Dave! ...of the Humvees, not the horse ;-)
  10. BOB
    When I was a child most everyone called a Willys a Willis.
  11. Ted
    Either way sounds fine to me but how about that collection!!!!

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