Littlefield Collection - Olefin universe

[Olefin]

Something I wrote a couple of months ago when I heard about the auction - about how that collection and the facility was used in my timeline of the war.

Figured with all the posts lately about the Littlefield collection I would finish it up and post it. Enjoy.


Late August 2000

The compound holding the vehicles of the Littlefield Collection have been guarded by a large contingent of ex-military and Special Forces soldiers ever since law and order broke down following the nuclear strikes. Supplementing the guard force of over 60 picked and highly compensated men were several operational vehicles with operational armaments that now were performing their designed function to keep any intruders at bay, using a limited amount of live ammunition that Littlefield had managed to obtain over the years.

Inside the facility work continued on restoring other vehicles, with power provided by a variety of alternative means, including solar, wind, alcohol and a large stockpile of diesel fuel, as he continued the hobby that he loved even as the world died around him.

Littlefield had made sure that nothing would interrupt the work going on there. From 1995 to 1997 he amassed a stockpile of canned goods, MRE’s and seeds to be able to grow more food once his stockpile ran out. In carefully hidden and guarded storage tanks were stocks of fuel and lubricants for the vehicles. And with the US having to bring older equipment back into operation he was even able to obtain items that previously he had not been able to find for some of his vehicles, including parts to reverse the demilitarization of several of the vehicles.

All during 1998, 1999 and into 2000 as the long struggle in California against the Mexican invaders occurred, work continued with the outside world having forgotten him. That forgetfulness came to an end on August 12 of 2000, as a delegation from the 40th Mechanized Infantry arrived, led by a man who at one time had gotten several items for him from US Army stockpiles long before the war.

Jacques sat down and listened as he was told that MilGov forces in California were at the end of their resources to be able to keep their armor going, with no possibility of more forthcoming from Colorado – not with Utah and Nevada's state governments taking any supplies that were sent to them, cutting their direct supply routes. The only hope for MilGov forces in California to reclaim the areas the Mexicans had taken was to use the repair facilities, the technicians there and most importantly the vehicles in his collection to be able to rebuild their forces and properly equip them with armor.

In the end they gave it to him bluntly – he could help MilGov repair their broken down and damaged vehicles as best he could and also provide reinforcements from the vehicles in his collection freely – or they would come get them. Jacques agreed to their demands but asked for one condition to be met. And with the stroke of a pen, Jacques M. Littlefield fulfilled his lifetime dream and was commissioned as a full Colonel in the US Army commanding the newly named Littlefield Army Depot.

March 28, 2001

Colonel Littlefield had his technicians initially concentrate on getting his own vehicles ready for the Army while vehicle transporters brought M1 tanks, Bradley AFV’s, M109 self propelled guns and other vehicles to the Depot for them to work on as well. Armorers got to work on his collection of shell casings and training shells to make sure that every vehicle would have at least one basic ammo load when it left while old shells stored in long forgotten stockpiles in CA arrived as well.

Machine guns were delivered and mounted and paint schemes were changed to current schemes as much as possible. Parts arrived to bring more demilitarized vehicles back to fully operational status. Most of the vehicles were switched over to run on alcohol as diesel and gas stocks in CA were very low. Other parts needed were harvested from non-operational tanks and vehicles throughout California including the engine and transmission needed to get an AMX-13 running again harvested from two knocked out Mexican vehicles.

The Depot was now even more secure than before with two companies from the 40th Mechanized now assigned as a permanent guard force to supplement the original one. Sixty new personnel had been assigned as well, mostly surviving mechanics and men experienced with military vehicles as well as six welders.

The first batch of vehicles had been readied and personnel trained up on them as quickly as possible to join the planned spring offensive against the Mexican forces. They were an eclectic group of vehicles, ranging from WWII veterans to prototypes to foreign vehicles, in two cases even ex-Soviet vehicles that once served in Middle Eastern armies. A second batch was close to being ready as well including several Stuart’s, Sherman’s and other assorted tanks and armored vehicles.

A column of tank transporters was leaving the facility with Colonel Littlefield watching as each one went thru the gate. While there was a feeling of accomplishment, he also felt sad to see his vehicles leaving, possibly to never return, some of them literally irreplaceable if they were lost.

As the last vehicles went thru the gate one of his men ran up and said “Sir, remember that team we sent to sneak into what was left of Camp Pendleton back in December? The parts they got worked like a charm! She is ready for you to take her out for a test drive anytime you are!” A smile spread across his face as he climbed into his M3A1 Scout Car and headed over to celebrate the rebirth of another of his babies, with the sound of the engine running clearly audible as he approached the M103A2.