Doug's Car

[Subdeacon Joe]

"

In 1942 General Douglas MacArthur ordered this Packard Clipper Eight sedan with virtually every option including air conditioning, overdrive, and radio. 

The $1,341 base price nearly doubled to $2,600.  The factory returned his check and delivered the car to his station in Australia as a gift.

The car was MacArthur's until 1948, when he gave it to his driver who had served the general.  

The car sat forgotten in a barn in Texas for 30 years. MacArthur made arrangements through a Navy friend to ship the car on the aircraft carrier Princeton to San Diego. 

Then on a military flatbed it shipped to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. It was released to the driver in his home city of Dallas.  He made arrangements to have military hardware removed and painted a bright post war color. However, he had to wait as they were busy. 

Before he could get it done he parked the car in his small, dirt floor garage. He died in his sleep and it remained there untouched for years. The car still had MacArthur's old army helmet and corncob pipe in the back seat. It may be in Golden, Colorado now."