# ID these military vehicles

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-military-vehicles/1000749>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 25, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-military-vehicles/1000749 "2024-04-25T17:36:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-military-vehicles/1000749/1 "2024-04-25T17:36:35Z")

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The photo is from 1984. They don’t look like regular troop carriers and they have a large arm assembly on top.

[https://vintageaerial.com/photos/pennsylvania/york/1984/TYK/16/25?utm\_source=photo\_activity\_mailer&utm\_medium=email&utm\_campaign=new\_comment](https://vintageaerial.com/photos/pennsylvania/york/1984/TYK/16/25?utm_source=photo_activity_mailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_comment)

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**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-military-vehicles/1000749/2 "2024-04-25T17:40:33Z")

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They look like armored recovery vehicles to me. Used to tow away and repair damaged tanks and other heavy vehicles. The arm on top is probably a crane for lifting out engines, transmissions, or turrets.

They may be these: [M88 Recovery Vehicle - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M88_Recovery_Vehicle)

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**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-military-vehicles/1000749/3 "2024-04-25T17:53:36Z")

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Got it in one! And the M88 was built by Bowen McLaughlin York which is the site in the photo.

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**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-military-vehicles/1000749/4 "2024-04-25T18:36:03Z")

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Yep, Mighty Mike88.  
I used to drive one when I was in the army. They were…eventual, if inevitable.

I got out and not long after they started more widely fielding the Hercules version of the 88 that could actually keep up the Abrams it was meant to tow, and recover it a lot easier. The Abrams was a little heavier than what the M88 was actually meant to pull.

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**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-these-military-vehicles/1000749/5 "2024-04-26T16:31:28Z")

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Damn I could have answered this one. Too slow.

Most famously seen in 2003 being used to pull down the statue of Saddam by the Marines. The Marine Corps got rid of their M-88s when they got rid ot their tanks.