The Mississippi River Rat – 1947 Willys CJ-2A

This 1947 CJ2A was purchased by a Standard Oil Dealer, new in 1947 in Chicago, Illinois. For many years it braved the cold and snow in the ‘Windy City’ along with the hot summers doing what a gas station Jeep does. This included starting cars, most six volts then. It jumped them or pushed them. It plowed snow several feet high to clean the pumps for customers and helped some neighbors too. It probably drove the owner home and back many times. With its 4 wheel drive and low range transmission and maybe some tire chains, it was a welcome sight by many. At some time it had its beautiful burgundy color (Luzon red) repainted to white to match Standard Oil’s colors. Sometime in the 60’s or early 70’s the owner retired, but kept this love of his life – the CJ-2A Willys Jeep. He changed the color to Army green, probably because he served in WWII in the Army. Later when he died, his estate was split between two sons. One wanted the Jeep! So a trade was made and the son ended up owning the jeep.

The problem for the new owner who still lived in Chicago was where to keep it. Even at that late date parking was scarce. His brother had room and agreed to keep it until a place in Chicago was found. This brother lived in a small town of Oquawka on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. It is located West of Galesburg and about 170 miles from Chicago. Needless to say the poor Jeep which had had such a good life fell on very bad times. It was parked behind a garage under a shade tree. To make things worse, the owner’s sons took it for one last ride. You may guess where they went – down along the river on a muddy road through brush, brambles, and small trees and ran two wheels in the river until… yes it was pulled into the the mighty Mississippi River. It was left there for a while until the brother who was keeping the Jeep had it pulled out. Sand had crept into most every part of the Jeep and (with no washing or cleaning) was parked back behind the garage only to be visited by rats and raccoons and other river varmints. It was parked there for 13 years!

I had been looking for a Jeep since going up the Alcan Highway with the MVPA in 1992. I HITCHHIKED! I was to drive a vehicle for a veteran who was taking 3 vehicles on this trip and needed a driver. I was to join them up in Canada at the very start of the Alcan and relieve the wife driving a weapons’ carrier. However, he didn’t show up until the convoy was in Fairbanks, Alaska. From then on I wanted my own Army vehicle! So I started looking behind every barn, tool shed, junk yard, etc. In Oquawka I spotted a Jeep sitting in the middle of a spare lot. The owner’s mother said it was not for sale but informed me her son is going to take it to Colorado where he now lives to run the mountains. A year later I checked to see if that happened and found her son, washing his car close to that Jeep. He told me the same story but said hey, “There is a Jeep two blocks over behind a garage!” He agreed to show me where and introduce me to the man he thought to be the owner.

There it was. I hoped for a WWII Jeep, but quickly knew it was a CJ-2A. I was told by the brother that he did not own the Jeep, but belonged to his brother who wants to restore it. He then added that he wants it gone from behind his garage and said he would talk to brother Jim about selling it. Almost one year later I received a phone call. The man calling, said, “Do you want to buy that Jeep?” I said what Jeep! He said the one behind my garage! I said yes and a deal was made. The next day I was on the road to give a life to a grand old Jeep. 

However, it had to spend the next 23 years in my machine shed! It was then 1997! I worked on it from time to time. I retired completely in 2014, but I started getting serious in 2017 and today August 29, 2020, it saw the sun again! It has been in the dark for 33 years, but today; the ‘Mississippi Rat’ is on the road again. I have read many similar stories and have come to realize that Jeeps are like a dog. You can leave them home way to long alone, but their tail is wagging and happy to see you when you finally arrive. The Jeep may be more like a cat with 9 lives as they keep coming back to run again. It costs money and it takes a lot of work especially for one who never worked on one before.  But now ain’t she a beaut?!

Kaiser Willys Jeep Blog Story – Robert and Lois Jornlin

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