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WWII Savings Bond Cadillac Advertisement

In my early days with GM, I designed and engineered things like main battle tanks, self-propelled howitzers, and armored personnel carriers. This was first run by Cadillac Division, then Detroit Diesel, and then it became Detroit Diesel Allison Division. This went on for many years, until 1976 when GM opted out of these contracts. This included a top secret mission to Germany in the sixties. Delco Division developed the amazing gun sight for these vehicles, which may be still in use today. Allison Division built the transmissions for these vehicles, as well as building engines for our military helicopters. Detroit Diesel Division manufactured the engines for many of these vehicles. Other divisions involved, I believe, included Harrison Radiator, New Departure and Rochester Carburetor. In addition, when the military was having major problems with the M16 rifle, GM took over and manufactured these at its Hydra-Matic plant, producing far higher quality then the original manufacturer and there were no more problems.

These are just some of the things GM has contributed to make our country safer and stronger, and I'm sure many are not aware of these things. And let us not forget GM Research invented the heart-lung machine. How many of us would still be here today without that? I for one would not.

Then I spent the last twenty five years as a studio engineer at the GM Design Center.

Richard Barbour

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