Historic military convoy rolling into Hutchinson tonight

When more than 40 historic military vehicles make their way through Hutchinson on July 29, plenty of people will have a good view of the convoy. But for those hoping to get a closer look, the McLeod County Fairgrounds is the place to be that evening.

This is the seventh trip for the military vehicle convoy, which has traveled the Lincoln Highway and the Alaskan Highway. Sponsored by the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, the cross-country event includes privately-owned World War II Jeeps and Dodges, Korean War-era deuce-and-a-halfs, 5- and 10-ton Oshkosh and cargo haulers, among many others from the late 1950s through today.

The convoy is traveling and celebrating the historic Yellowstone Trail National Highway route, which was established in 1912 with the slogan "A Good Road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound." The route was originally marked with yellow bands painted on trees and telephone poles. In 1915, a timed relay race from Chicago to Seattle used the route. The military vehicle convoy will follow the route from Aberdeen, South Dakota, to Conneaut, Ohio.